Reading Family Aid
Putting Smiles on Children's Faces for 30 years!
The 2025 Toys and Teens Christmas Gift Appeal is now live! See the Toys & Teens Appeal page for full information.
The Mayor of Reading, Councillor Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles, recently met with Reading Family Aid members to help launch our 2025 Appeal. Here’s what she said about it: “There’s a lot of hidden poverty in Reading. This charity is very important in our town. It donates all sorts of toys to children during Christmas who need it, and it alleviates the stresses from families who can’t afford toys. We need your donations, we need families to be supported, this is a crucial charity in doing that as we go into Christmas. Please support the appeal by donating gifts at any of the donation points in Reading. Thank you.”
Watch the launch video:
The Mayor of Reading, Councillor Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles, recently met with Reading Family Aid members to help launch our 2025 Appeal. Here’s what she said about it: “There’s a lot of hidden poverty in Reading. This charity is very important in our town. It donates all sorts of toys to children during Christmas who need it, and it alleviates the stresses from families who can’t afford toys. We need your donations, we need families to be supported, this is a crucial charity in doing that as we go into Christmas. Please support the appeal by donating gifts at any of the donation points in Reading. Thank you.”
Watch the launch video:
Key information for 2025 Toys and Teens Appeal
Donate toys and gifts in-person
If you have items to donate to the appeal, there are donation points across Reading where you can drop them off. See the Donation Points page for details.
The last date for donations is Saturday 6 December.
Buy gifts from our Amazon Wish List
The easiest way to support our Appeal! Buy one (or more!) of the gifts from our wishlist and have them sent directly to us.
Donate money to our GoFundMe
Another easy way to give your support, no matter where you are based. These financial donations are vital to ensure we have enough gifts for the older age groups and those with special needs!
If you have items to donate to the appeal, there are donation points across Reading where you can drop them off. See the Donation Points page for details.
The last date for donations is Saturday 6 December.
Buy gifts from our Amazon Wish List
The easiest way to support our Appeal! Buy one (or more!) of the gifts from our wishlist and have them sent directly to us.
Donate money to our GoFundMe
Another easy way to give your support, no matter where you are based. These financial donations are vital to ensure we have enough gifts for the older age groups and those with special needs!
About Reading Family Aid
We help children living with poverty and other disadvantages in the Reading area. They may be living in a family affected by drug taking, alcoholism, physical or sexual abuse, chronic illness or disability; or they may have a disability or illness themselves. The families may be homeless or may be refugees.
Our goal is to bring a little joy to their lives and To Put Smiles on the Faces of Children. We do this by distributing toys at Christmas to children aged 0-16 through our Toys & Teens Appeal. We also provide Outings throughout the year for children and their families who wouldn't be able to go otherwise.
Our goal is to bring a little joy to their lives and To Put Smiles on the Faces of Children. We do this by distributing toys at Christmas to children aged 0-16 through our Toys & Teens Appeal. We also provide Outings throughout the year for children and their families who wouldn't be able to go otherwise.
If you would like to learn more about our activities and the Toys & Teens Appeal please check out our blog pages and sign up for our monthly newsletter. You can follow us on all the social media channels here. If you would like to get involved in our work, please see our Volunteer page. We are specifically looking for people to help out with our publicity and outings.
Why the community needs us
Reading seems so prosperous that many people might find it hard to imagine there are desperately deprived families here. But in 2025, 30% of Reading's children were living in poverty - that's 11,551 children (source: The End Child Poverty Coalition).
All the families referred to us are in genuine need. We aim to offer them some relief from the harsh day-to-day realities of their lives - some of the extras that social services and other agencies can't provide.
All the families referred to us are in genuine need. We aim to offer them some relief from the harsh day-to-day realities of their lives - some of the extras that social services and other agencies can't provide.
Our impact on the community
In 2024, 2,509 children received a selection of toys at Christmas as a result of our Toys & Teens Appeal. We also took a coachload of local disadvantaged families to Odds Farm for the day, took a large group of families with neurodiverse children to Camp Mohawk, many had a fun day out at Beale Park, there were two day trips to Bournemouth, trips to Chessington and Thorpe Park, and about 140 went to the pantomime.
Please help us by donating money on our Localgiving page, or by donating a toy or gift (we start collecting for our Toys and Teens Appeal in October, but if you have new toys to donate we will accept them at any time). There are other ways to donate which cost you nothing - see our Donate page for details.
Thank you to our 2025 sponsors:
who give us a full page each week of the Appeal where you can read our stories and get a full list of the donation points
who have donated a large amount of money that we can use to buy toys, gifts and essential supplies to run the Project.
who have donated a large amount of money that we can use to buy toys, gifts and essential supplies to run the Project.
who have donated a large amount of money that we can use to buy toys, gifts and essential supplies to run the Project.
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who give us free use of several of their vans for the week so we can collect all the donations and deliver the packed sacks
who give us a free room so that we can store the early donations
who generously donate several thousands of pounds worth of toys and gifts each year.
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Reading Family Aid Group Registered Charity No. 1022144 Email [email protected] Phone 07930 033413
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