Thousands of children across York and North Yorkshire could wake up to a brighter Christmas morning this year, as residents are being encouraged to have a pre-festive clear-out and donate quality pre-loved toys.
Now in its eighth year, the heartwarming Reuse Santa appeal gives clean, complete, and working toys, games, books, and puzzles a brand-new lease of life, passing them directly on to local families who need a helping hand most.
Run by Yorwaste in partnership with North Yorkshire Council, City of York Council, and a network of local charities, the scheme makes donating effortless. Between 15th and 29th November, residents can simply drop off their unwanted goodies at any household waste recycling centre across York and North Yorkshire.
The impact is huge: last Christmas alone, generous locals donated more than 5,000 toys – the equivalent of roughly 80 giant Santa sacks – saving countless items from landfill while putting smiles on children’s faces.
Cllr Richard Foster, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for waste services, said: “The Reuse Santa campaign does a fantastic job of encouraging people to donate their pre-loved toys rather than throwing them out.
“The donations help to support children, young people and families while keeping usable items in circulation. Christmas can be a time when finances are tight, so the aim of the scheme is to relieve some of the burden.
“All we ask is that the gifts are in a condition that you would like to receive, and please remember that we can’t accept toys powered by mains electricity.”
Once collected, the gifts are sorted and shared out through vital community lifelines including North Yorkshire Council’s Early Help service, the City of York Good Place Network, Colburn Community Hub, the British Heart Foundation, the Daisy Chain Project, and The Recycle Project CIC, alongside local charity shops.
Cllr Jenny Kent, City of York Council’s executive member for environment and climate emergency, added: “Reuse Santa is a wonderful example of how a simple act of generosity can make a real difference to families across York and North Yorkshire.
“By donating good quality toys, books and games that are no longer needed, we can all help bring joy to local children while reducing waste and giving items a second life.
“We know that Christmas can be an expensive time for many families, and this scheme helps support those who may be struggling while encouraging a more sustainable approach to sharing and reusing.
“I encourage anyone with clean, complete and working toys to consider donating them and help to make Christmas special for a local child.”
Details of recycling centres across North Yorkshire and York can be found at www.northyorks.gov.uk/hwrc and www.york.gov.uk/WasteAndRecycling
