Around 3,300 City residents will throw away or forget about an unsuitable gift that could help vulnerable children and young people, according to a new survey by Barnardo’s.
The poll for the children’s charity revealed that four in 10 Londoners have confessed to either binning gifts or putting unsuitable presents in a cupboard and forgetting about them. While one in 10 sold them online, a third (34%) of the 553 Londoners surveyed gave them to a charity shop.
The online research by YouGov also found that, for the second year running, the selfie stick is considered one of the least sought after Christmas presents by nearly half of people in London (45%), closely followed by musical socks (43%), bathroom scales (29%), and animal slippers (28%).
Barnardo’s is now appealing for people to donate unsuitable gifts to its shops, including its central London branch in George Street, Marylebone. Money raised from their sale will help to transform the lives of the most at risk children, young people and families in the UK.
Lynn Gradwell, director of Barnardo’s in London, said: “We all receive the odd gift at Christmas that isn’t quite right. Rather than throw these unloved presents away or stick them in a cupboard you can help Barnardo’s support some of the most disadvantaged children in London and the rest of the UK.
“By taking any unsuitable gifts to our stores, you will be engaging in an act of kindness that will make a difference to a child out there somewhere who really needs your support.” As an extra bonus, people who donate their unsuitable Christmas gifts to Barnardo’s will be rewarded with a £10 ‘Re-Gift’ voucher to spend in store and online at high street fashion retailer Evans.
