Brighton children's charity boosted by recycled toys

A Brighton children’s charity has benefited from tonnes of unwanted toys dropped off at recycling points around the area.

Rockinghorse, the sick children’s charity, is £300 better off as a result of the toy recycling scheme.

The scheme was set up by Brighton and Hove City Council a year ago and already more than 12 tonnes of toys have been collected.

Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, the council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “Once again residents of Brighton and Hove have responded enthusiastically to a recycling initiative.

“The figures were particularly high over the Christmas period when families were clearing out the toy cupboards and filling the banks with their unwanted toys.”

The council set up the scheme with BCR Global, the company behind the bra recycling initiative in Brighton and Hove.

They provide drop-off points for people to leave their unwanted toys and games to provide playthings for less fortunate children and to raise money for the Rockinghorse appeal.

All complete, re-usable toys, including teddies, dolls, games and battery-operated toys, can be left at one of the recycling points listed below.

The toys are distributed within Britain or sent to Pakistan where they are cleaned, repaired if necessary and sold on at affordable prices.

The project helps to sustain local communities in less fortunate countries, providing business opportunities and affordable toys.

Every tonne of toys collected results in a £25 donation to the Rockinghorse children’s charity for sick youngsters in Sussex and Surrey.

Analiese Doctrove, community fundraiser for Rockinghorse, said: “Rockinghorse is so grateful to have had the support of the local council and local people over the last year.

“The £300 donated will help us to make a fantastic difference to the young people that we support.”

Toy banks can be found at the following recycling points