Hammers stars launch the Kevin Jenkins OBE Newham Christmas Toy Appeal

THREE stars of West Ham United have kicked off the Kevin Jenkins OBE Newham Christmas Toy Appeal for children .

Midfielder Tomas Soucek, defender Vladmir Coufal and midfielder Maxwel Cornet met youngsters at Ambition, Aspire, Achieve’s Terence Brown Arc In the Park in Canning Town to launch the Kevin Jenkins OBE Newham Christmas Toy Appeal.

They also talked to AAA staff and the children, and parents who are part of the charity’s group of Santa’s helpers for the appeal. They came from AAA’s Positive Transitions Wellbeing group and the charity’s LEGO club.

They even had time to make an impromptu social media post urging the community to support the long-running appeal.

• The Hammers trio launch our appeal

They launched the appeal as part of West Ham United’s Players’ Project, an initiative where Men’s, Women’s and Academy players regularly show their support to many causes across the local community.

The campaign helps to provide local children and families with items on Christmas Day who would otherwise likely go without – a cause which has been supported annually by West Ham United and the West Ham Foundation due to Ambition Aspire Achieve being named as one of their selected charity partners.

• In focus…the players record a social media post for AAA

 

The players spoke at the end of their to the charity . Through the Players’ Project, the Hammers’ men’s, women’s and academy players select key areas of community work to advocate for and give time to.

With all three players also being parents, they showed great care in helping to launch the campaign and embraced the opportunity to meet with staff, volunteers, participants and their families.

“I love it here, we’re so blessed as football players but it’s so important for me and my teammates to give back and it was important to be here,” said Maxwel Cornet.

Tomáš Souček was equally pleased to be supporting Ambition Aspire Achieve, saying:

“It’s very important because where I came from, I had a lovely childhood, but I know the focus is important during Christmas time, and I believe all children should have a nice Christmas and look forward to getting presents and this charity is very important making sure they get presents as some parents can’t afford them. So, it’s very good that all of the kids here today come to this charity and get a present around Christmas time and have a good life”.

He added: “It’s great to see what this charity is doing with the kids and see how they help them. It’s great to see them in action. It wasn’t just the staff that showed us, but we got to see the kids and see how happy they are here.”

Talking to the community ethos at West Ham United, Vladimír Coufal shared:

“Obviously because it’s East London and it’s for the people, and it’s very important for West Ham and this community to be connected together and also for us it’s very important to support the kids because they are the best thing that you can have in your life, and we have to support them”.

He continued: “I wouldn’t play for a club that doesn’t care about the local people and communities. I am really proud to be a West Ham player and support the local people and that is what West Ham is about”.

It is the 46th consecutive year of the appeal, run in conjunction with the Newham Recorder and the community in the borough.

The joint appeal helped more than 3,000 children and their families last year.

The campaign helps to provide local children and families with items on Christmas Day who would otherwise likely go without – a cause which has been supported annually by West Ham United and the West Ham Foundation due to Ambition Aspire Achieve being named as one of their selected charity partners.

It is the 46th consecutive year of the appeal, run in conjunction with the Newham Recorder and the community in the borough.

For thousands of families in Newham it has again been a very difficult year. And it is getting harder by the week. The cost of living crisis is biting hard.

As a result, the Kevin Jenkins OBE Newham Christmas Toy Appeal, a massive big part of local life for 46 consecutive years, is needed more than ever before.

Last year, charity Ambition, Aspire, Achieve (AAA) helped almost 3,000 children and their families, an incredible achievement. And the charity knows from referrals already made before we have launched the campaign that the demand this year will be exceeded.

The campaign helps to provide local children and families with gifts on Christmas Day who would otherwise likely go without – and is run in conjunction with the Newham Recorder, their partners and the community in the borough.

AAA’s founder and the appeal’s founded Kevin Jenkins passed away two years ago and the appeal is now renamed in his memory. It is a campaign that is right at the heart of local life and it really needs help from the community.

• Kevin Jenkins OBE

 

Paula Blake, Toy Appeal Appeal Coordinator and Operations Manager, Ambition Aspire Achieve, and Jonny Boux, Ambition, Aspire, Achieve Chief Executive, issued a joint plea for this year’s campaign.

They said: “The past couple of years have been amongst the most difficult and challenging in living memory, with the unprecedented cost-of-living crisis which is impacting so many. Rising levels of child poverty and deteriorating mental health is pushing families that were already struggling deeper into crisis.

“In Newham the stark reality is that over 50 per cent of local children are now growing up in poverty, with all available evidence confirming that it is those most in need, who continue to suffer the most, experiencing deepening difficulties and cascading challenges.

 

“As a result, the appeal, which is now in its 46th year, is sadly needed more than ever before. Requests for help are already exceeding all the previous appeals, reflecting the daily challenges that so many of our local children and young people are facing.

“Each child supported will be experiencing the ravages of poverty each and every day, compounded by their own combination of multiple difficulties and challenges, such as poor and/or temporary accommodation, food hunger, poor wellbeing, emotional needs, educational underachievement, behavioural difficulties, disability and/or additional needs, being a victim of personal abuse, violence or bereavement. “Every family supported will be facing significant challenges, struggling to make ends meet, with little or no income to provide any of the gifts and seasonal foods that so many of us are lucky enough to take for granted.

Without support, a Christmas Day to enjoy would not be possible.

“Once again, we will be aiming to provide for each child, a Christmas stocking of new gifts specific to their age, needs, abilities and wherever possible, their most wished for gift, to open on Christmas morning, so that they can experience a real Christmas day, rather than just another day the same as every other. The full children’s stockings will also give each benefiting family renewed resilience and determination knowing that their community cares about them, to continue to work towards overcoming their difficulties and challenges and move forward to a time when they can support the Appeal themselves, as many of the previous beneficiaries now do each year.

“If you are in a position where you can help, please consider helping your local appeal in this the most difficult and challenging year for us all. ”

For people wishing to choose a gift or gifts, to purchase online for a young person this Christmas, an Amazon Wish List has been set up.

This feature has a selection of items ranging from toys, hats, CDs and books to headphones, watches, teddies and much more that the appeal organisers know would be suitable for those receiving presents, and provide an easy way to buy and donate directly.

To view the Wish List, visit Amazon at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1608HJIMEPD14?ref_=wl_share

 

• Our Amazon Wish List Bar Code

Donations can be made in person at the Terence Brown Arc In The Park, in Bethell Avenue, Canning Town, from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and from 10am to 1pm on Saturdays.

An online Just Giving fundraising page has also been set up, and all money donated will be spent on buying presents for Newham’s most underprivileged children in advance of Christmas Day.

To donate, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/toyappeal2023

• Our Just Giving QR Code

Details on how you can support the campaign in general will be in the Recorder every week and on their website www.newhamrecorder.co.uk

 

• The stars also spoke to AAA staff at the Terence Brown Arc in the Park

 

Former Newham Recorder Editor and Ambition, Aspire, Achieve trustee Colin Grainger is taking part in his annual sponsored swim to raise funds for the Christmas Toy Appeal.

Colin, 69, now a freelance journalist, will be diving in the for 46^th year in a row.

He aims to complete 50 lengths breast stroke to help raise money for the appeal…quite a tough ask given his COPD, and he recently underwent a hernia operation.

“But I am determined to do it again in December,” he added.

If you would like to donate to Colin’s swim go to:

Crowdfunding to Raise funds for a vital annual Christmas appeal on JustGiving

 

 * Colin in training

 

Together we can make a real difference for Newham’s most disadvantaged, vulnerable and at-risk children this Christmas, at a time when it is most needed.

Please be part of that difference – thank you.

 

Pictures/Graphics: AAA/Lucy Jenkins/Colin Grainger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pics by AAA/Colin Grainger