Our 2023 campaign is scheduled to run from 16th to 30th November, although toys may be accepted until Sunday 3rd December. See below for Frequently Asked Questions or visit our Facebook page to find the latest updates about this year’s campaign.
About The Reuse Santa Appeal
The Reuse Santa Appeal is a charitable campaign to provide help for young people across North Yorkshire who are most in need this Christmas.
This year, we need your help to collect used toys, games, books and puzzles for young people who might otherwise not receive a gift. Not only will this help to make Christmas easier for many families, it will also support the environment by encouraging a ‘Reduce, Re-use, Recycle’ mindset.
Reuse Santa is delivered in partnership with City of York Council, North Yorkshire Council and selected charities.
How Can I Help?
Step 1
Have a sort out of toys. Make sure the toys/books/games you plan to donate are clean, complete and fit for purpose. We’re collecting for all ages of children and young people from birth to 16 years old.
Step 2
Next time you’re taking waste to your nearest York or North Yorkshire Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC), simply bring your pre-loved gifts along too and let the staff know you wish to donate. They will point you in the direction for the Drop Zone. To find your nearest North Yorkshire Household Waste Recycling Centre visit the North Yorkshire Gov website or if you live in York, find your nearest York Household Waste Recycling Centre on the York Gov site.
Step 3
Yorwaste will then collect and distribute your donations to our charity partners for redistribution to children and young people in need, with any additional gifts being sent to charity shops to raise funds for good causes.
Who Are The Charity Partners?
No Wrong Door will gift the pre-loved toys and games to children within or on the edge of the care system. Early Help will gift the donations to children and families needing support while Snappy will support children and young people with disabilities. We are also partnering with community groups within City of York Good Place Network, Colburn Community Hub, Harrogate & Knaresborough Toy Library, British Heart Foundation, the Daisy Chain Project and The Recycle Project CIC to make sure that all donations can be handed out to local children or used to raise money for great causes.
About the Charity No Wrong Door
No Wrong Door is a new way of providing support to young people who are within or on the edge of the care system across North Yorkshire. It replaces traditional council-run young peoples’ homes with hubs that combine residential care with fostering. Each hub has a dedicated team which includes:
- A life coach who is a clinical psychologist
- A speech therapist
- Two community foster families who work out of the hub and are part of the professional team
- Community-supported lodging places for 16 and 17 year-olds, again staffed by people who are specially trained and part of the professional team
Previous Reuse Santa appeals
Our first Reuse Santa toy appeal was in 2019. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, we ran the campaign again in 2020, then again in 2021 and 2022. We asked you to donate your unwanted toys to your nearest HWRC, and as a result, you donated tonnes of toys and we were able to help over 2000 children across North Yorkshire who might have otherwise gone without a Christmas present. Last year, we delivered over 20 transit van loads of toys to our charity partners. So thank you to the generous members of the public in York and North Yorkshire for supporting our appeals.
Struggling with waste over the festive period?
If you’re still struggling to reuse, recycle and sustainably dispose of your waste this Christmas, then check out our ultimate guide on how to reduce Christmas waste where we’ve detailed a load of creative, cost-effective ways to reduce your waste in an eco-friendly way.
