A NEWPORT community group is looking to raise some festive cheer across South Wales – by launching a toy drive for children in local hospitals and hospices.

Pride in Pill, the community group which champions the Pillgwenlly area of the city, is once again looking to raise spirits across the wider region.

But this year, they have issued a call to locals to help them out.

According to group member Paul Murphy, they are hoping to collect new, but unwrapped children’s toys, with the aim of delivering them to children who will spend Christmas in hospital.

Their initial aim is to deliver 200 toys to The Grange hospital in Cwmbran, and 200 toys to Noah's Ark Children's Hospital, in Cardiff.

But, the community is hoping that these targets will be exceeded, which would allow them to also donate toys to youngsters at Serennu Children's Centre in Rogerstone, and Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice too.

To reach this goal, it is thought that somewhere in the region of 500-600 toys will be needed in total.

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Drop off points have been put in place across Newport and Gwent, with many local businesses both donating, and hosting drop off points, which will remain in place until December 11.

On December 18, Pride in Pill will drop off the toys at each of the hospitals and hospices, with a little help from Newport Transport, who have given them the use of a double decker bus, in order to travel across the region spreading festive joy.

Speaking to the Argus, Pride in Pill’s Paul Murphy said: “We’re looking for unwrapped toys to be donated. We will then wrap them, and mark them for the appropriate age and gender.

“On December 18, Newport Transport has given us a double decker which we will take to the Grange, Cardiff kids hospital and the hospices, to drop off the presents.

“We’ve got around 300 gifts so far, but we want 500-600 ideally.

“The more people we get on board the better.”

Christmas appeal drop off locations

Gifts can be dropped off at a number of locations across Newport and Gwent.

These include:

  • Nationwide Building Society branches in Newport, Cwmbran, Pontypool and Abergavenny
  • Halifax Commercial Street - Newport
  • ASDA supermarket Pill - Newport
  • AluView - Cwmbran
  • Newport Bus depot at 160 Corporation Road
  • Starbucks - Kingsway Shopping Centre Newport
  • Le Pub - 14 High Street, Newport
  • Just Love Food Company - Blackwood
  • Love to Give - Kingsway Centre Newport
  • Castle Bingo - Usk Way Newport
  • Sero Zero Waste Shop - Tredegar House Newport

More information can be found on the Pride in Pill Facebook page here.