Hey everybody, it’s Harriet Scott and Ronan Keating from Magic Breakfast
and once again we are delighted to be launching Mission Christmas on Magic.
Now, it’s a sobering thought, but many, many children
risk waking up on Christmas Day with no presents whatsoever.
It is a luxury that many families simply can’t afford.
Well at Mission Christmas, we believe that every child deserves a visit from Santa.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at the journey a Mission Christmas present
takes from donation to making a child’s Christmas one to remember.
We've been shopping and we’ve bought a Virtual Reality Headset
and this Star Wars build your own computer game,
which we’ve entrusted to our good friend and colleague Nick Snaith,
who’s going to show you exactly where you can find Mission Christmas donation boxes.
Over to you Nick!
Thanks guys, now these Mission Christmas Donate Boxes are located in every Bensons for Beds
and Harveys store up and down the country.
You very generous people are going to be donating unwrapped gifts,
so that we can distribute them to disadvantaged kids in time for Christmas Eve.
Next time you're out doing a bit of Christmas shopping, if you could spare a few pounds
and you could buy a little gift for a little boy or a little girl,
it would really make their Christmas.
It would light up their Christmas morning.
It could be anything at all, it doesn't have to be expensive, it doesn't have to be big.
If you're out buying something for your teenage son or daughter,
you could get something for another teenager. That would be great.
And Gary here, who is one of the managers at this Bensons for Beds and Harveys store,
knows all about your generosity
because last year you were involved with Cash for Kids Mission Christmas, weren't you?
Yes, I was Nick, yeah.
You had one of these very boxes.
We were overwhelmed by the results that we got. The boxes were overflowing.
Can you remember anybody in particular that donated anything in particular last year?
A customer came into the store to look for furniture products.
Didn't know really what was going on. We explained to her what was going on.
And she proceeded go up to the local shop and buy a load of jigsaw puzzles
and bring them back and stick them in the box.
Aah. I want her to be my nan. She sounds lovely.
We're hoping for just as good a response this year, and I'm sure we'll get it.
I'm going to kick things off right now
because I've brought some gifts that the Magic presenters have bought and they're down here.
So let me just see what we've got. Ronan's present here, I'll stick that in.
We've got Harriet's.
This is from me. An electric stunt buggy.
What's this? Emma B's Scratchy scratch paper.
From Richard Allinson, a 3-in-1 lip kit.
Right, gonna stick those in there.
I'm going to hand the baton over to Eloise now,
who's going to track these presents from this store all the way to a Mission HQ.
Thanks, Nick. Okay, our pressies have all arrived on the Benson for Beds and Harveys lorry,
all ready to be dished out at the Mission Christmas HQ.
I've got all of the gang's pressies here from Magic,
and I'm going to add my own: the rave frame. It's a light-up message board.
I reckon it's perfect for teenagers.
Now let's go and sort them.
Now the toys have reached Mission HQ,
all of the amazing volunteers are busy packing and sorting them
ready to get them to disadvantaged children all across the country
in time for Christmas morning.
There are 22 different Mission HQs just like this all across the UK.
Thousands of organisations supporting disadvantaged children apply for toys on their behalf.
Once they're packed and sorted into gender and age,
they're puts into boxes ready to be collected.
I'm here with Debbie and Debbie, you're volunteering this year. What motivated you to do it?
Seeing the signs on the way to work last year and not being able to really participate.
Our company encourages us to take five volunteer days a year if we can and it's for children.
There's nothing really better than that, is there?
Amazing. Thank you so much.
You're going to help me pack a box? Yes.
Shall we go and do that? Yes.
This is the male, three to five years aisle.
Wow. So many toys. Gotta start with Hungry Hippos? Yup.
Pile it up Debbie.
What about this?
Yeah, that looks amazing.
Every year Mission Christmas struggles to fulfil requests for babies and teenagers.
So if you're thinking of buying one extra gift this Christmas,
maybe you could buy for one of these age groups.
I'm here with Laura from Community Children's Complex Care.
Laura, you're one of the beneficiaries responsible for distributing some pressies to the kids,
what do you think that means to them?
I work with children who are very disadvantaged.
I work with children who are very poorly, a very complex health needs.
Parents often can't work, because of the needs of the children.
And it's up to me and my team to help support these children
so they can be at home rather than in hospital.
So bringing presents to them on Christmas,
it's just brilliant, because they wouldn't get anything otherwise.
What's it like going to actually give them the pressies?
It's really good. I get to know my children very well.
They often have been in hospital so much that they see uniforms and they get very scared,
so to bring them a present just helps alleviate that fear
and that worry that something bad is going to happen.
It's just makes Christmas more wonderful.
I'm here with Nicola, she works at a primary school,
and Nicola, you're one of the people responsible for dishing out all our goodies to children.
The best part of all this is when I see the relief on the parents faces
when I call them in school.
and I share actually I've been able to get some gifts to donate so that they can give
their children Christmas presents on Christmas Day.
Several families that I've worked with are not able to afford the basics,
they're not able to put the heating on or have a warm meal.
And they have spoken to me about the guilt that they feel.
Not being able to, to do those things and to buy the children Christmas gifts.
So to be able to take the pressure away from the Christmas gifts and to ensure that these...
it's not just a Christmas gift, it means they can also have the heating on
and a cooked meal on Christmas Day.
This charity is just amazing,
Thanks to everybody who donates, because otherwise these children wouldn't have anything
and it's just it's not worth thinking about.
Thank you to everybody that donates.
And obviously all you guys for making this happen every single year.
It's a really simple thing to do.
It totally is and now you've seen what happens to a donated gift.
Every donation will be making its way to a Mission HQ just like this
before being distributed in time for Christmas Eve
There is still time to get involved with Mission Christmas.
Please donate a new and unwrapped gift,
drop it into your nearest Benson's for Beds or Harveys by December the 18th, please,
and you will help make someone's Christmas that extra bit special.
And remember, it's really important, please, please, please, that the gift is new,
and to keep it in its original packaging as well.
To locate your nearest Bensons for Beds or Harveys
and to find out more about the brilliant Mission Christmas,
just go to the website, magic dot co dot uk.
And thank you.
Happy Christmas!