We’ve been in touch with lots of charities & support groups across York, and listed below are those that are looking for your help in the run-up to the festive period. We hope you find this list of York Charity donation ideas useful.
Please note we will update this blog regularly and add any York charities for donation ideas as they announce their plans.
YorkMix has teamed up with York Designer Outlet & Asda at Monks Cross for their Toy Appeal 2023.
They are asking people to donate a new & unwrapped toy at the YorkMix Toy Appeal collection points at Asda Monks Cross & Asda Layerthorpe York, between now and Sunday 10th of December “Santa’s workshop” located outside the South Entrance at York Designer Outlet from 17th November onwards. From there, the toys will delivered by the York Mix elves & given to the children who need them most in the local area.
They are collecting gifts for children of all ages from babies and pre-schoolers who might receive traditional toys and games from the appeal through to teenagers for whom you might consider donating items such as health and beauty products.
Charity deliveries will begin on 6th December so you haven’t got long!
Find out more on the York Mix website.
The Collective Sharehouse is a local ‘give and take as you feel’ located at the back of Clements Hall on Cygnet Street, York off Nunnery Lane. It is open Tue & Fri 9.15 -11 am and Weds 5-6 pm. A local community who support and providing help for Micklegate ward residents in financial hardship.
See their Facebook page for an up to date list for what they require.
Find out more on The Collective Sharehouse Facebook page.
Morrisons have a Giving Tree in the foyer of the store. All donations are going to the Collective Sharehouse. When you shop you can pick up a cardboard bauble for £1, £2 or £5 and pay for it at the till.
Christmas is meant to be the most wonderful time of the year, but for the 3,500 women, men, and children IDAS support every December, it can be a frightening and isolating time. With your support, IDAS can reach all the victims and survivors of domestic abuse in Yorkshire who urgently need help.
Each December, they see a surge in calls to our helpline and an increased demand for their services. Although more time at home, increased alcohol consumption and financial pressures are never an excuse for violent or controlling behaviour, abuse often escalates during the festive season. Victims may be trapped at home, more isolated and with fewer opportunities to report abuse and fewer routes to safety, and school holidays can mean that children are less likely to get the help they need.
IDAS has been selected to participate in the Big Give Christmas Challenge, the UK’s largest match funding campaign. Every donation made to the Big Give Christmas Challenge from 12pm on Tuesday, 28th November until 12pm on Tuesday, 5th December will be matched, so effectively doubled. One donation, twice the impact.
Please consider donating to their urgent Christmas appeal.
(Registered Charity Number 1102337)
Bellfarm provides Christmas dinner parcels from 10 December onwards and is looking for various food items to be donated.
Drop off at Bellfarm Hall, Roche Avenue, York, YO31 9BB
Find out more on their Facebook page here.
(Registered Charity Number 1163659)
Water Babies want to try and spread some Christmas cheer to families in need this Christmas, so have reached out to local food banks to find out what they are most in need of for young families. They have asked all their swimmers to help by bringing donations of the following items to classes until the 10th December.
Drop-off points:
Principal Hotel, Leisure Club (Monday 2-3pm & Friday 3-5pm)
Delta@ York Marriott Hotel (Mondays 10-11.30am, Tuesday 10.30-11.30am & Fri 10am – 12pm)
Energise, Acomb, Hydro Pool (Sat 9am – 12pm & Sun 9am – 1pm)
Find out more on the Water Babies Facebook page here.
The Recycle ProjectThe Re-Use Santa Appeal is back!
Last year around 3,000 toys were redistributed to good causes. Help The Recycle Project make sure no young person goes without a gift this Christmas.
How it works:
Coordinated in partnership with City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council.
Charity partners include:
No Wrong Door and Early Help projects, City of York’s Good Place Network, Colburn Community Hub, Snappy Trust (special needs, York), Daisy Chain and British Heart Foundation to distribute donations to local children or used to raise money for great causes.
Order a personalised Letter from Santa from the North Pole straight to your door and feel good doing your part for children with a suggested £8 donation. Choose from 8 different designs, and make your letter special with your child’s name, hobbies, friends and more.
Visit the NSPCC website for more information and to order your letter.
(Registered Charity Number 216401)
The Salvation Army has launched its Christmas Appeal for 2023!
The Salvation Army is calling on York’s community to donate new toys to its Christmas present appeal that will support families in need over the festive season.
The Salvation Army will be collecting donations of new unwrapped toys and anyone wishing to donate can drop their kind contribution until 10 December:
(Registered Charity Number 214779)
York Food Bank want to make sure that no one in the local community has to go hungry. Your gift of financial support, time, business partnership and food can make a real difference. You can donate food at Waitrose (Foss Islands), Asda (Monks Cross), Tesco (Askam Bar), Foodbank Warehouse (Unit 5, Sterling Way, Clifton Moor). The York Food Bank website has a list of items required, so please check the list before you go shopping.
You can help by:
(Registered Charity Number 1154149)
Greatest Hits Radio is running an appeal to new and unwrapped gifts which will be provided to families unexpectedly facing poverty and to prevent children from waking up on Christmas Day without anything under the tree.
You can drop off a new & unwrapped gift for a child at the following locations:
For more information and some suggestions for gift ideas see the Planet Radio website.
(Registered charity 1122062, SC041421 and SC003334)
Find out more on the Flying Legends Facebook page.
For the last 3 years, Justine Whitelam has organised and distributed Christmas Presents and Hampers to local schools for families in need. She liaises with the schools and they provide her with the ages of children in need.
Justine won the Community Pride Volunteer Award in 2020!
Find out more about how to help on her Facebook group.
St James the Deacon Church, WoodthorpeThe church runs a clothes/toy bank and provides food parcels on Tuesdays during the holidays. The next one will be held on Tuesday 2 January 2024 from 9.30am – 12.30pm, when the Tuesday Tots Extra group is running. Anyone is welcome to come and collect a parcel if they need support during this time.
If you would like to donate items ahead of this session, they can be taken to the church – please contact Children and Families Worker Nicola Cook on nicola.stjamesthedeacon@gmail.com to arrange a convenient time for drop off.
📍 St. James the Deacon Church, Woodthorpe, YO24 2SE
Every weekend leading up to Christmas, you can have your presents wrapped by a team of dedicated volunteers, with all donations going to support local charities: York Mind, The Island York, Carecent York, and Kyra Women’s Project. Some of the gift wrapping paper for the fundraiser has been kindly donated by Olive and Mabel, Shared Earth, and Morrisons & Waitrose at Foss Islands.
Dates and charity supported:
Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th December, 12pm-6pm – Carecent York
Saturday 16th December, 12pm-6pm – The Island York
Sunday 17th December, 12pm-6pm – Kyra Women’s Project
Saturday 23rd December, 12pm-6pm – Carecent York
📍 Spark*, 17-21 Piccadilly, York YO1 9PB
Kutchenhaus York is holding a Macmillan Coffee Morning at their York showroom on Sunday 17th December from 9am to 1pm. They invite you to join them for a coffee morning, in the spirit of giving this festive season, to help raise money for those living with cancer.
📍 This will be held at their showroom at Unit 3, Foss Islands Retail Park, YO31 7UL. Pram and Wheelchair accessible
Post updated 8 Dec 2023 – all details correct at time of publication.
