A GRANDMOTHER who lost everything when she was forced to jump from her flat as it was engulfed in flames has urged people to support the vital work of Reading Family Aid's gift appeal.

The woman, who would like to remain anonymous, should have been celebrating her birthday in December, but instead found herself in hospital fighting for her life.

A fire broke out in her flat in Reading, and she was forced to jump out of a window to escape the blaze. She was left in intensive care in hospital in a critical condition with a suspected broken pelvis, hip, collar bone, severe back injuries and potential internal damage.

Alongside the physical trauma, the grandmother had also lost all of her possessions as the fire tore through her home. Among the possession were the Christmas presents she had saved for her grandchildren.

This is when Reading Family Aid's Toys and Teens Appeal stepped in to help the grandmother through such a difficult time.

The appeal, sponsored by the Reading Chronicle, is brings together hundreds of new and nearly new toy donations every year in the build up to Christmas. This presents are given out to families with children who would often otherwise not receive a gift to open on Christmas morning.

Reading Chronicle:

Reading Family Aid were able to support the grandmother and help replace the lost Christmas gifts and enable her to focus on her recovery.

Her daughter said: “Mentally my mum was really struggling and couldn’t shake the thought that there was somebody so evil that they would set light to a block of flats and endanger the lives of everybody living in the building.

"This linked to the fact my mum wasn’t able to give any presents to her grandchildren who are her world, was really affecting her mental health.

"We as a family owe so much to Reading Family Aid. Their supporters’ generosity helped us through a very dark time in our lives. For my mum, seeing her grandchildren happy gave her a reason to fight even harder in her recovery."

The grandmother added: "I owe so much to Reading Family Aid, they helped me when I was at my lowest physically, financially and mentally. I had nowhere to live, lost everything I owned, didn’t know the severity of my injuries, if I would walk again.

"My children and Grandchildren are everything to me and the thought of everything being destroyed was really getting me down. "I would like to say thank you to everybody at Reading Family Aid and all the people who have donated you will never know how much you have done for me and my family”.

Reading Chronicle:

Once again, Reading Family Aid has launched its Toys and Teens Appeal for 2022 and is urging people to donate to support families who, due to the cost of living crisis, cannot afford presents this Christmas.

The charity is requesting generous supporters to donate new and nearly new toys at 28 donation points across Reading and the surrounding areas. These toys and gifts will be organised by hundreds of volunteers and distributed to under-privileged children in Reading and the surrounding area, who otherwise wouldn’t receive a present this Christmas.

Sadly, this year is set to be one of the busiest for the appeal, as more families than ever before have reached out for help amid the cost of living crisis.

If you work in Reading, please consider setting up a workplace giving box and donating a toy each per staff member, or if your children attend local schools setting up a school donation point. Every toy makes a huge difference to the children supported by the appeal.

If you can’t donate a toy, please consider donating to the charity’s online GoFundMe at https://gofund.me/5038d766. The money raised buys new presents for age groups that aren’t provided for.

Reading Chronicle:

List of donation drop off points:

  • Caversham Homecraft, Church Road, Caversham - Mon to Sat 9am to 5pm
  • Caversham Library, Church Road, Caversham - Tues and Fri 9am to 5pm, Thurs 1pm to 7pm, Sat 10am to 3pm
  • New Bridge Nursery, Montague Street, Caversham - Mon to Fri 9am to 3pm
  • The Heights Primary School, Upper Woodcote Road, Caversham - Mon to Fri 9am to 3pm
  • Earley Crescent Resource Centre, Warbler Drive, Earley - Mon to Thurs 8.30am to 6pm, Fri 8.30am to 3pm, Sat 8.30am to midday
  • St Barnabas Church, Grove Road, Emmer Green - Tues 8.30am to 11am, Weds 10.30am to 11.30am, Sun 9am to 11am
  • Lower Earley Library, Chalfont Close, Lower Earley - Thurs 9.30am to 7pm, Sat 9.30am to 4pm
  • The Club at Mapledurham, Chazey Heath, Mapledurham - Mon to Fri 6.30am to 10pm, Sat and Sun 6.30am to 7pm
  • Big Yellow Storage, Rose Kiln Lane, Reading - Mon to Fri 8.30am to 5.30pm, Sat 9am to 5.30pm, Sun 10am to 4pm
  • Leighton Park School, Shinfield Road, Reading - Mon to Fri 8a to 5pm (Term time only)
  • Southcote Library, Coronation Square, Southcote - Tues 9am to midday and 1pm to 7pm, Thurs 9am to midday and 1pm to 4pm, Fri 9am to midday, Sat 10am to 1pm
  • Birch Copse Primary School, Wittenham Avenue, Tilehurst - 9am to 3pm (Term time only)
  • Coop Food, School Road, Tilehurst - Mon to Sat 7am to 10pm, Sun 10am to 4pm
  • Tilehurst Library, School Road, Tilehurst - Mon 9am to 5pm, Tues 9am to midday, Thurs 1pm to 7pm, Sat 10am to 3pm
  • Civic Centre, Bridge Street, Reading - Mon to Fri 9am to 5pm
  • Reading Voluntary Action, Reading Central Library, Reading - Mon, Thurs, Fri 10am to 5pm
  • Battle Library, Oxford Road, Reading - Tues 1pm to 7pm, Thurs 9am to 5pm, Fri 9am to midday, Sat 10am to 3pm
  • Tesco Extra, Portman Road, Reading - Mon to Sat 6am to midday, Sun 10am to 4pm
  • Winnersh Primary School, Greenwood Grove, Winnersh - Mon to Fri 10am to 2pm
  • The Oakwood Centre, Headley Road, Woodley - Mon to Thurs 9am to 4.30pm, Fri 9am to 4pm
  • Whitley Library, Northumberland Avenue, Whitley - Tues 9am to midday and 1pm to 7pm, Thurs 9am to midday and 1pm to 4pm, Sat 10am to 1pm
  • Willow Bank Junior School, Duffield Road, Woodley - Mon to Fri 9am to 3pm
  • Woodley Library, Headley Road, Woodley - Mon 9am to 1pm, Tues, Weds and Fri 9am to 5pm, Thurs 9am to 7pm, Sat 9.30am to 4pm, Sun 10.30am to 4pm

It is advised to check timings with individual drop off sites in case of any changes.