The Thoughtful Christmas Shop
Help us bring choice, joy and a little Christmas magic to families across Derby
This Christmas, here at Derby Food 4 Thought Alliance we are launching something new — The Thoughtful Christmas Shop.
We want to create a special Christmas shopping experience for families in Derby who are facing financial difficulty, giving parents the opportunity to choose Christmas gifts for their own children.
Because Christmas should be about more than simply receiving a gift.
It should be about choice, dignity, excitement and the feeling of being able to give your children something special.
And we need our whole community to help us make it happen.
What is The Thoughtful Christmas Shop?
Families who meet our support criteria will be referred to The Thoughtful Christmas Shop.
Rather than receiving a pre-selected bag of presents, parents will be able to visit our festive Christmas shop and choose gifts for their own children from a range of age-appropriate donations.
We want to create an experience that feels like Christmas shopping — a place where parents can browse, choose and find something their child will genuinely love.
A small contribution from families
Families accessing The Thoughtful Christmas Shop will make a 10% contribution towards their visit.
This contribution will be reinvested directly back into The Thoughtful Christmas Shop, helping us to make sure we can provide the best possible choice for families.
Not everything we need will be donated. The contribution will help us purchase items where we have shortages, as well as the essential things needed to make the shop work, such as wrapping paper, gift tags, bags and other Christmas essentials.
It means that donations, fundraising and family contributions can all work together to help us create and maintain The Thoughtful Christmas Shop for years to come.
How can you help?
The Thoughtful Christmas Shop is a community Christmas appeal, and everyone can get involved.
Whether you are an individual, family, school, community group, workplace, business or local organisation, your support can make a difference.
You could donate:
🎁 One special gift
🎁 Several gifts from you or your family
🎁 Gifts collected by your school or community group
🎁 Gifts collected by your workplace or business
🎁 Money to help us purchase gifts where we have shortages
Every single donation helps us create more choice for families.
Look out for our Christmas Gift Tags
To make donating as easy as possible, we will have Christmas Gift Tags available at donation points across Derby.
Our tags will give you ideas of the types of gifts we are looking for, including:
Age | Child’s gender | Gift idea
Donation Process
- Pick up a tag & purchase a gift
Choose a suitable gift for the age listed on the tag. - Place your gift in a bag
Attach the tag so we know who it’s for. - Return your gift
Drop off at the place where you collected your tag. - No need to wrap!
Gifts should be lifted unwrapped, but you’re welcome to include wrapping paper if you wish.
It means you don’t have to wonder “What should I buy?” — we’ll help you, with some useful ideas.
We will publish a full list of donation points here as they are confirmed.
Want to organise a group collection?
We would love to see schools, businesses, community groups, families and organisations getting together to run their own Christmas gift collections.
If you are planning a group collection, please get in touch with us.
We can provide you with your own Christmas Gift Tags to use as part of your collection, helping your group see the different ages and types of gifts we are looking for.
We can also arrange for larger collections to be delivered directly to our DF4TA Resource Centre, making it easier for groups collecting a larger number of gifts.
Want to organise a collection?
Get in touch with our team and we can help you get started.
Contact: debbie@df4ta.com
What gifts are we looking for?
We need new, unused and unwrapped gifts suitable for children and young people from birth to 18 years old.
We want to make sure there is something for everyone, including:
- Babies and toddlers
- Preschool children
- Primary-aged children
- Secondary-aged children
- Teenagers
- SEN and sensory needs
Gift ideas include:
We want to create a wide choice for children of different ages, interests and needs, including:
- Dolls, cuddly toys and character gifts sets.
- Toy cars, action figures, LEGO and building sets.
- Puzzles, board games and family games.
- Books and arts and crafts sets.
- Sports gifts and outdoor activities.
- Beauty, toiletries and self-care gifts.
- Technology accessories and suitable gifts for teenagers.
- SEN and sensory-friendly gifts.
- Gift cards or vouchers for older teenagers, we are setting a limit of no more than £20.
We particularly need donations suitable for older children and teenagers, as finding suitable gifts for these age groups can sometimes be more difficult.
Our suggested gift budget is from £5-£20 per gift. You do not need to spend more to make a meaningful difference. If you do want to spend more, then purchase more than one item on the gift tag or pick up a few extra tags.
Please donate new, unused and unwrapped gifts unless a particular collection point has confirmed that it is accepting good-quality pre-loved items.
Can’t buy a gift? Make a donation instead
We know that not everyone has the time or opportunity to shop for a present. A financial donation is another valuable way to help.
A donation from just £5 can help us purchase gifts and essential supplies for The Thoughtful Christmas Shop.
Financial donations allow us to respond to gaps in donations and purchase items we still need, including gifts for underrepresented age groups, wrapping paper, gift tags and bags.
Look out for our fundraising tags featuring a QR code to our fundraising page. Scan the code to make a donation, suggested donations have been set at £5, £10, £15 or £20 and use the reference: #ChristmasGift
Every contribution helps us make the most of the support our community gives.
Businesses, schools and community groups
Although this is an appeal for the whole community, we know that businesses, schools, community groups and organisations can make an enormous difference by bringing people together.
Why not:
- Host a Christmas Gift Collection
Set up a collection in your workplace, school, community group or organisation and encourage people to bring in a new, unwrapped gift. We can provide Christmas Gift Tags for your collection and, where appropriate, arrange for your donations to come directly to our Resource Centre. - Choose an Age Group
Challenge your team, class or group to collect gifts for a particular age group — perhaps babies, primary-aged children or teenagers. - Organise a Christmas Appeal
Ask colleagues, customers, friends or members to donate a gift instead of exchanging Christmas cards or gifts. - Fundraise for The Thoughtful Christmas Shop
Christmas jumper days, raffles, bake sales, quizzes and sponsored activities are just some of the ways you could raise money to support the project. - Make a Financial Donation
Financial donations allow us to purchase gifts where we have shortages and help us make sure children across all age groups have a good choice. They also help us purchase the essential items needed to run the Christmas Choice Shop, including wrapping paper, gift tags, bags and other supplies. - Volunteer
As the project grows, we will need volunteers to help sort, organise and prepare donations and support The Thoughtful Christmas Shop.
However you choose to get involved, you will be helping us create something special for families in Derby.
Your donation could become someone’s Christmas morning
Imagine a child walking into The Christmas Thoughtful Shop and seeing shelves filled with presents.
Imagine them being able to choose something that they really want.
And imagine their parent being able to choose that gift for them.
That’s what we’re trying to create.
We’re not simply collecting toys.
We’re creating choice.
We’re creating an opportunity for parents to experience the excitement of choosing a Christmas gift for their child.
And we’re helping families feel included in the magic of Christmas.
A Special Christmas Partnership with Derby Market Hall
We’re delighted to announce our continued partnership with Derby Market Hall, who have generously donated a shop space for The Thoughtful Christmas Shop for the week commencing 7th December 2026.
We are incredibly grateful for their support in helping us bring this new project to life and create a special Christmas experience for local families.
The Market Hall will also be helping the community get involved by providing a place where you can pick up and drop off our specially designed gift tags.
Derby Market Hall
Market Hall,
Tennant St,
Derby
DE1 2DB
Where can I donate?
Our Christmas Gift Donation Points will be available at locations across Derby.
Our partnership with Derby Arena
We are delighted that Derby Arena is partnering with Derby Food 4 Thought Alliance to support this Christmas appeal.
From 4th November, visitors will be able to donate through the Derby Arena collection point. Its appeal includes brand-new toys, gifts chosen using our gift tags, wrapping paper and gift bags. Derby Arena has also advertised the acceptance of good-quality pre-loved toys through its own collection.
Derby Arena
Royal Way, Pride Park
Derby, DE24 8JB
For enquiries about the Arena’s collection, contact Derby Arena on 01332 640011 or derbyarena@derby.gov.uk.
Other donation points
Asda Sinfin
Sinfin Shopping Centre,
Arleston Ln, Sinfin,
Derby
DE24 3DS
01332 777200
Derby Market Hall
Market Hall,
Tennant St,
Derby
DE1 2DB
We will publish a full list of collection points, dates and opening times as they are confirmed.
If you are a business, school, community group or organisation interested in becoming a The Christmas Thoughtful Shop donation point, please contact our team.
If you are organising a larger collection, we can also discuss arrangements for donations to be delivered directly to our DF4TA Resource Centre.
Let’s make Christmas special for every child
The Thoughtful Christmas Shop will only be possible because Derby comes together.
One gift might make one child smile.
But hundreds of gifts, donated by people across our city, can create something much bigger — a Christmas filled with choice, dignity and joy for families who need a little extra support.
Every gift donated helps fill our shelves.
Every contribution helps us purchase the things we cannot source through donations.
Every volunteer helps us create the experience.
And every person who shares the appeal helps us reach another potential supporter.
Could you help us fill the shelves?
Whether you donate one gift, choose a Gift Tag, organise a collection, fundraise or simply share our appeal, your support matters.
Together, we can make Christmas special for every child.
Get involved
For more information contact:
debbie@df4ta.com
01332 227718