'Fill A Fire Engine' - Coventry crew's appeal to shops, businesses and residents to donate toys for children in hospital this Christmas - The Coventry Observer

'Fill A Fire Engine' - Coventry crew's appeal to shops, businesses and residents to donate toys for children in hospital this Christmas

Coventry Editorial 24th Nov, 2021   0

A CREW from Coventry Fire Station will be out and about this Saturday, November 27, collecting toys for children who are spending the festive season in hospital.

It started last year when Firefighter Darren Hutchinson came up with the idea because his son – when he was younger – spent quite a while in Birmingham Children’s Hospital (BCH).

Fellow firefighter Daniel McQuillan then built on the idea with the ‘fill a fire engine’ concept and last year they managed to literally do that – with toys, selection boxes and other Christmassy items.

This year the crew is hoping to go one better and fill two fire engines – for children in BCH and in University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire.




The only stipulation the hospitals have is that the toys are new and soft toys are not permitted because of Covid.

The crew will drive around the city on Saturday to different shops to ask them if they want to donate but other businesses, community groups and residents are also welcome to get involved.


They can either donate cash to the cause and the firefighters will buy the toys or they can drop off toys, games, selection boxes and other Christmassy items at the fire station in Radford Road.

Daniel said: “It’s hard for children in hospital at this time of year and we want to make life as good as we can for them.”

A second collection day has been organised for December 12.

The scheme also has its own hashtag – #fillafireengine – and people can find out more on the Coventry Fire Station Twitter page and Facebook page.

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