Donate

Toys and gifts

We are so grateful for your donation of gifts. Please follow our guidelines below to make sure they are just perfect for the children and young people who receive them.

Thank you for supporting Sheffield Children's, here's how to donate toys and gifts for the hospital.

Easter
Please note, if you are bringing Easter eggs for our patients, the last day that we can accept them is Tuesday 15th April. This will mean we have plenty of time to distribute them to our patients in time for Easter. To make a donation, we kindly ask that you book a time slot with our Charity Hub in the Outpatients Department. Please contact our Fundraising Hub Officer Jane on [email protected] or call 0114 399 7991 to arrange.

Sometimes, chocolate and edible treats aren't always suitable for our patients, so why not donate a virtual Easter egg? This way, we can provide play and craft materials for our Play Team. If you would like to donate a virtual Easter egg, please visit our online shop. 


It's so kind of you to donate toys or gifts to our patients at Sheffield Children's, and your support helps us make the hospital experience a little bit better for children and young people. 

Here are a few guidelines and advice when donating, so we can provide gifts for as many patients as possible:

  • The best kinds of presents are at a low cost of around £10 each. This is so the Play Specialists can fairly distribute gifts, as it's difficult if one child gets a relatively low-cost gift and the child in the next bed gets an expensive one.
  • Don't forget the age group you're donating to is 0-18 years. Babies and teenagers are often forgotten. Please do not buy make-up in case they have allergic reactions or skin conditions which means they can't be used. Nail varnishes etc are great gifts.
  • Please do not wrap the gifts. This will help us match your gift to an appropriate patient. However, if you would like to donate wrapping paper or gift bags that would be very helpful.
  • All toys need to be new. We are unable to accept second-hand toys or books in any condition due to the need for high standards of infection control in hospital.
  • Children love characters from films and TV programmes like Harry Potter, Disney characters, and superheroes for example.
  • We are unable to give cash donations/gifts to individual patients, families or staff. Cash donations must go through the charity to ensure all families are treated equally and fairly.
  • Remember patients are not just in one place. We treat children at the main children’s hospital on Clarkson Street, Becton Centre near Crystal Peaks, Ryegate Centre in Tapton, Flocton House in Nether Edge, Embrace the specialist ambulance service as well as within the community. 
    • Please drop off all gifts by appointment to the Charity Hub, which is located in Outpatients at Sheffield Children’s Hospital on Clarkson Street. You can arrange to deliver your donation by contacting our Fundraising Hub Officer Jane on [email protected] or call 0114 399 7991.

    • What our patients like

      Board games which they can play whilst they are in bed getting better

      Arts and crafts such as 'paint your own' kits

      Construction kits like Lego

      Kits to make things such as jewellery making and nail art

      Toys to stimulate the senses like a rattle for babies or kaleidoscopes

    • Can I bring my gifts to the wards to give out to the children?

      Our Play Specialists want to stress that they can’t accommodate visits to the wards or bring kids down to main reception to receive gifts – patients are in hospital because they are unwell and it’s unfair to bring them away from the wards, there also isn’t the staffing capacity to accommodate visits to the hospital without detracting from the care they need to give to the children

    • Can I bring clothes including second hand clothes

      Unfortunately we are unable to accept second-hand clothes in any condition due to the need for high standards of infection control in the hospital. 

      We will however happily accept new basic garments like pyjamas in their packaging. These help to protect patients' dignity and make them feel more comfortable if they come into hospital unexpectedly, their clothes are removed or they don't have any spare clothes of their own. 

    • Other things to consider

      We struggle to gift large toys or oversized soft toys however these are great for fundraising.

      We cannot accept secondhand clothes, books or toys.

      Alcohol is not permitted on any Trust site however we can use it to fundraise in other areas such as raffles or tombolas.

      Toys of a high price bracket cannot be given to an individual but could be used by the department as a whole – DVDs, DVD players, video consoles or games are all great for the wards.