
A kind-hearted youngster has collected hundreds of toys for an Aberdeen charity.
Eleven-year-old Zak Graham, from Kingswells, is gathering toys for Instant Neighbour’s annual Giving Tree Appeal.
The initiative means new toys are distributed to children across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire who otherwise would not receive a gift at Christmas.
With the help of mum, Gillian, Kingswells Primary pupil Zak has collected more than six bin bags worth of items, equating to hundreds of toys.
Gillian explained how her son came up with the kind gesture.
She said: “At school, Zak is doing the Junior Award Scheme for Schools (JASS).
“There are four areas they have to cover including ‘My Interests’, ‘Get Active, Stay Active’, ‘Me and My World’ and ‘Adventure’.
“For the ‘Me and My World’ section, the kids have to contribute to the local community.
“As a family, we’ve been badly affected by Covid-19. My husband lost his job and I was furloughed.
“We decided to collect gifts for Instant Neighbour’s Giving Tree Appeal and it grew from there.
“I put posts out on social media and an email out to my work colleagues, and I was humbled by the response.”
Gillian said she is “gobsmacked” by the number of toys the family have managed to collect.
She said: “I work for a company which is based all over Scotland and I’ve had people from Dundee, Perth and Glasgow ordering gifts from Amazon and getting them delivered to the door. It’s amazing how much the idea has snowballed.
“At the moment we have six black bags full of toys. We must have well over 100 items.
“The sheer amount of toys Zak has managed to collect is amazing, considering a lot of people are watching what they’re spending during this difficult time.
“The fact that there are people who have lost their jobs but are still giving to others is amazing.
“I’m gobsmacked every time I go into the garage and see all the items.
“We’ve got all sorts including toys, toiletries, makeup, socks, Lego, and arts and crafts.”
Gillian said she is “very proud” of her son for his efforts.
She added: “You just have to take a look at the number of gifts we have accumulated to know there will be a lot of children who will benefit from them.
“I am very proud of Zak. We’re just trying to teach him that there are kids less fortunate than him.”

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