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Family Collects More Than 5,000 Presents For Families In Need This Christmas

Family Collects More Than 5,000 Presents For Families In Need This Christmas

They initially planned on filling just 60 Christmas stockings but have been overwhelmed with the response

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

A family has collected more than 5,000 presents - totalling more than £50,000 - for families in need after initially challenging themselves to fill 60 Christmas stockings.

Nick Smith and partner Jess and their kids, who run the popular TikTok channel The Smithy Family, decided to see if they could bring a bit of Christmas cheer to those in need and have been absolutely overwhelmed with the response.

Speaking to LADbible Nick said: "We've got a bit of a following on TikTok now - so I bought 60 stockings and I said I was going to fill them up and if anyone wanted to get involved to let me know... and it all just went from there.

"It's more the fact that everyone has come together and done this - that's what has got us.

"There's over £50,000 worth of stuff that's been bought, there's over 5,000 presents.

"Someone donated 2,000 gifts, from a storage unit. The lady used to buy surplus stock from shops, so it's all brand-new in boxes and she got in touch and said if we can clear it out, we can have it.

Nick Smith/The Smithy Family

"The major thing for me is the response from everyone else - it's been a really hard year for everyone and the people who are donating are the people that have been affected; the people that haven't got much money.

"That part of it is what makes it so amazing. It makes us feel so proud of everyone who has got involved.

"I'd like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has donated. There's nothing I can do or say that will show how much appreciation we've got for what they've done."

All the gifts are brand-new, ordered through an Amazon wish list and sent to Nick's house, before he takes them off to the Salvation Army distribution centre, where they're quarantined for 48-hours and then sent off to different branches.

The haul of presents is currently enough to sustain 23 different branches of the Salvation Army in London, and will be distributed to those who need them most.

What makes it even more incredible is that they've managed to do all of this in just over three weeks.

But the Smiths aren't done yet and are still hopefully they can double the number of donations before the 7 December closing date to help out even more families across the UK.

Nick added: "This year alone, just for the south east of London, there's been 15,000 requests put in for Christmas hampers and packages - and that is just the south east of London.

"There's going to be thousands of people this year who are going to struggle or have nothing this Christmas and I just want to put the call out to anyone who thinks they can help."

You can find out more, or donate, here.

Featured Image Credit: The Smithy Family/Nick Smith

Topics: Christmas, LADness, Inspirational, Charity