# IKEA Soft Toys for Education campaign launches - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/10/28/ikea-soft-toys-education-campaign-launches-benefit-save-children-unicef/ - Published: 2014-10-28T10:27:29+00:00 - Author: Howard Lake Furniture retailer IKEA has launched its Soft Toys for Education campaign, its annual initiative to raise funds for Save the Children and UNICEF. For every soft toy purchased as part of the Soft Toys for Education campaign between now and 27th December 2014, the IKEA Foundation will donate one euro to support educational projects run by Save the Children and UNICEF around the world. This year’s range starts at just 80p for the GULLEPLUTT finger puppets. ## Advertisement This year’s campaign is promoted by six animated videos of soft toys narrated by Strictly host Claudia Winkleman, Dr Who actor Arthur Darvill, actress Nina Wadia, and TV and film stars Ashley Jensen, James Nesbitt and Stephen Graham. They tell of children living in poverty in developing countries who have benefited from the campaign in previous years. Since 2003 the campaign has raised a total of **€67 million**, helping more than 11 million children. Claudia Winkleman, who lends her voice to a panda soft toy, said: > “It was an honour to be involved with the great work IKEA is doing with Save the > Children and UNICEF. It is such an engaging way to bring the stories of these > children to life and to raise awareness for this great cause.” Carol McSeveney Children’s IKEA sales leader said: “We know from our research that 18% of the British public have imaginary friends, which take the form of a teddy or soft toy so we wanted to fire their imaginations this year by getting our teddies to do the talking. “We hope that the irresistible voices of some of our best loved TV and film stars, together with this year’s magical range of soft toys really helps to get our message out there. So pick up a soft toy from IKEA this year and give more children the opportunity to receive a quality education.” ## Local causes to benefit It is not just UNICEF and Save the Children that will benefit from the campaign this year. Local charitable causes will be supported too as part of IKEA’s ‘Give Twice’ scheme. Customers can buy an additional soft toy, and then donate it via one of the ‘Give Twice’ boxes at the exit of each store. These toys will then be given to local charities. Customers can choose to buy an additional soft toy and then drop it into ‘Give Twice’ boxes at the exit of each store. Donated soft toys will then be given to local charities. This year the campaign aims to raise €700,000 in the UK & Ireland, to add to a global total of €67 million raised since it began in 2003, supporting more than 11 million children through 99 projects in 46 different countries. ## Watch the videos You can watch the animated stories here: **Editor’s note:** _the video previously embedded here (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=uxexlaH-jrY) is no longer available._   **Editor’s note:** _the video previously embedded here (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=NP6CwZvitdE) is no longer available._   **Editor’s note:** _the video previously embedded here (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=GNx0MHP\_LCE) is no longer available._   **Editor’s note:** _the video previously embedded here (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=pmStDeLSi7U) is no longer available._   **Editor’s note:** _the video previously embedded here (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=o76ayKMmqn4) is no longer available._   **Editor’s note:** _the video previously embedded here (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=q6jCsp6B7MQ) is no longer available._ * **[Anthony Nolan publishes e-book by comedian to raise funds](https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/11/24/anthony-nolan-publishes-ebook-by-comedian-to-raise-funds/)**( 24 November 2014) * **[What we have learned from Binkygate](https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/03/04/what-we-have-learned-from-binkygate/)**( 4 March 2015) * **[JK Rowling receives Humanitarian Award from British Red Cross](https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/03/12/jk-rowling-receives-humanitarian-award-from-british-red-cross/)**( 12 March 2015)