TfL’s Lost Property Office donates unclaimed children’s toys to charity
Howard Lake | 11 December 2014 | News
Transport for London’s (TfL’s) Lost Property Office has donated hundreds of new, unclaimed children’s toys to The Salvation Army for them to give to children in south London. The toys were all handed in to TfL’s Lost Property Office this year.
The new toys, all in their original packaging, had remained unclaimed for over three months. They range from dolls, teddy bears and toy cars to board games and electronic gadgets.
This is the eighth year in which the Office has donated new unclaimed children’s toys to The Salvation Army. The charity will work with Lewisham Council to distribute the 200 or so toys to those who might otherwise have gone without this Christmas.
TfL’s Lost Property Office team donate unclaimed toys to The Salvation Army at Christmas.
80 years of lost property
TfL’s Lost Property Office, based in Baker Street, has been helping to reunite passengers with their lost possessions for 80 years now. Last year over a quarter of a million items were left by passengers on London Buses, London Underground, London Overground, the Dockland Light Railway, licensed taxis, Victoria Coach Station and the Emirates Air Line cable car. This is the largest amount to date.
Eighty years ago gloves and umbrellas were probably the most common items handed in. This year the top three were:
• mobile phones (20,309)
• travel card holders (18,433)
• wallets and purses (11,580)
This top three has remained unchanged for the past three years.
Every day the Office receives 1,000 lost property items.
Unusual items
Over the years, many extraordinary items have been handed in including false teeth and limbs, wedding dresses, stuffed animals, urns of ashes and even a parachute.
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Donating unclaimed toys
Sue Tyler of TfL’s Lost Property Office, said:
“The fact so many items have been handed in over 80 years is testament to the honesty of the travelling public in London. It is a shame the children’s toys were not reclaimed by their owners, but it is just wonderful to know they will now bring smiles to children who might have otherwise gone without”.
Captain Kevin Stanbury, of The Salvation Army’s Deptford Community Church, commented:
“Our Christmas Present Appeal ensures no child goes without a gift at Christmas. We’re grateful for the support from our community, who selflessly donate toys each year, and to TfL who make sure lost toys find a new home and bring smiles to children in need this Christmas.”
How are items donated?
Items not claimed after three months have personal data removed and are securely destroyed before either being donated to charities including The Salvation Army and the British Red Cross, recycled, disposed of, or sold at auction. Any revenue generated from unclaimed items contributes towards the cost of running the Lost Property Office.
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.