Victoria Leonard laughs that she was as flattered as she was “absolutely mortified” when she was named 2023 Cupar Citizen of the Year a few weeks ago, granting her the privilege of switching on the town’s Christmas lights.
The well-deserved honour was in recognition of the frontline Cupar social worker’s voluntary work over the past 11 years.
She’s the founder of community-based voluntary group Toy Drive which aims to ensure no North East Fife child goes without a present at Christmas.
But as the 42-year-old mother of two girls reflects on the work of Toy Drive and the “amazing” support of the community, she says the issues that led to its founding have only become more pronounced since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cupar Toy Drive was established to help vulnerable children in North East Fife
Since Christmas 2013, Toy Drive has been collecting and distributing donated presents to families across the district.
The appeal, which has grown from strength to strength, now helps around 500 individual North East Fife children, aged between 0 and 18, each year.
That’s around 250 to 270 referred families per year.
It makes sure that every child referred gets a gift, a ‘stocking filler’, book and selection box.
The donations are organised in order of age and suitability then matched with a referred family.
The gifts are then made available to the referrer, who then distributes them to the family.
Victoria is aware that North East Fife is often regarded as a relatively well-off area with some of the most expensive postcodes in the country.
However, the former pupil of Monifieth High School who graduated from Dundee University in English literature, explained how through her work as a front-line Fife Council social worker specialising in vulnerable children and families, she continues to see a very different, “heart-breaking” and often hidden side to the district.
Struck by the number of struggling families, she was inspired, along with other mums, to establish Toy Drive, which aims to ensure that children from less well-off households across the area get at least a present and book at Christmas.
“Before Covid-19, we were quite familiar with the families who come to our attention,” she said.
“A lot of families can find Christmas a challenge; there’s vulnerability for so many reasons whether that be job loss, addiction, mental health, death of a parent – there’s a whole host of reasons contributing to why families need our help.
“What we noted during Covid-19 when we had virtual Toy Drives is that in the referrals, some of the names were different.
“We had children referred to us where parents have lost their jobs as a result of Covid-19 or ill health has become a much more bearing factor or they’ve had a difficult year because they’ve lost somebody.
“Those trends have continued and, with recessions across the world, we have also noted there has been a real increase in referrals from the community, including the displaced Ukrainian families who have come to Fife.”
Toy Drive has been supported from across the Cupar community and beyond
Victoria says that some of the donations have been “really touching”.
For example, local church groups knitted blue and yellow gifts for the Ukrainians, reflecting the Ukraine national flag.
Aided by her Cupar-raised “right hand woman and top elf” Laura Shaw, who’s also from a social work background, what’s been key has been the support of the community digging deep, including local school, nursery groups and the Rotary.
The underlying message is that “whoever is in our community is our community” whether they are born locally or not.
Although Toy Drive is independent of Victoria’s day job as a social worker, her social work skills, connections and understanding of the area and demographic have informed its establishment and success.
Just as teachers and nurses operate on the frontlines of society, social workers are also working face to face with families who are coming out the other side of trauma and needing basic support.
Toy Drive strives to provide ‘Rolls Royce’ treatment for children
Victoria sends out a mass email every October looking for donations through designated collection points.
Collections from the community take place through November and referrals are then opened up.
While she laughs it’s “no mean feat” sorting through everything and bagging up 500 Santa sacks, the social worker in her makes sure that every child receives gifts of the same standard.
“What we really decided as Toy Drive is our children always need the Rolls Royce treatment,” she said.
“So if it’s not good enough for my child under the tree, it’s not good enough for this bag.
“They’ll be getting the proper Barbie Doll or Crayola or Lego.
“We just try to keep standardising the best we can.
“It’s really helpful when referrers say ‘this child likes dinosaurs’ or ‘loves slime’, or ‘loves Lego’.
“We also receive referrals for children who have additional needs. Sensory gifts are always required.
“When we come to our older teenagers we’ll maybe get smelly scents, or a pair of gloves, earmuffs or hand warmers.
“We’ll often put in a book we think is suitable or a voucher.”
Does Victoria get feedback about the impact of Toy Drive?
With referrers picking up the sacks and making the deliveries, the immediate “care and love” of the exchange goes into that moment between the referrer and the family.
But Victoria, who doesn’t run Toy Drive expecting feedback, often gets emails from referrers passing on gratitude from overwhelmed families.
She added: “I’d like to express absolute appreciation and thanks to the community for holding us so close to their heart.
“It’s just that gratitude really, because I couldn’t do any of it if people didn’t donate.
“It is so lovely that they do.
“It only works because everyone plays their part.”
Conversation