Now in its ninth year, the donation will bolster the charity’s efforts to ensure disadvantaged children in South London don’t go without a gift this Christmas.
Paul Cowan, Operations Performance Manager at TfL’s Lost Property Office, said: “It’s a pleasure to once again be able to donate so many new toys at a time of year when they will be most appreciated.
“By supporting the Salvation Army in their Christmas Present Appeal, hopefully we can make life that little bit easier for some families who are experiencing hardship.”
Captain Kevin Stanbury, leader of The Salvation Army’s Deptford Church and Community Centre, said: “The genuine impact that this donation will make cannot be overstated.
“Working with marginalised and vulnerable families, we know only too well the difficulties many face in attaining even a basic level of shelter, food and clothing at this time of year, let alone in providing gifts for their children at Christmas.
“We are extremely grateful to the team at TFL’s Lost Property Office for supporting our work.”
The toys are just a fraction of the 300,000 items found on the TfL network over the past year, of which just one in five are successfully returned to their owners.
The remainder are either donated to charities, including Scope and the British Red Cross, or recycled, disposed of, or sold at auction. Any revenue generated contributes towards the cost of running the office.
