A local charity behind a successful toy appeal has been drafted into a national campaign to forge stronger community connections and combat loneliness.

Dartford Deeds Not Words Foundation are celebrating after being accepted as members of the Connection Coalition run by The Jo Cox Foundation.

The cross-sector organisation, set up in the wake of her death, aims to build a fairer, kinder and more tolerant world.

It hopes to tackle social isolation throughout the Covid-19 crisis and harness the power of strong relationships and connections for the future – enlisting the help of Mind, Facebook and Age UK, among other organisations.

Dartford Deeds co-organiser Sarah Crook, 42, said: "We are really passionate about making a difference in the community and the starting point for all our projects has been to see a problem and then to think 'how can the community help?'

"So when we saw the Connection Coalition we knew it was for us. We are really looking forward to learning from others with the same ethos as us."

Sarah helped set up the foundation which she runs with friends Kelly Grehan and Lisa Bullock.

"We are really looking forward to learning from others with the same ethos as us."

The appeal started seven years ago after Kelly, a local councillor for Stone Ward, started a small toy appeal in the hope of gathering Christmas presents for children staying at a Women's refuge.

It has grown steadily and last year 2,500 gifts were collected for children in the refuge, babies in the Rosewood Mother and Baby Unit at Greenacres, Dartford and children supported by charities We Are Beams, Mary's Child, Imago and Home Start.

Shops, busineses and community groups usually run collections and act as drop off points for donations.

And the charity's founders are hoping the restrictions brought about by the Covid-19 crisis do not put people off getting involved again this year.

Kelly, 40, said: "Every year I threat that we wont get many donations and then, so far we have always got more than the year before.

"We are really hoping this year we manage to get enough to make sure the kids that usually receive our toys don't miss out, especially when it has been such a difficult year."

The foundation has been busy again in recent months after demand for their toiletry collections grew as care homes and hospitals struggled during lockdown.

They also ran a stationery appeal, collecting supplies which were passed to schools and other groups supporting children who were struggling to manage home schooling without equipment.

Dartford Deeds also regularly assist individual families with toiletries and obtaining access to food banks.

To find out more about the group and the work that it does visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DartfordDeedsNotWordsFoundation/

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