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Donate toys and games

A boy plays Connect 4 with his mum in his hospital room

Thanks so much for your interest in donating gifts or toys to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).

Below you’ll find guidance around what we can and can’t accept, as well as a suggested list of items to donate. If you would prefer to donate a gift voucher instead, the hospital’s expert Play team can use this to purchase gifts that can be used to support babies, children, young people and their families at GOSH when and where they are needed the most. Please find more information below.

Where to donate toys and games

Due to strict infection control measures, we cannot accept any gifts in person at the hospital.

Gifts or gift vouchers are gratefully received at the GOSH Charity offices, either in person or via the post.

Our address is:

Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, Second Floor, 40 Bernard Street, London, WC1N 1LE.

Please advise us if you intend to visit in person so we can arrange a time to personally thank you. We’re available between Monday and Friday, 9:30am to 4pm. You can reach GOSH Charity’s Gifts in Kind team by emailing giftsinkind@gosh.org or calling 020 3841 3841.

If you decide to post your gift/s or gift voucher/s, please address them to Gifts in Kind and include your name and contact information so that we can acknowledge your kind donation.

Unfortunately, we’re unable to pay for the cost of collecting your gifts or delivering them to the hospital directly from your home or business.

Any gifts you donate will be distributed across the wards and different areas in the hospital – they'll go where they’re needed most.

Items that can’t be used by patients may be used for fundraising or passed along to another children’s hospital.

Guidance for donating gifts

Here are some things you need to know when donating gifts – including toys, games and play resources – to the hospital.

  • We can only accept items that are brand new and in their original packaging.

  • Please don’t wrap your gifts. Due to infection control measures, the hospital has to unwrap all gifts before giving them to the children. We welcome donations of gift wrap, so hospital staff can wrap gifts themselves.

  • There is a limited amount of 50 gifts per donation.

  • If you donate chocolate, please make sure the ingredients are on the packet (as we need to be careful with allergies).

    No other food products please.

  • Don’t forget the children you’re donating to range from newborn babies to 18-year-old patients (teenagers are often forgotten).

  • Please note the items we cannot accept in the following list.

Donations we cannot accept

Please note, we cannot accept the following:

  • We can’t accept any used or second-hand items, such as toys, games, magazines, books, soft toys and clothing. We also can't accept any knitted items or anything that has been made at home. As lovely as these things are, they pose an infection control risk.

  • We can’t accept toys with button batteries or magnets.

  • We can’t accept craft packs that have plastic googly eyes in them as part of the contents.

  • We can’t accept balloons.

  • We can’t accept over-sized soft toys.

  • We can’t accept large mechanical or motorised toys.

Donations we can accept

As a guide, the lovely Play team have put together a wish list of toys and games that would be most appreciated by the babies, children and young people at GOSH.

Toys and games our babies love:

  • mobiles and musical mobiles

  • jigsaws and peg puzzles

  • toys and sensory items to stimulate the senses

  • developmental toys e.g. stacking cups and blocks

  • musical toys, including rattles

Toys and games our children love:

  • board/card games e.g. Guess Who, Uno, Dobble, Connect 4, Frustration

  • arts and crafts kits e.g. paints, Play-Doh and stickers

  • toy cars and planes

  • construction toys like Lego and Playmobil

  • dolls

What our young people will love:

  • nail art kits

  • stationery sets

  • jewellery making kits

  • toiletries and pamper items including body spray, hair and body wash, bath bombs for boys and girls (must be for sensitive skin)

  • games

Gifts that are always appreciated:

  • pyjamas for all ages, which must be brand new with tags

  • blankets

  • duvet sets

  • weighted blankets

  • colouring sets

  • headphones

  • ear defenders

  • gift wrap

Gift vouchers

For those considering donating a gift voucher, we accept gift vouchers from:

  • The Entertainer

  • Smyths Toy Shop

  • Superdrug

  • Boots

  • Argos

  • Early Learning Centre

  • Amazon

Get in touch

Please do not bring your gifts and donations to the hospital.

If you have any follow up questions, please contact our Gifts in Kind team by emailing giftsinkind@gosh.org or calling 020 3841 3841.