Peterborough hero’s epic ‘spread the love’ project aims to deliver toys to around 100 hospitals within 24 hours
Prominent city fundraiser and his team of volunteers eager to ‘make children happy and do some good’
A well-known Peterborough charity supporter has announced his latest joy-spreading project - and it’s incredible.
Community hero Atiq Rehman described the Unspoken Hospital Toy Drop 24 project – scheduled for August 15 – as an opportunity to “make children happy and do some good.”
Accompanied by a thirty strong team of volunteers and backed by logistical support donated by local businesses, Atiq aims to deliver toys to children’s wards at around 100 hospitals across the country within 24 hours.
“This is so special,” he explained: “Everybody’s child ends up in hospital somewhere across the line.”
Speaking with the Peterborough Telegraph, an ever-enthusiastic Atiq suggested we are all guilty of taking our NHS for granted:
“Something happens and they accommodate you,” he said: “They do such a fantastic job, all over the country.”
“This is our chance to spread the love.”
A founder of both the Children of Adam and Unspoken Word charity groups, Atiq is no stranger to taking on epic projects to help good causes.
In November 2022, the life-long Peterborough resident delivered Good Deeds 24, an incredible initiative which saw a coach load of volunteers travel from London to Peterborough, helping people and charitable causes along the way.
Even by his own impressive standards though, Unspoken Hospital Toy Drop 24 is a mammoth undertaking.
On August 15, three separate teams will leave Peterborough and fan out across the country. On their way back to Peterborough, the teams’ vans will stop at cities like Newcastle, London, Blackburn, Cambridge, Bedford and Manchester to drop off toys at every children’s ward they visit.
“We’ll be hitting over a hundred hospitals - at least!”
While the logistical preparations for this ambitious project are ongoing, Atiq is clear about what the team needs most right now - donations:
“We need new toys,” he says, “but only new toys because hospitals won’t accept old ones.”
Drop-off points for donations have been established at the following places:
Maximum Nutrition, FC Peterborough, The Workout Hub, David Lloyd Leisure Centre, Definitions Gym, Mirror Image Studio, Numii Beauty Co and Dessert Junky.
The team is also happy to collect donations from people who are unable to reach those venues.Visit www.instagram.com/unspoken_atiq to find out more.