'Birthday Boxes protect a childhood moment that poverty too often takes away’ says charity lead

"Birthday Boxes protect a childhood moment that poverty too often takes away," says Wayne Dobson, CEO of Feeding Families, who is urging shoppers to get behind Metrocentre's 40th birthday fundraiser as it nears its final weeks.

As part of Metrocentre’s 40th anniversary celebrations, a giant 2.4-metre birthday cake has been touring around the centre in aid of Feeding Families’ Every Child Deserves a Birthday appeal. Shoppers are invited to be in with the chance to win a £500 Metrocentre gift card, while at the same time helping local children enjoy birthdays of their own. 

Every penny raised goes towards Feeding Families’ Birthday Celebration Boxes, supporting children across the region whose circumstances mean their birthday might otherwise pass without celebration, whether due to extreme poverty, domestic abuse, emergency or temporary accommodation, hospital stays or medical treatment, or kinship care.  

Each Birthday Celebration Box contains a cake, age-appropriate gift, party treats and snacks, along with a personalised birthday card and decorations, and will be distributed discreetly through trusted schools, family support services and community organisations, so they’re given with dignity.

Metrocentre's campaign is directly helping Feeding Families soft-launch the appeal and build awareness of it, ahead of a wider rollout with selected referral partners across the region. 

Shoppers are invited to scan a QR code on the giant birthday cake for the chance to win a £500 Metrocentre gift card, redeemable at the majority of the mall's 270+ stores, restaurants and leisure venues, for just £2 an entry. There’s no limit to the number of entries that can be made to any one prize draw.

One of the winners, Oliver, and his children Scout, 7, and Lyra, 4, won the £500 gift card in August's draw, having heard about the competition at Metrocentre's Fan Fest event, where Feeding Families had a pop-up stall. 

Oliver said: "We'd been to Fan Fest before and had a great time, so we planned to go again this year. Feeding Families had a stall there and the team took the time to engage with my daughter, and that's how we found out about the competition. It only took a minute to enter, so it felt worth a go. 

"My initial reaction when I found out I’d won was disbelief. I don't think I'd fully appreciated what a £500 prize actually meant until I had it in my hand. The kids went straight out and picked some toys and a cosy blanket each for movie nights, and we've since used it to get their school uniform sorted for September. We'll save what's left to help budget for Christmas.” 

Encouraging others to enter before the final draws close in October, Oliver said: "Somebody is going to win it, so take the chance. It's such a great value prize that supports a meaningful cause, and has really helped us out at an expensive time of year.” 

With two draws left, September's and the final one in October, Metrocentre and Feeding Families are calling on shoppers, families and local businesses to get behind the appeal before it closes. Beyond entering, anyone wanting to support Feeding Families' wider work across the North East, including food parcels and the Birthday Celebration Box appeal, can find out more and get involved directly at feedingfamilies.org.uk.

Gavin Prior, Centre Director at Metrocentre, said: “We're honoured that our 40th birthday campaign is helping Feeding Families soft-launch and raise awareness of this brand-new appeal, ahead of it rolling out fully across the region. Every entry helps make sure a child in our region doesn't miss out on their birthday, and it's a brilliant way to mark our anniversary while giving something back to the communities who've supported us for four decades.” 

Wayne Dobson, CEO of Feeding Families, added: "We regularly meet parents doing everything they can just to get through the week, and when money is stretched beyond breaking point, celebrations are often the first thing families go without.  

"Every Child Deserves a Birthday exists because every child should feel valued and remembered on their special day, regardless of their family's circumstances. Birthday Boxes won't solve poverty, and we'd never pretend they do, but they protect a childhood moment that unfortunate circumstances too often takes away. With just two draws left to raise funds through this partnership, we'd urge everyone to get involved.” 

The giant cake is currently in its September spot at Exhibition Square, where it can be found until Wednesday 30 September, before making its final move to a new location within Metrocentre for the last prize draw, running until Saturday 31 October, when the hunt, and the giveaway, will come to an end.