Last chance to try Christmas machines installed in Solihull shopping centre for touching reason

Solihull Christmas shoppers have been told it is their last chance to try unique festive vending machines installed in Touchwood shopping centre. The machines have been stopping shoppers in their tracks and are a first for the West Midlands.

The attractions are called 'Light the World' machines and have been installed in the busy centre to bring something different to the Christmas shopping season. They offer different types of presents, but not ones you take home.

Instead, the customer makes donations to charities through the vending machines. The three specially-fitted vending machines were installed in Touchwood on November 15, and have been hugely popular with locals, who have been sharing their touching reasons for making donations.

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The organisation confirmed the machines would only be open until tomorrow, Thursday, November 27 - so time is running out to get involved with the worthy cause.

The machines stock donation cards from seven charities, ranging from £3 to £400, so kind-hearted shoppers can decide where their charitable contribution are spent. However it is more than just a festive attraction, as the charities that will benefit include Edgbaston-based Little Hearts Matter, as well as FareShare, Jesuit Refugee Service, ShelterBox, Muslim Aid, The Felix Project, and iDE.

Donation cards feature a wide range of items including livestock, clothing, food and educational supplies. Connor and Rosie O’Grady were the first people to make a selection, and chose to support the Birmingham charity that helped their youngest son.

The couple live in Derby with their two children, Iris, four, and two-year-old Ernest, who was born with half a heart and underwent his first open heart surgery at just four days old. The family chose an Antenatal Pack, which equates to a £30 donation to Little Hearts Matter.

This year, BirminghamLive's festive appeal Brumwish is back for 2024. Each year we appeal to our readers to back our annual collective call to action to get gifts to children this Christmas who need a ray of sunshine in their lives more than most. You can read more on how to help, here.

Connor said: “Little Hearts Matter helped us when we needed it most, and we are incredibly grateful for their help and support. They’re a small charity, but the work they do is so important, and we were delighted to be able to support them with Light the World machines.”

Rosie added: “All the charities involved in the project are incredibly worthy causes, and I hope that a great many people will end up benefitting from Light the World machines.

“It’s really great awareness for all of the charities, and makes them more accessible to the public. With a project as big as this, we have nothing but great things to say, especially because it brings out the spirit of Christmas and giving.”

Chief executive of Little Hearts Matter, Lisa Davies, said: “This is a really exciting and brave project, which is bringing so many different charities together.

“There are so many people involved and it just goes to show that people really care. It’s great for Little Hearts Matter to be among these national charities, and we know the people of Solihull will be incredibly generous with these incredible Light the World machines this festive season.”