Every year, thousands of compassionate BirminghamLive readers come together to buy gifts for the city’s poorest children, ensuring that every child experiences the joy and surprise they deserve on Christmas Day.
Unfortunately, rising child poverty in Birmingham means many young kids risk waking up on December 25th without any presents.
Brumwish was created to change that — offering Brummies a simple way to purchase gifts for children who otherwise might go without.
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Now in its fifth year, Brumwish is proudly delivered in partnership with Thrive Together Birmingham and Edgbaston Stadium. Together they have managed to deliver over 50,000 toys to children living in deep hardship, including those who are homeless.
Despite this incredible effort, the demand continues to grow.
Our recent Child Poverty Emergency project highlighted the crisis Birmingham is facing, with some inner-city areas seeing nearly three-quarters of children living in poverty.
Thanks to extraordinary local charities and the hospitality of Edgbaston Stadium, the city has been able to ease the burden for many families.
Emma Payne from Birmingham Playcare Network shared how the iconic cricket ground becomes a hub of festive goodwill each year.
“Volunteers unpack and sort the toys here at Edgbaston,” Emma explained. “The toys arrive and are carefully organized by age and gender — for example, girls aged three to five. Then partner organisations send in requests specifying the age groups they need presents for.”
When organisations pick up the toys, they receive large bags filled with 50 to 100 carefully selected gifts. These items are then taken back to local communities and arranged like a toy shop. This setup allows parents to select the perfect gift for their child — ensuring the present matches each child’s unique interests and passions.
“There’s no point sending a football to a child who loves painting,” Emma added. “That’s why parents get to choose the gifts themselves.”
Poverty remains a massive challenge in Birmingham, impacting children in profound ways despite the best efforts of their families.
Over the last decade, the proportion of children under 16 living in ‘absolute poverty’—the most severe measure of deprivation—has risen from 27% to 37%, more than double the national average.
Almost half of Birmingham’s children now live in relative poverty, meaning their families struggle daily to cover essential costs, leaving gifts as a rare luxury.
Five Birmingham constituencies rank among the 15 most deprived in the entire country, underscoring the urgent need for initiatives like Brumwish every Christmas season.