A business has launched its Christmas toy appeal for underprivileged children.

MRL, a recruitment company in Hove, is fundraising and collecting toys to give to children in the area.

The company has opened a fundraising page on GoFundMe and has pledged to match the sum of donations collected from the public over the next month.

The money raised will be spent on toys to give as Christmas gifts to children.

"The cost of crisis has affected everyone and times are going to be harder this year," said Jordan Lorence, marketing manager at MRL Consulting Group.

"Everyone is struggling more so we think it is important that we come together to ensure more children wake up to a present on Christmas Day."

The company held a similar fundraiser last year and raised over £5,600 from the public.

It matched these donations to reach a total of £11,200 which it used to buy over 500 new toys for underprivileged children in Sussex.

MRL will be working with social workers and the Salvation Army to ensure the toys go to those most in need.

One of the social workers who distributed presents for MRL last year said the toys "saved Christmas" for some of the families she works with in Brighton.

Mr Lorence said: "We wanted to do something that directly affected the local community.

"Fundraising in this way ensures presents go directly into the children’s hands."

Mr Lorence said there is nothing like the feeling of opening a Christmas present as a child.

"I'm 27 now and I still remember the first Christmas present I went crazy for. The joy of ripping open the first corner of the wrapping paper to reveal the Gameboy logo was magic, I’ll remember it for ever.”

David Stone, chief executive of MRL, said no child should not receive a present this Christmas. 

"It's wrong," said Mr Stone.

MRL hopes to raise £7,500 which it will match to total £15,000. This will buy 750 toys for children in Brighton and Hove.

For those who wish to donate, the fundraiser is available here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-recruitment-christmas-toy-appeal-2022?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer