Peterborough couple donate more than 100 cuddly toys won over 40 years

Roy and Ann Pettitt won 250 toys at arcades over 40 years

A couple have donated more than 100 cuddly toys they had won at arcades to a hospice.

Roy and Ann Pettitt, from Peterborough, collected 250 toys from seaside arcades over the past 40 years.

The couple, aged in their 70s, previously donated 125 toys to a village fete.

Mrs and Mrs Pettitt said they hoped giving the toys to Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice in Peterborough would help the charity raise money.

"We hope the toys will raise funds via raffles or being sold so the charity can use the funds as they need to, or maybe they can be given to visiting children who might appreciate a cuddly toy," they said.

The toys were won on crane machines at various locations where the couple had holidayed or taken day trips

Mr and Mrs Pettitt won all of the toys on crane machines at a number of amusement parks including Hunstanton in Norfolk, Tenby in Pembrokeshire and Wicksteed Park in Northamptonshire.

Their tip for anyone looking to win a toy on the machines was "look out for a machine which has a few gaps in it".

"If it looks like somebody has won from a machine then you might get something from it as well," the couple said.

The couple decided to donate the toys as they were moving from their bungalow to a retirement flat.

"We are not able to take them with us," Mr Pettitt said.

Helen Kingston, community fundraiser at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, said: "We believe that the end of someone's life is the most important time of their life and our care teams do all they can to make room for the things that matter - spending time with loved ones and sharing memories.

"It's truly fitting that Roy and Ann's donation of cuddly toys which they've won while making special memories by the seaside over the years are now helping to raise vital funds so we can be there when it matters for local families."