VICTORIA Place has reached the final of an awards programme which celebrates the world’s best marketing campaigns. 

The global MAXI Awards have recognised Victoria Place’s stunning “Forgotten Toys” Christmas campaign last year, which encouraged families to bring their pre-loved toys to Santa’s Grotto in the town centre.

The toys were then donated to local charity Sebastian’s Action Trust, to be given to families who may not have been able to afford them. 

Thanks to the warm generosity of the community, the campaign was an overwhelming success, receiving some 2,870 donations, significantly above the centre’s initial target. 

Victoria Place is one of only two centres in the UK to reach the MAXI Awards final, which takes place next month in Las Vegas. 

The awards mark professional excellence and the most effective marketing achievements globally in retail and place-making, the latter an approach which harnesses the community’s assets and inspiration to transform public spaces.

John Paul Jackson, the centre manager, said: “To be highlighted as one of the best campaigns in the world is a fantastic achievement. 

“We’re thrilled about the news that the ‘Forgotten Toys’ campaign has reached the final of the MAXI Awards. It was a tremendous initiative, and we are hugely grateful for the generosity of the community in getting behind this campaign.

“This is an achievement that the town should be very proud of.”