£20 present ideas for 14 yo boy in care

[TwigTheWonderKid]

We're doing the Met Police Christmas present thing and we've been allotted a 14 year old boy. Rules are £20 max budget, no tech and nothing requiring batteries. I'm fairly au fait with the general needs and wants of teenage boys but realistically most of them are tech based. Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions. I really want to get this right.

. Also there is a magazine called How It Works which is all about the latest developments in science, technology etc. It's not aimed at teenagers but the articles and short, accessible with loads of photos and diagrams
When my lad was the same age as the lad the Op is buying for he loved HIW. I took the magazine's into work and not one kid was intrested in them!! That was slightly disappointing as I offered to make a Rasberry Pi with them!

My boys love FatFace pyjama bottoms and Tshirts.
Anything food related too. They’d go mad for a tin of quality street of their own.
They like travel mugs.
I’d stay away from hobby based things, but cinema vouchers sound good, or Nando’s.

Cinema/Nandos etc will come from the recreation budget which is on top of the pocket money and fares.
Dd had everything NotacoolDad describes too, her own decorated, lockable room with TV (Freeview)
Dd was at risk in many ways, but none came from me, she never had a care order either, it was all voluntary, I have her home now, I had to as she was more at risk from the behaviour of SW and lack of support from some care workers, so it's me at risk of physical harm again, and the only one supporting her and her education.

Dd was at risk in many ways, but none came from me, she never had a care order either, it was all voluntary, I have her home now, I had to as she was more at risk from the behaviour of SW and lack of support from some care workers, so it's me at risk of physical harm again, and the only one supporting her and her education.

We see many young people like this Ihavehair as well. I hope things get easier for you.

How old is DD? Is their a possibility of you and her attending a Strengthening Famlies Programme? ( young people need to be aged 10--14 although we do allow then make On as long as they haven't had thei 15th birthday.

She's 16.
I tried everything, what she really needs is to be assessed for PDA as I put money on it that's the problem, but without a diagnosis there's of course nothing wrong and all down to my terrible parenting.
No help for her now either, she's too old yet I had SW for 8 years, begging for help, they wouldn't listen/believe me.
Atm her friends family have her every Thursday to Sunday which helps a bit, though doesn't get to the root cause, she's on 150mg of sertraline too which calms her down.

The care workers in the Unit weren't nasty btw, just a bit useless and ineffective, her SW is a spiteful bitch.

We do a similar thing with some charities around here and I know they actively try and match gifts to certain children so they may have 20 presents suitable for 14 year old boys and they will decide what suits each child.
It might be different with the met police scheme but if I were you I wouldn’t worry too much about what you get because they will probably try and match it to particular kids IYSWIM.

(Slight derail of the thread for a moment, I'm sorry)
The care workers in the Unit weren't nasty btw, just a bit useless and ineffective, her SW is a spiteful bitch.

One of the hardest things about working in residential is that you can't parent as you you would your own. A recent example two female colleagues followed one of our young people who we suspect is being groomed. We can't lock the door and keep her in to stop her from going out, we can't not give her money to stop her accessing transport to meet people We are not allowed to take her phone of her ( it's in her contract that she is to have her phone) The staff tried to stop her getting on a trained we suspected she was going to meet someone dodgy. She put in a complaint in about them and they were suspended pending an investigation. It's a bloody thankless job, especially when they decide to trash up the home and we then go out and buy another lamp, to, etc just like the one before.
If we don't OFSTED moan and say it's not homely enough!

I completely understand that, you do the best job you can within your guidelines but it's not enough, I'm sure you know that.
I've no problem with the staff there as being vindictive, a bit vacant, yes, I have a major problem with SW as does one of my local councillors and the MP who are helping me put in an official complaint.
(Although tbf when I had to tell them Dd was shoplifting, or she'd got a facial piercing and they had no idea, when she was living with them, you do have to question a wee bit)