Christmas Support
Our Christmas Support offers parents and caregivers who are struggling the opportunity to choose Christmas gifts for their children so no child wakes up without a gift on Christmas morning.
Unlike the rest of our services, our Festive Grotto isn't about essentials, it's about spreading joy. Our aim is to ensure the children we support feel like every other child at this special time of year.
What is Christmas Support?
Every festive season we offer support to families who are struggling to afford gifts for their children. Families are given 10 points per child to "spend" in our festive shop, with each toy carrying a points value. This allows parents to choose gifts that suits their children’s interests. We also try to offer a gift for the parent or caregiver who is often forgotten about, and a voucher or Christmas hamper to help the family celebrate.
How do families get referred?
Families need to be referred by a professional or by one of our 17 partner schools. The partner schools send an email to all eligible families with their unique school code they must use on the application. The family then complete the Christmas Support referral form themselves and book their own appointment to attend the festive shop.
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If the family is referred by a professional, the professional (who we call our "Referral Partner") must also be registered with us. Once they are registered, the Referral Partner will complete a Christmas Support referral form. This form asks for the family's details including the number and ages of the children needing gifts. Once the form has been completed, they will be sent a link to book an appointment to attend our festive shop from our hub in Barnet, EN5. We recommend the Referral Partner forward the link to book the appointment directly to the family but the Referral Partner can attend on behalf of the family if the family will struggle to attend themselves.
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Alternatively, Referral Partners can complete the Christmas referral form on behalf of several families at once and do a bulk collection of toys. This service is mainly for refuges, food banks and asylum seeker contingency hotels.
When can families be referred?
Referrals for our Christmas Support open in October and remain open until all the festive shop appointments are booked up.​
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How many times can a family be referred?
Families can be referred for our Christmas Support each year if they are still in need.
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Should the family bring their children to the appointment?
No! The festive shop is not a Christmas Grotto so will not have Santa or any other activities for children. We recommend the family treat the appointment as if they were going to buy their children's Christmas presents from a shop - we don't want to ruin the surprise!
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The family don't celebrate Christmas, are they still eligible?
Absolutely! Whether the family celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Diwali or any other festival they are welcome to attend our festive shop.
