Christmas Appeal

This Christmas, the cost of living is overwhelming many families. We believe that every child deserves a special Christmas, which is why this ‘appeal’ has taken place every year for the past 16 years.

Once again we are anticipating a high demand. If you can, please make a difference and donate to our 2025 Christmas Appeal.

Christmas Appeal 2025, illustration in muted colours of trees and presents

Donate, give a gift, or give a hamper

For the past 16 years, we have successfully run a Christmas Appeal to source, wrap and deliver presents, and hampers, to nominated children and their families in Essex. Every year we appeal to the local community to support the appeal to help give children a better Christmas. The options to be involved remain the same…

Illustration of online shopping — Please Donate
**to the Christmas Appeal**

Donations to the appeal allow us to buy gifts for age groups that may be missing, and to ‘top-up’ at the last minute. As well to help us manage running costs and maintain core services. Thank you for giving what you can.

Donate this Christmas

Give a gift

In 2024, 3,374 young people from across Essex received gifts from the Christmas Appeal, an increase of 18% compared to 2023.

If you would like to donate a gift to a child this Christmas, here is a guide for what we need:

New gifts for children aged 0-18 (value of approx. £10-£20)
we are unable to accept any clothing, footwear, pyjamas, preloved items, or toy weapons.

Wishlist

For ease, check out this Amazon Wishlist.

Please, please, please tell us your name if you do gift through the list (and a way to contact you), so we can thank you personally. Thank you

Give a hamper

In 2024, over 900 families received a festive food hamper.

If you would like to donate a hamper, below are the contents to fill your hamper with.

Please use a bag for life or tote bag for contents:

Box of mince pies (please check the expiry date - the end of December 2025 is ideal!)

Box of tea, coffee or hot chocolate and marshmallows
Box or tin of biscuits
Box or tin of chocolates
Savoury biscuits or crackers
Chutney, pickle or jam
Crisps – sharing bag

We can only accept hampers that have all items (you only need to pick one from the list of three drinks), we are unable to accept individual items. We need all hampers to be donated in a tote or ‘bag for life’.

Drop-off details:

Monday 3 November to Friday 12 December

Hargrave House, Molrams Lane, Great Baddow, Essex, CM2 7FW

Monday to Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 29 November 10.30am - 12.30pm

Why does the Christmas Appeal exist?

Hearing from the families who receive gifts from the Christmas appeal can be emotional:

One child told me, "I’ve tried so much harder this year to be good because I must have been bad last year." - School Inclusion Officer

Sometimes through no fault of their own, children find they have nothing at Christmas:

“These children often leave behind their belongings, so the gifts they receive through your appeal make an enormous difference.” - Domestic Abuse Refugee Charity Manager

Then they receive a gift or two and it’s a gift that will make a difference:

“This was the first time in years that I felt like we had a real Christmas, thanks to the kindness of strangers.” - Parent (nominated by a school)

Thank you to all the teams we work with across Essex who help us to make sure gifts and hampers go to the children and families most in need.

And thank you to the wider community, we couldn’t do what we do, without your generosity and support.

What your donation could mean:

£5 could pay for one or two books

£10 could pay for art materials to support a young person’s therapeutic journey

£20 could pay for two gift vouchers

£30 could pay for two food hampers

£50 could give a young person one therapeutic session

£100 could pay for a full day of the Christmas Appeal

Please Donate to the Christmas Appeal

Donate

Give a gift (click for gift ideas, or choose a gift and come and drop it in!)

Gift a food hamper (contents are listed above!)

“I nominated several children that our team work with for a Christmas present from the appeal. For some of these children, the presents provided were the only gifts they would have received on Christmas. They were all very excited to receive their gifts!” - Social worker

In 2024, 3,374 children and young people received gifts and over 900 families received food hampers

Volunteer

We’re always so grateful to our Christmas Appeal volunteers. If you would like to be considered to take part, please contact us.

Nominations

Nominations into the Christmas Appeal come from Social Workers, Schools and our own professional team.

If you would like to know more about nominations and gift or hamper collections please con tact us he re.

Further questions

Should you have any further queries please contact christmasappeal@kidsinspire.org.uk or call the team on 01245 348707

“The Christmas Appeal is such a great and important cause at such a special time for children and families it makes a real difference. We are happy to be part of it once again.”

— Donor, Just Giving

On behalf of all the families we support at Christmas and all year round, thank you.