What an incredible year of generosity!

Working in partnership

Our sixth annual gifting initiative in December 2023, was a great success, thanks to the support of new and established ambassadors across the city. Their efforts provided a wonderful experience for children and young people and helped alleviate some of the pressures families can experience during the holiday season

Ambassadors from across the city, along with organisations and the public, collected over 2000 gifts, benefiting more than 2100 children and young people.

We extend our gratitude to all the sponsors of the gifting drive who generously contributed: Leeds Trinity, GRAHAM, The Grammar School at Leeds, Park Square Barristers, Build-A-Bear, and University of Leeds

We also appreciate the efforts of all the teams and third sector organisations who worked with us to distribute presents, including Fostering, Kinship, Car Leavers, Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers, Gypsy Roma Traveller, seven of the family support cluster teams, Shantona, Barca, Life coaching, Gipton Fire Station, Restorative West, Safe Project, Women’s Aid, Hunslet Club and more!

By working in partnership and involving families in the gift initiative, we were able to ensure presents were matched to individuals as closely as possible, guaranteeing that it was well-received.

“Thank you so much for providing us with these wonderful gifts for two years in a row! We are so grateful to be able to offer this to our families that really need it – without this offer, some of these children would have been without. Now they can go into school after Christmas and tell all their friends about the new toys and treats they have received for Christmas. Our families are so grateful to have been given some really thoughtful gifts for their children and it has taken some of the stress of the holidays away.” Practitioner

Breakfast with Santa

Children in the city were also treated to “Breakfast with Santa” in December, thanks to our ambassadors at White Rose Centre – the eighth year the initiative for newcomers to fostering has run. Families enjoyed a unique experience and were also able to forge new friendships and support networks. The event highlighted how important CFL ambassadors are in helping create happy memories for children and young people in Leeds.

“At White Rose we believe that every child deserves to have a memorable and fun-filled Christmas, which is why we’ve partnered once again with Child Friendly Leeds to spread some festive cheer and make the holidays a little brighter for those who need it most.
It is our eighth year hosting our Christmas party for foster families across Leeds, and we look forward to continuing our work with local charities in the future, aiding the important work they do for our community.” Steven Foster, Centre Director

Lights, camera, action

We were delighted to work with Hyde Park Picture House in December, who invited over 200 care experienced children and their families to their newly refurbished venue for a bespoke cinema event.

Care leavers Christmas party

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we organised a Care Leaver Christmas party at Archways. Over 20 care leavers had a fantastic time at the festive gathering, featuring a DJ, food, prizes, games, and a movie. Everyone left with a gift, making it a truly delightful evening! 

Christmas cultural opportunities

In addition to providing gifts and organising social events, the CFL team also connected children, young people, and their families with opportunities to participate in various Christmas activities. Families received donated tickets from Leeds Rhinos for the Boxing Day game, while Leeds Central Library arranged a child-friendly showing of the interactive Pantomime, Cinderella, by Same Difference Arts. leeds direct arena generously gifted two of their VIP boxes to Hunslet Club for a viewing of Elf: The Musical. We extend a huge thank you to our Culture partners!

The volunteers!

Coordinating all these wonderful offers requires a village effort and truly makes a real difference in young people’s lives. We want to thank all of our volunteer elves who worked around the clock to ensure all the presents and opportunities were delivered on time.

If you are interested in getting involved with the Child Friendly Leeds team by becoming an ambassador or participating in the Christmas present drive next year, please don’t hesitate to contact us at childfriendlyleeds@leeds.gov.uk.