Alive UK Christmas gift appeal brings smiles to over 700 children

During November and December 2022, we supported Alive UK, a local charity which aims to provide emergency support for people in crisis in Norfolk, and organised a gift appeal at the Centre.

We asked people to donate Christmas gifts and the generosity was truly outstanding. We saw hundreds of visitors donate, resulting in thousands of pounds worth of presents for struggling families throughout Norfolk at Christmas. Not to mention the generosity of many of our retailers, including The Works and Lush.

Referrals came from schools, health visitors, social care staff and many on the ground teams working with families in need. Each family received a bag of gifts for each child in their family.

Thanks to this incredible appeal, over 700 children, who wouldn’t have received a present, received one.

One mum who received gifts from the appeal said: “When I closed the door behind me, I stood in the sitting room in silence for about 10 minutes before the tears started pouring down my face. I don’t think I was breathing at this point. I’m not sure I’d allowed myself to cry in forever. I was awake every night worrying about how I would explain to our babies that Santa was so busy looking after families that needed help that he didn’t think they would mind not having anything.

“I’d got a big branch from the woods that I made into a Christmas tree and we had decorated it with some random items. The kids loved it. We’d decorated the house with paper snowflakes but how would they feel with no gift? Then there I was, in the sitting room with the answer to all my prayers. I can’t even find the words to explain the relief and joy. Just thank you!”

One of the Alive volunteers recently went to take food to a family that gifts had gone to at Christmas and was greeted at the door by two of the little girls. Dressed in tutus and fairy wings, the young girls were excited to show her all the gifts they had received and said it was like magic! The mum had made a card for our volunteer to express her gratitude.

Jo Thorne, chair of trustees, and pastor of Alive Church,  comments: “Many of us are finding things difficult financially, but having to choose between heating or food or debt repayment, plus the added pressure of feeling a failure if you are unable to give a gift to your child is immense. More and more people are struggling with these everyday choices and the consequences of this kind of pressure can end lives. Big, big thanks Chantry Place family and all the retailers and visitors who supported us – we were simply overwhelmed!” 

In addition to the gift appeal, Alive UK also hosted an event for families who couldn’t afford to take their children to see Father Christmas with over 200 children able to meet him.

For more information on Alive UK, and to find out how you can support, please visit: www.alive.charity