Christmas Appeal 2021 launched by Faith in Families to help vulnerable families in Bassetlaw

More than £12,000 was raised by last year’s appeal – a record amount for the charity – enabling it to provide seasonal cheer to more than 120 East Midlands’ families.

As in 2020, due to difficulties created by the Covid-19 pandemic, instead of collecting physical donations of toys and gifts the charity is looking for solely monetary donations.

Appeal funds will be used to buy £50 supermarket vouchers from Aldi to go towards the Christmas celebrations of around 120 families in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.

Families are identified as vulnerable or in need through the work of Faith in Families’ school social work service (SSWS), which places workers in-school, to help pupils and staff with a range of mental health issues, and the church parishes the charity works with.

One mother who received the vouchers in 2020 commented: “My daughter received Aldi vouchers from the SSWS in her meeting at school.

"SSWS has been helping her with bullying and self-belief, and it has been lovely to see her enjoy school again.

"SSWS’s work with her has been invaluable and the vouchers were a lovely surprise and greatly received.

"Food is such an important topic in our house – Christmas dinner alone has been discussed since August.”

Laura Payne, acting chief executive of Faith in Families, said: “The response to our 2020 Christmas appeal was amazing, especially when you consider the hard year everyone had and our having to change the collections focus to purely monetary donations.

"Whoever donated should know that they made Christmas for those families and children who benefited.

“We’re hoping for a similarly generous effort this year and will be working non-stop up to Christmas to try and make that happen.”

There are a number of ways people can donate, all of which are listed on Faith in Families’ website’s appeal page here.

Companies wishing to provide corporate sponsorship of the Christmas Appeal are also welcome to get in touch with Faith in Families’ Community Fundraiser, Nicola Richardson, on 07551 154795 or email at [email protected].