Exclusive:
Every year the Salvation Army’s Christmas present appeal brings magic and joy to tens of thousands of vulnerable families across the UK who would otherwise not be able to celebrate
Video Unavailable
Salvation Army volunteer details Christmas toy appeal
It’s a grey and blustery morning in the heart of Blackpool, but inside the local Salvation Army church the Christmas spirit is in full swing.
In front of a mountain of boxes, presents of every size, shape and colour are piled high as scores of volunteers in festive jumpers pack them into bin liners.
The charity’s Christmas present appeal is well underway, with more than 84,000 presents across the UK expected to be gifted to vulnerable children and families this year. The donations have been arriving for months, with preparations starting all the way back in May.
But now, fuelled by cups of tea and mince pies an army of 20 volunteers have been working seven-hour days for the last fortnight to get everything ready for Christmas Day.
Naomi Clifton, church leader of the Blackpool Salvation Army Church says her team will package up and deliver to 2,750 children in this community alone.
Speaking about the rise in demand, Naomi told the Mirror: “I’ve been doing this for four years and in 2021 we were doing around 800 present parcels, this year we are expecting to do 2,750. That’s a huge increase.”
“We have had to go from a manual system of referrals to digital. I started thinking about this year’s Christmas appeal in the summer.”
Last month Unicef reported that the United Kingdom had seen the highest increase in child poverty out of 40 countries across the EU.
The charity says latest figures from 2021 show nearly a 20 percent increase in child poverty in Britain.
And the North West is the worst impacted region – with a quarter of children living in poverty across 90 percent of all parliamentary constituencies here, according to campaign group End Child Poverty.
With one in 52 children in care, Blackpool has more children in the care system than any other British town or city.
That’s why the Salvation Army works with social services, schools and GP practices across the nation to ensure no-one slips through the cracks.
Recalling the heartbreaking story of one four-year-old boy they have helped this year, Naomi said: “You hear at school that Santa doesn’t bring presents to naughty children and he had got that into his head.
“His mum said ‘I can’t afford to give him gifts and he’s going to think he’s naughty’. I told her don’t worry, we’ll sort you out.”
In the last two years, the number of present parcels the Salvation Army dispatched nationally soared from 76,000 to 84,000 last Christmas. And they say even more parents are being invited in this year to take advantage of the service.
In December the charity’s churches are transformed into bustling and chaotic workshops not dissimilar to Santa’s grotto. When the donations of gifts arrive, they are sorted into appropriate age ranges and bagged up for children who would otherwise go without.
As we wonder through the huge hall, several parents excitedly scan the piles of gifts for something they know their kids will love. There is everything from luxury soap sets to colouring books and children’s toys.
One mum beams with joy as she tells us she has found a beautiful brand new pram for her baby girl. Emily, a single mum-of-seven fights back tears as she explains this is the third year of using the present appeal.
She said: “Without it Christmas just wouldn’t happen in our house. Being on universal credit and on your own is not easy. I’ve been coming for three years now and I have told other women about it, some of them are domestic abuse victims.
“I think you feel nervous when you first ask for help but when you come here and see how lovely everyone is at the Salvation Army you realise there’s nothing to be scared about.”
And there are familiar faces among the team of volunteers too. Every year Fiona Okbi takes two weeks holiday from her job as an NHS radiographer to volunteer at the Blackpool toy appeal.
Asked what has brought her back for the last five years and counting, she said: “Being a mum myself and having grandkids, I hate the idea of these kids waking up and Christmas and not having anything to open at all.
“When we turn up at the schools in the mini bus and all the teachers are in tears because they know the kids will have presents it’s all worth it.”
This year, as well as presents, parents can also collect wrapping paper from the appeal and a supermarket voucher to buy all the ingredients for a Christmas dinner. And although the appeal for gift donations has now closed, Naomi suspects that she will be out delivering presents right up until the night of Christmas Eve.
On top of her referrals Naomi says every year there she meets people who have found themselves in a difficult financial situation on the week of Christmas. She said: “There was a situation a few years ago where the parents were both working but then the grandfather died unexpectedly and they had funeral costs.
“They were a family who were just about coping but on the face of things you would never think they needed help with presents at Christmas time. The mum was preparing to tell her kids they weren’t getting anything for Christmas.
“I love being able to help those people. When they hug you and you get to see the joy on their faces as you give them the presents it moves you to tears.
“You go home and feel so grateful you have been able to help make someone’s Christmas magical.”
