Charity says ditch Secret Santa and instead buy a toy for a child who has fled domestic abuse and lives in a local refugees
The local children's charity, KidsOut, who are based in Leighton Buzzard, supports children who with their parent have fled domestic abuse, including emotional, violent, and sexual abuse, and find safety in one of over 700 women's refuges and safe houses in the UK.
Every year the charity asks offices to ditch Secret Santa and wasting money on joke presents, and instead buy a toy for a child in a refuge who might otherwise have nothing to open on Christmas Day.
KidsOut sends organisations a famous Giving Tree tag for all individuals taking part. Each tree tag has the name* of a child in refuge and the present that they or their parent has said they would love to receive from Father Christmas.
You can choose to buy the gift yourself from a shop of your choice or use the QR code on the tag to link to the charity’s online ‘Giving Tree, Fun & Happiness Shop.’ Gifts are delivered to a child in time for Christmas.
If you choose to buy a physical toy you can either deliver it to one of their many collection points or drop it into their Head Office in Leighton Buzzard.
The charity supports children throughout the year who have experienced this heinous crime, providing a box of brand-new toys on arrival in a refuge. Sadly, most families arrive in women's refuges with no possession at all.
It also take the children out to places like the seaside, the cinema, zoos, and parks, where they can start to build happier memories. Often children will have never experienced fun activities like this.
A women's refuge manager told us, "Children are hugely impacted by having to leave home to a place of safety, often missing the comfort of treasured toys left behind. Being able to give children in refuges new toys not only helps manage their feelings of loss but enables us to provide supported play activities to help children express their feelings, come to terms with experiences, and explore coping mechanisms as part of building a positive future.”
To fid out how to take part go to www.kidsout.org.uk
*names of children are changed to protect them.