Charity Christmas Appeal
Secret Santa charity Christmas appeal
You could help a vulnerable child feel the magic of Christmas.
Support vulnerable children
Make a donation or buy a virtual gift to support our campaign - because every child deserves a magical Christmas.
Having a warm house, enough food and coat for Freya really changed everything. Freya's herself again.
Jess, Freya's mum
Six-year-old Freya* often fell asleep fully clothed on a mattress, trying to keep warm, only to wake up shivering.
Just before Christmas, she told her mum, Jess*, that she only wanted one present from Santa.
Jess held back tears. No matter how many hours she worked, she couldn't afford it.
*This story is based on real examples of children we support.
Thanks to supporters like you, we were able to provide Freya and her mum with supermarket and energy vouchers, a special trip to visit Santa, and the toy farm she desperately wanted.
But our support didn't stop at Christmas. This year, we've helped Freya settle into school by providing her with new uniform, a warm coat, and a bed to help her sleep better.
Our selection of charity Christmas gifts
Each virtual gift could transform Christmas for a vulnerable child
The difference you could make...
Ada-May's story
“Ada-May was very excited to meet Santa. As she walked into Santa’s Grotto, she turned around to face me and said ‘wow, this is amazing!’. Megan, Ada-May's mum, is so grateful for the support she received, she now volunteers at the annual grotto."
Kyle's* story
"He was in shock at all the gifts. Because of his autism he reacts differently, but I could tell how happy he was. He got a big tub of dinosaurs and a massive box of trucks. He was obsessed with them and still plays with them all the time."
Millie's* story
"They were so excited, their mouths opened with shock and their eyes widened as they saw all the food. There was hot chocolate, biscuits, pasta sauces, beans, gravy, all sorts. The girls were so grateful to have our cupboards full for Christmas."
Dev's story
"His face was so happy when Santa gave him the hamper. He couldn't believe there were so many presents. My boys opened everything the minute we got home and Dev was playing Scrabble all evening with his dad and uncle."
*These stories are based on real examples of children we support.
Send a Christmas eCard
Each eCard is a donation helping us to tackle the devastating effects of poverty across the UK.
Secret Santa FAQs
Can I donate over the phone or by cheque?
To donate over the phone, please contact our Supporter Services on 0300 123 2112 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm).
We also accept cheques via post, addressed to Action for Children at: Supporter Services, 3 The Boulevard, Ascot Road, Watford, WD18 8AG.
Why become a Secret Santa?
Each year, we ask people to be a charity Secret Santa for vulnerable children by donating to our Christmas appeal.
Why?
Because for too many across the UK, Christmas is anything but magical. No stockings. No presents. No festive food - often no food at all.
But you could help change that.
Donate today and you could transform Christmas for a vulnerable child and their family.
Can I donate food/gifts rather than money?
By donating a financial gift to us, we can work with our Services Teams across the UK to understand the specific needs of the children and young people in their care.
Your generosity could enable our Service Teams to select age-appropriate gifts or the necessities that these children are without, such as warm clothing or a hot meal, as we head into winter. This is just one of the ways we’ll do our very best to show these children the magic of Christmas.
We prefer money to physical gifts because:
- We can distribute support where the need is greatest, across the whole of the UK.
- As a large organisation, we have greater buying power and fantastic corporate partnerships that can make your money go further, delivering more support for every £1 you donate.
However, if you would like to donate physical gifts like food, toys, or supplies, we suggest that you contact your local service. They will be able to tell you if donations are needed, and how you can donate them. You can find your local service and their contact details here.
How did you use the money raised from last year's Secret Santa campaign?
Action for Children helped over half a million children across the UK last year thanks to income raised from our Secret Santa appeal. Vulnerable children and families were given hope and support, because of your amazing generosity.
If you would like to know more about our appeal, read our full frequently asked questions on this page.
Be a Secret Santa
Make a donation
Vulnerable children in the UK need a Secret Santa like you.
We’re lighting up the UK with Secret Santas
Every time a donation is made, a star can be added to our map
Total donations
£115
Secret Santas
6
Your virtual gift is a donation that helps us support vulnerable children, young people and their families in the UK.
84p of every £1* we spend goes directly towards helping children, young people and their families. We make sure that every penny you donate goes where it will have the greatest impact on children’s lives.
Donations from this campaign will be unrestricted and used by Action for Children for its general charitable purposes. That means they’re not spent on one project or one specific area of the UK, but where the need is greatest.
Some of our unrestricted funding goes towards essential management and administration costs to make sure funding can reach the children and families who are most in need of support.
*Figure based on audited 2024/25 charity accounts that exclude subsidiary companies like commercial nurseries.
