For every £1 we spend, 85p helps children and families.
Children across the UK need a Secret Santa like you
Childhood is short. We only get a few chances to make magical Christmas memories. That’s why we need your support now.
Last winter, six-year-old football fan Chloe* spent most days huddled under blankets in the living room - the only room her mum Layla* could afford to heat.
Despite working as a care worker, Layla was struggling financially and often skipped meals so Chloe could eat.
*This story is based on real examples of children we support.
Thanks to supporters like you, we were able to step in just before Christmas with festive food and presents.
On Christmas morning, Layla watched Chloe’s excitement as she opened the football boots she'd been dreaming of all year.
Watching Chloe’s face was just the best feeling ever. The excitement, the pure joy, I will never forget it. She burst into tears and kept saying “Santa came, he really came!"
Layla
4.5 million UK children now live in poverty. That's 31% of all children.
For many children, Christmas is anything but magical. No presents or festive food.
That’s why we need your support.
Each year, we ask people to become a Secret Santa for a vulnerable child by making a charity Christmas donation. Your donation could give the essentials of warm clothes, a hot meal, or a Christmas present for a child who wouldn’t otherwise get one.
Donate today and you could help a vulnerable child feel the magic of Christmas.
For every £1 we spend, 85p helps children and families.
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
£209
Secret Santas
13
Your virtual gift is a donation that helps us support vulnerable children, young people and their families in the UK.
85p 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 2023/24 charity accounts that exclude subsidiary companies like commercial nurseries.
