Children across the UK need a Secret Santa like you

The magic of Christmas begins in childhood. Hanging stockings. Sharing festive food. Presents under the tree. It’s a time for children to feel loved and make memories that last a lifetime.

But for vulnerable children across the UK, Christmas is anything but magical. No stockings. No presents. No festive food - maybe no food at all. For many, Christmas is just another day of empty cupboards and putting on an extra jumper to keep warm. And wondering why their friend got presents and they didn’t.

At Action for Children, we see children without a bed sleeping on the floor with just blankets. Families phoning us crying because they have no money to feed their children. It’s relentless. And it doesn’t stop because it’s Christmas.

But we also see the difference you could make.

By donating and becoming a Secret Santa, you could give a vulnerable child the essentials of warm clothes, a hot meal, or a special present just for them.

For every £1 we spend, 85p helps children and families.

A charity donation this Christmas could help bring happiness, warmth, and safety to vulnerable children and families. That's the difference you could make by becoming a Secret Santa in 2024

Last year, your generous support helped us be there for 687,755 children, young people and families in the UK, through 372 services. Children and families that were at breaking point with nowhere to turn.

Your generosity meant we could be there for them when they needed us most. Vulnerable children and families given hope and support, because of amazing people like you.

You can also gift a vulnerable child food, warmth, and love.

Browse gifts

Be a Secret Santa and you could help a vulnerable child feel the magic of Christmas

Your support could help stop a child from going hungry. With a charity Christmas donation, you could help make sure a child has the essentials. You could help keep a child warm. And you could help put the magic back into Christmas.

Thomas sitting on his father's knee playing with a toy train gifted by Action for Children

“I could never have saved up enough money for our family to go on such a special Santa trip. It created such a precious memory for all our children at what was a tough time. It was so magical and the children still talk about it now. Our daughter Isabella even won a cuddly bear in the raffle and she had never won anything before.”

Thomas' mum, Jess

Vulnerable children in the UK desperately need a Secret Santa like you.

Donate to charity this Christmas and be a Secret Santa for a vulnerable child.

Group of illustrated children standing together

687,755

We helped 687,755 children and families in 2023/24

Illustrated map of the UK showing Action for Children services represented by red dots

372 services

We run 372 services in local communities across the UK

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Help us light up the UK with Secret Santas

Donations

£613291

Secret Santas

18274

Your donation could help 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.