For many of us Christmas is a time for love, giving and the magic of dreams coming true, but for some young people who’ve grown up in care, they can miss out on this extra magic and their dreams can often be of things we would usually take for granted. That’s why our Christmas Dream Appeal will be aiming to raise over £15,000 so that we can make their dreams a reality, with all donations going towards our Make a Dream fund. And this year, for the first time ever, we’ve launched our very own range of charity Christmas jumpers! Designed straight from the heart by Break's young people, who understand more than anyone the wide spectrum of emotions over the festive period, the jumpers reflect every sentiment, from the "Bah Humbug" spirit to the “tinsel everywhere” vibes – encouraging you to ‘Do Christmas your way!’
"Christmas can be a magical time, but for those growing up in care, it can be a particularly challenging time,” explains Break CEO Rachel Cowdry. “We pride ourselves on all our work being co-produced with the young people we support and our Christmas jumpers show just how conflicting the festive season can be for those growing up in care. That's why our Christmas Appeal is so vital. Just as we would our own children, we want them to have the same opportunities and experiences and our Make a Dream fund helps us to do this. It’s not just about getting a gift at Christmas, these dreams will have a real lasting impact.” 30% from the sale of each jumper helps to go towards our appeal target of £15,000 and straight into our Make a Dream fund, ensuring every young person can experience a dream coming true throughout the year. Dreams range from a day out at a theme park, to going to the theatre or seeing their favourite band for the first time; to getting a new bike or taking driving lessons. And although these may seem like small asks, for those asking for them these opportunities can be life changing and empowering, helping them to realise that nothing is out of their reach. Like Richie, 21, a young care leaver who asked for new clothes as his budget as a care leaver just couldn’t stretch to getting him the essentials like new shoes or even a coat. “My money has to go on things like food and bills and there’s not much left over at the end of the month. Thanks to Break’s Make a Dream fund, I felt so lucky that I could get the things I needed. It was the first time I’ve ever been able to get a proper winter coat. Having nice clothes really helps you to feel better in yourself.” Other dream requests include from Amber, 14 who loves vintage clothes and wants to go to London and explore the markets, to Luke, 18 who has a learning disability which means it’s difficult to spend safe, quality time with his family and all he wants is to go the circus with his mum and carer; and Tomasz, 21 who entered care as a child and has always dreamt of going back to Germany: “I lived there for nearly four years but my circumstances meant I had to come back home. I would like to visit it again now I’m in a better place in my life,” View our Jumpers Make a Donation Source: https://break-charity.org Comments are closed.
|
News & JobsNews stories and job vacancies from our member agencies, the fostering sector and the world of child protection and safeguarding as a whole. Browse Categories
All
|