Mission Christmas: Cash for Kids asks Leeds residents to donate presents for older children in need

The largest Christmas gift appeal in the UK, Mission Christmas is an annual campaign run by charity Cash for Kids. Last year, it collected £14.1million in gifts and cash donations, which was used to make sure that 267,547 children and young people had presents to open on Christmas Day – including 16,000 recipients in the Leeds area.

Cash for Kids is asking Leeds residents to help in any way they can, donating gifts at drop-off points across the city, or donating cash towards presents for children. The charity is short of presents for older children, aged seven to 12, such as board games, arts and crafts or magic sets.

Cash for Kids fundraising executive, Hannah Clark, told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “We’ve had an amazing range of support - everything from fundraising to donations and volunteers. Unfortunately we’ve hit a bit of a standstill at the moment with gifts, so we’re urging people to do anything they can to help us, whether that’s donating a gift or money online.”

The cost-of-living crisis this year has seen many families struggling with rising food and fuel bills and, with many already choosing between heating and eating, buying Christmas presents is financially beyond those worst off. Around 14.5 million people are living in poverty in the UK, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s UK Poverty Profile 2022. That’s more than one in every five people.

Hannah said Cash For Kids is determined to make sure the thousands of underprivileged children living in Leeds still get a gift to open this year.

She added: “They’re going to have a Christmas - and get to experience what it feels like to open a present on Christmas Day. We want to say a big thank you to everyone who is doing as much as they can. Their help means the world to us, now more than ever. Even if it’s just one gift, it makes such a difference."

You can find a drop-off point or donate on the Mission Christmas website.