Care leavers to celebrate Christmas in style
15 Dec 2015
Thanks to all who have given to our Chancellor Lemn Sissay’s ambitious, and very personal, festive project
The Christmas Dinner 2015 – an initiative to give Christmas dinner to care leavers, founded by our Chancellor, the poet Lemn Sissay – will be welcoming 50 guests and 12 of their children in Manchester this year.
The project has raised £28,626 of the £30,000 target on crowdfunder, and following an appeal to University colleagues to give generously, meaning the events can go ahead this year in Manchester, Leeds and Hackney – and it will have the resource to expand in 2016!
‘Care leavers’ are young people and adults who have grown up or spent a significant part of their lives in foster care or children’s homes.
Lemn, who was himself a care leaver, founded the initiative in 2013. He and a team of artists, adult care leavers and social care professionals work together to provide the most scrumptious dinner and gifts on Christmas Day to young care leavers, aged between 16 and 30.
“Many care leavers are sat in flats, B&Bs and hostels, away from family, or sofa surfing and some are indeed living on the streets on their own at Christmas. Christmas is a reminder of everything they never had. I know because I’ve shared their experiences,” says Lemn.
“But since 2013, thanks to Crowdfunder, many generous people have been able to pledge money instead of buying or receiving Christmas presents. So we can put on a scrumptious Christmas meal and create a magical day to remember.
“The Christmas Dinner will be a life-changing and life-saving experience.”
This year the University’s Directorate of Estates and Facilities is providing the secret venue for The Christmas Dinner in Manchester, while some of our colleagues have been part of the team since its inception.
People are able to gift aid each pledge, with the money going to Pure In-Sight, a charity in Stockport that provides year round support to care leavers.
Get involved
To give your support, visit:
You can also donate gifts, non-perishable food via University colleague and initiative volunteer Emma Lewis, in the Rutherford Building. The deadline is tomorrow (Wednesday, 16 December).
Contact: