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The Manchester Christmas Dinner

04 Nov 2020

No Care Leaver aged 18 to 25 years should feel alone on Christmas Day

The Christmas Dinner is an annual project founded in 2013 by our Chancellor Lemn Sissay. It started as one dinner in Manchester and has grown into a UK wide movement. The vision remains the same that no Care Leaver aged 18 to 25 years feels alone on Christmas Day.

Lemn says; ‘Many care leavers are sat in flats, B&B’s 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…  Thanks to the work, effort and donations of many generous people we have hosted a scrumptious Christmas meal and created magical days to remember in cities and towns across the country’

For Care Leavers Christmas Day is not the celebration that it is for the majority of people, it can be the most dreaded, loneliest day of the year. 

2020 has been challenging for everyone but will have been particularly so for Care Leavers, often alone in a bed sit or flat with no support system around them. The restrictions enforced by Covid 19 mean that this year the Christmas Dinner that we usually organise (where we bring 50 guests together to celebrate in style on Christmas Day) is not possible and so we are being as creative and innovative as we can to make the day as magical as possible. There most definitely will be Christmas decorations, dinner, cheesy Christmas tunes and plenty of presents!

Normally we would host the dinner on Christmas Day in a University of Manchester venue with volunteer chefs cooking a traditional turkey dinner.  Clearly this is not possible this year so the plan is for us to bring Christmas to our guest Care Leavers this year. 

You can help in a number of ways:

Volunteer opportunities 

  • 19th December – wrap our guest’s presents
  • 24th December – delivery of Christmas Eve surprises 
  • 25th December – be an elf and deliver presents, dinner and a friendly face and chat 

Further information