Today marks the launch of our Christmas campaign – Santa Stork 2015. Our aim is to give a personal gift to as many local children in need as we can this Christmas.
The Santa Stork 2014 campaign was incredibly successful and, taking into account the last minute requests we received, with your support were able to provide brand new presents for 198 local children and 60 of their parents.
We’ve asked our referral sources to send us details of the children (and parents) they support who’d appreciate a special gift and we’ve also asked them to include any special preferences eg. 3 year old boy that likes Spiderman, a one year old girl that likes Peppa Pig.
We all know how lovely it is to receive a present that makes you smile and think ‘that’s just what I wanted’. We want these children to feel the same way when they wake up on Christmas Day.
Support our campaign
Donating online
You can help by making an online donation to Localgiving.com. The great news is that for the next few weeks Localgiving will match any donation you make up to £10 as part of their Grow Your Tenner scheme. Yes, that’s right – they’ll DOUBLE your donation. So if you donate £10 and choose Gift Aid then your £10 becomes £21.67!
Click here to access our site: https://localgiving.com/appeal/santastork
We will pair your donation with a present request and ensure that the children in question get something they wish for.
Choose and buy a gift
Of course we understand that some of you may prefer to go out and choose a gift for a child yourself and this worked very well last year. Perhaps involve your own children in the act of giving by allowing them to select a gift for a child less fortunate then them. If you want to do this then please email us at santa@stripeystork.org.uk after November 1st and we’ll give you details of a child and their preference. Any gifts you purchase can then be dropped off at the Halliwell Marks offices in Reigate and a number of other locations we will continue to update you on.
Timing
Donations or purchases can be made any time from now until December 1st. It also happens that December 1st is national #Giving Tuesday and we’re delighted to be supporting this initiative. We will then have a Santa Stork session on the 8th December when the health professionals can come and collect all the gifts with plenty of time to distribute them before the big day! Yay!
Buisness and individual support
Last year lots of local and national businesses got behind our campaign and provided presents and items to include in the gift bags. Please get in touch at santa@stripeystork.org.uk if you run a business, or have contacts with one, and would like to support our campaign. Items we love to receive are chocolates, sweets, selection boxes (all edible items must be in date on Christmas Day 2015) as well as stationery (crayons, felt tip pens, colouring books) and toiletries (bubble bath, sponges, hair accessories).
And a little Thank You from us…
We are already hearing that many of you want to get your children involved in giving this Christmas and that is great. As a little thank you we will email all donors a fantastic Santa Stork Activity Pack. This will not only contain a Thank You certificate for your child but also lots of fun activities, recipes and games to keep your children busy in the run up to Christmas.
So that’s it! We are already receiving present wish lists – we now need your help to make these present wishes come true.
Local families and local businesses, with the help of Localgiving, giving local children a special Christmas.
Santa Stork 2015