Santa Stork 2024 – spreading Christmas magic, warmth and comfort

As Christmas morning breaks and the sounds of excited children echo across the country, we feel incredibly grateful that once again, Santa Stork was able to bring joy to families facing hardship in Surrey and Croydon. While Christmas is a season of magic and celebration, for many families, it also brings added pressure. Thanks to the generous support of our community and a little sprinkle of Team Stork magic, we came together to deliver some much-needed Christmas cheer.

Spreading Christmas Joy: Santa Stork’s Impact in Surrey and Croydon

This year, we’ve put more of a focus on providing support to families throughout the entire winter season, which also included some festive giving. To achieve this, we introduced our Stripey Stork bundles. These thoughtful bundles include a blanket, a book, and a small toy – practical items that can be enjoyed throughout the year. Additionally, we offered referral partners the opportunity to add an age-appropriate Christmas gift to make the season even more magical.

With your support, this Christmas we have supported 3,938 children.

Extending our support: Supporting more families this Christmas

Recognising that some children may have a specific gift in mind, we teamed up with Truly Giving this year. This partnership helps connect children in need with generous donors who are eager to fulfil their wish. It’s a wonderful way to spread holiday cheer and make sure every child gets something special. We were able to help with space and volunteers, and it was a joy to work with Susie and the team. This year Truly Giving supported 865 children.

What an amazing campaign we have had for 2024.  So many generous donations and gifts for the children, the opportunity to work with new referral partners and more community partners coming together.

We were so pleased to be partnering with Stripey Stork this year.  By working together, we were able to offer referral partners different solutions depending on their needs.  Together we have reached thousands of children in our local community and helped spread the joy to Christmas all children.

– Susie, Truly Giving

Community Spirit: The Heart of Santa Stork’s Success

Santa Stork wouldn’t be possible without the amazing support from the community, and this year was no exception. We are incredibly grateful for everyone’s time, donations, and efforts. From individuals who volunteered, to organisations that made donations and hosted collections, and schools and community groups that gathered items for us—your contributions made all the difference. Here are some of the highlights from this year’s campaign.

Reigate Methodist Church collected gifts and had a Stripey Stork Christmas tree at their Christmas Tree Festival.

All Saints Church, Merstham organised a toy collection amongst their families.

Horley Tangent donated Christmas gifts at their craft evening.

Churches of St Nicholas Godstone, St Stephen’s South Godstone and St John’s Blindley Heath collected a fabulous collection of toys.

Ralph James Estate Agents love Christmas as much as we do, and we were delighted that they wanted to support Santa Stork again. They were one of our drop off locations and they took Stripey to the Reigate Business Guild Christmas Fayre and raised money for us.

Thank you to all the schools that collected gifts and stocking fillers for Santa Stork this year. Your contributions have played a key role in ensuring we could bring joy to so many children during the festive season. Pupils, families, and staff came together to support the campaign. Thank you so much to: Glenesk School, Kiddi Nursery, Mickelfield School, Powell Corderoy Primary School, Reigate Grammar School, Reigate Parish, Reigate St Mary’s, Reigate College, St Johns Leatherhead, The Hawthorns and The Ashcombe School.

Going Above and Beyond: Our Santa Stork Heroes

We’re incredibly lucky to have many incredible individuals supporting Santa Stork, making it possible to bring Christmas cheer to so many children across Surrey and Croydon. In a campaign filled with generosity and dedication, there are a few who particularly stand out and deserve special recognition.

Emily and Jo play a vital role in making Santa Stork extra special by generously donating a large collection of Lego sets every single year. Their selflessness and dedication to spreading joy ensure that Christmas morning is filled with excitement and happiness in countless homes across Surrey. Thanks to their thoughtful contributions, many children experience the thrill of receiving a gift that sparks creativity and joy, making the holiday season a little brighter.

Charlotte and Dean, who run the village shop in South Nutfield, generously purchased toys themselves, and rallied their community by collecting donations at a village Christmas event and hosting a collection tin in their shop for Stripey Stork.

Father Jim from Christ The King church in Salfords organised a collection of gifts for the fourth year running and the mechanics at Harwoods Land Rover in Coulsdon who used their Christmas bonuses and went shopping together to buy Christmas gifts for Santa Stork.

Matt and Leigh from Surrey Moves got in touch once again and provide us with 100 selection boxes. We know how much joy a festive treat brings to children alongside their gifts, so we are grateful for his donation.

 

Local law firm, Morr and Co were our very own Santa Claus this year, delivering gifts to partners in Croydon and Surrey.

Leo, one of our youngest and most inspiring supporters, set an amazing challenge for himself at just eight years old. Over the course of three weeks, he read three books a day to raise money for his local foodbank and to buy toys for Santa Stork. His efforts made a real difference, supporting both his community and children in need. His kindness is a powerful reminder that even the youngest can have a big impact.

Harris Primary Academy Purley Way are a school we have supported throughout the year, and we were touched when the staff made a financial donation to us in support of our work.

The Walton Charity has been a longstanding partner of Santa Stork, and their financial support enables us to provide gifts for all the referrals from the Elmbridge borough. They organize their own fundraiser and match the donations received, which has had a huge impact on the level of support we’re able to offer.

Penny Kirk organised a fantastic donation of toys from St Mary’s Monkey Playgroup and the wider Oxted community.

Nik from Godstone Farm and Teddy Bear Run have supported Santa Stork by collecting gifts as well pre-loved items to support our core work. We’re extremely grateful to her for setting up these donation points.

Surrey-wide Support: Thanks to our Donation Points

This year’s Santa Stork campaign has only been possible because of the incredible support from libraries and businesses across Surrey. They acted as drop-off points and by offering their spaces, they made it easier than ever for the community to donate, helping us reach even more supporters and collect essential gifts for the campaign. Thank you to Café Chai, Ellis Scott Schoolwear, Godstone Farm, Ralph James Estate Agents, Skipton Building Society, The Ashford Clinic, The Belfry and Surrey Libraries.

Team Stork: Sprinkling Some Christmas Magic

Santa Stork relies on our dedicated volunteer Elves who generously give their time, bringing festive cheer and tackling every task with endless enthusiasm. We truly couldn’t have done it without you. A huge thank you for all the love, care, and effort you’ve put into everything. Your support has made all the difference! Thank you to Alex, Alison, Amy, Angie, Ann, Becky, Caz, Clara, Deb, Elizabeth, Emily, Emma N, Fiona B, Harriet, Helen, Isla, Jill, Jo, Jo S, Jill, Julia N, Julie R, Kate F, Kathryn, Kersten, Laura B, Lois, Lottie, Margarida, Megan, Mel, Moira, Natalie, Olivia, Pauline, Sam, Sarah C, Sarah S, Sue, Susan, Victoria and Viv.

A huge thanks our staff team: Abbie, Chris, Gill, Jayne, Maxine, Sara, Sarah and Victoria.

Equippers Church Weybridge went above and beyond for Santa Stork. They generously gave their time and visited many of our drop off locations across Surrey to collect the fabulous donations from the community. It was wonderful to welcome Tim, Jude and Glynis from Croydon Whitgift Rotary once again this year. Their support and Christmas and throughout the year is incredibly valuable and we love having them working alongside our Team Stork volunteers.

Giving Back This Christmas: Our Team of Corporate Partners

Santa Stork HQ once again welcomed plenty of corporate volunteers from companies looking to give back this Christmastime. Sporting their Christmas jumpers and with mince pies provided to keep them going, they rolled up their sleeves and got to work. We’re grateful for the extra manpower at our busiest time of year. Thank you to: Caytons Law, Celtic Contractors, European Tour Group, Healys LLP, Partners Group, Powertutors UK, Scheidt & Bachmann, SES Water, TotalEnergies, Unum UK, WTW, HSBC, Hyundai Capital and Lexis Nexis Risk Solutions.

We have been very lucky to have had some fantastic support from some of our corporate partners this year. Their donations have been vital to the success of this year’s Santa Stork campaign. From financial contributions to donations of toys, stocking fillers and chocolate, each act of kindness has played a significant role in meeting the demand for our campaign. These partnerships have not only lightened the load for many families but also shown how businesses can make a meaningful difference in their communities.

Santa Stork: Making a Difference

Supporting victims of D.A, whereby the gift of “making magic” happen at Christmas is the difference between feeling like giving up or, with a little helping hand, they are capable of going on, healing, accepting help, growing and living a happy healthier life.

– Referral Partner

Thank you so much for making such a huge difference to so many families across Surrey. Without you so many of our families would not have gifts this Christmas.

– Inclusion Health Team

Life is a daily struggle for these families, so at this time of the year it is so nice to relieve some pressure and give them something nice.

– Early Support

Thank you ever so much for all your hard work and support. The smiles on the children’s faces are always priceless.

– West Thornton Primary School

Thank you

1^st Meadvale Brownies
All Saints Church, Merstham
Ashford Clinic
Bear and Bunny Nursery
Beauty Banks
Book Trust
Café Chai
Caytons Law
CBS Butler
Celtic Contractors
Charlotte and Dean Holborn
Christ the King Salfords
Croydon University Hospital
Croydon Whitgift Rotary
Custard Communications
Dunottar Staff
East Surrey Hospital Pharmacy
Ellis Scott Schoolwear
Emily and Jo Kennett
Equippers Church Weybridge
European Tour Group
Father Jim
George Ackerman
Glenesk School
Godstone Farm
Harris Primary Academy Purley Way
Harwoods Land Rover
Healys LLP
Horley Tangent
Hyundai
Kiddi Nursery Redhill
Lactalis
Lexis Nexis Risk Solutions
Land Rover Harwoods Mechanics
Mickelfield School
Mid Surrey Community Fridges
Morr & Co
Morrisons Reigate
Nestle
Nicola B Designs
Partners Group
Penguin Random House
Penny Kirk
Powell Corderoy Primary School, Dorking
Power Tutors
Procter & Gamble
Ralph James Estate Agents
Rebecca Paul MP
Reigate College
Reigate Grammar School
Reigate Methodist Church
Reigate Parish Church Primary School
Reigate St Mary’s Preparatory and Choir School
Sal’s Shoes
Scheidt & Bachmann
SES Water
Skipton Building Society
St John’s Church Blindley Heath
St John’s School Letherhead
St Nicholas Church Godstone
St Stephen’s Church Godstone
Surrey Libraries
Surrey Moves
Teddy Bear Run
The Ashcombe School
The Belfry Shopping Centre
The Hawthorns School
The Oracle Group
Total Energies
Unum
Walton Charity
Wingate Benefit Solutions
WTW