North-east children's charity celebrates success of Giving Tree Appeal
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North-east charity Befriend a Child has celebrated the largest amount raised in recent years for its annual Giving Tree Appeal.
The campaign, which runs throughout November and December, ensures the children they support, and their siblings, have a magical Christmas with presents to open and exciting new experiences to look forward to in the coming year.
Befriend a Child was able to provide Christmas gift parcels to more than 160 local children and their siblings thanks to the many individuals and corporates donating toys, makeup, games and clothes to the charity.
As well as gift donations, the charity was overwhelmed by the generosity of the public, as they received £20,366 towards experiences for children and their volunteer befrienders and mentors to enjoy this coming year.
The campaign was made possible thanks to the record number of Giving Tree partners who championed the appeal this year.
More than 120 local businesses and corporations hung tags on their Christmas trees to allow customers and clients to take part, as well as sharing the appeal virtually.
Sarah Misra, CEO at Befriend a Child said: “The whole team and I at Befriend a Child are in awe of the generosity of the local community.
"We were incredibly aware of the cost of living crisis when launching the appeal and we are overwhelmed with how kind both individuals and businesses have been.
"We also want to say a special thank you to Ocean Installer and XIC who supported the cost of the campaign.”
The large Christmas gift parcels given to every child the charity supports, along with their siblings, included something cosy to keep them warm, toiletries, chocolate treats, educational and stimulating games, toys and more.
For many of the families Befriend a Child support Christmas can be an incredibly difficult and challenging time.
For a lot of parents and carers buying gifts just is not an option, due to prioritising heating the house and putting food on the table.
The Giving Tree Appeal takes the pressure off the families and enables them to have a special Christmas.
Sarah added: “We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported the appeal this year whether that was by displaying our Giving Tree tags, purchasing gifts, donating money towards experiences, or simply sharing the appeal.
"Thanks to you, the children we support had a truly magical and memorable Christmas and can look forward to a fun-filled year ahead. You have made such a difference.”
Befriend a Child supports children, young people and families across Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire through 1:1 befriending and mentoring programmes, group activities and family support.
Over the years Befriend a Child's provision of programmes and projects has grown and today the charity supports approximately 250 children annually.
It supports school-aged children in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire who are growing up in difficult life circumstances.
It matches them with trained volunteers or "Befrienders" or "Mentors", who act as positive role models to help children develop resilience, self-confidence and self-esteem.
Typically, these are children whose fundamental childhood years have been neglected or lost due to issues outside of their control.
It is the only dedicated befriending and mentoring service for children in the north-east, a recent report identified 8000 local children in need of our support, and every £1 raised translates to £6 of benefits to the children and families the charity works with.
To find out more about Befriend a Child and the work it does visit www.befriendachild.org.uk or call 01224 210060.
