Child Friendly Warwickshire

For several years, Warwickshire County Council’s Children and Families Service has worked with various organisations, charities and individuals to support families and provide Christmas presents for their children. 

Donated gifts have ensured that Warwickshire’s care-experienced young people, as well as other vulnerable children and young people across the county, have something to unwrap.

The tradition continues in 2024 and the contributions from the council, friends of Child-Friendly Warwickshire, local organisations and individuals have meant that hundreds of Warwickshire families will benefit.

Warwickshire County Councillor Sue Markham, Portfolio Holder for Children and Families said: “We are incredibly grateful to individuals and community groups who donated Christmas gifts this year.

“Every gesture, grand or small, plays a vital role in building a community that cares for its children. These generous contributors spent time, money and effort ensuring Warwickshire children who, for many reasons may not have received any gifts, have something to open on Christmas morning. There are lots of ways to give back and this is just one that truly embodies the ethos of Child Friendly Warwickshire.”

This year the Child Friendly Warwickshire Bear even got involved, see their reaction to everyone’s generosity here.

More than 250 gifts were donated in the 2024 appeal and special thanks go to the following contributors:

• Pertemps Recruitment Agency, Procure 4, McDonalds Warwick and Lions Club – for donations towards pantomime tickets for Children in Care and their families.
• Norma Wilson – for incredible dedication to supporting care leavers and asylum seekers across Warwickshire with Christmas Hampers.
• Puddle Ducks Nursey – for donations of new toys, in place of their workplace secret Santa and goods for Norma’s hampers
• Lush Coventry – for donations of Lush products for Care Leavers.
• Customers at Morrisons Warwick – for public donations filling 20 boxes of items for children. 
• Widget, a Leamington-based software company - for their hugely generous donation of toys for vulnerable children across the county. 
• Warwickshire County Council staff – for completing a sponsored walk in Wales to raise money towards care experienced young people.
• Warwickshire County Council’s Market Hall Museum staff - for collecting Christmas gifts for Warwickshire Children’s Services.
• Warwick Museum, Eliot Park Innovation Centre & Kings House – for hosting drop of points and collecting a huge amount of Christmas gifts.
• Tesco Warwick – for colleague and customer donations towards the Christmas appeal.
• Biffa Warwick depot and Stratford Upon Avon RFC – for the generosity of the staff and club members
• Cadantis and Acorn’s Children’s Clubs - for their donations to the Warwickshire Family Information Service, enriching the lives of children beyond our immediate network of friends.  

The donations will mean a lot to children, young people, and their families, and the thoughtfulness of the people of Warwickshire truly makes a difference.  

To get involved with helping young people in your community, visit childfriendlywarwickshire.co.uk/involved . 

Here’s to a kind and thoughtful 2025.