Christmas should be a time of warmth, wonder and excitement. But for many children supported by Befriend a Child, the festive season can feel very different,  with lack of stability, security and sometimes not even a single gift to open on Christmas morning.

Each year, thanks to the generosity of people like you, we collect and distribute Christmas gifts to hundreds of local children living in difficult life circumstances. These children may be affected by poverty, neglect or social isolation, and your kindness can help make their Christmas a little brighter.

Whether you’re an individual, a business, part of a school or community group, we invite you to take part and together, we can make a difference by bringing festive joy to children who need it most.

Getting involved is easy. Our tags can be delivered straight to your door, you can hang them up on your tree and visitors or your team members can choose a tag with a specific age or gender. All gifts donated to Befriend a Child HQ must remain unwrapped. 

You can also donate a gift to a local child online by using our Giving Tree Appeal Amazon wish list. Gifts purchased using the Amazon wish list will be delivered straight to Befriend a Child HQ and have been hand selected by our team who know the children well.

Our Giving Tree Appeal also gives individuals the opportunity to make a donation towards an experience for a local child. These donations will ensure the children and young people we support have exciting adventures and new experiences to look forward to with their volunteer befriender or mentor in 2026.

Last year, thanks to the incredible generosity of our local communities, we received over 3,000 donated gifts and raised an amazing £16,000. For many of the children supported by Befriend a Child, these were the only gifts they received. This year, we want to do even more. With your help, we can ensure that even more children, along with their siblings and families have something to open on Christmas morning. Let’s come together once again to make this our biggest and most meaningful Giving Tree Appeal yet!

If you, or someone you know would be interested in becoming a Giving Tree partner, please fill in our Giving Tree Partner Contact Form. For more information about our Giving Tree Appeal, please get in touch at fundraising@befriendachild.org.uk