Mersey Cares Secret Santa bringing joy and good tidings across the region
Since 2023 our annual Secret Santa Appeal has helped us deliver hundreds of gifts and the magic of Christmas to children and young people accessing a range of Mersey Care services. These include Children in Care teams in Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton and St Helens; Liverpool Family Nurse Partnership the Carer Engagement Team and Children and Young People's Mental Health Services.
Over1,000 gifts have been shared to date, including toys, puzzles, books and baby items; comfort items, gift cards and hundreds of chocolate selection boxes.
The campaign delivers joy, comfort, and a sense of community to families facing challenging circumstances - helping them to feel seen, supported, and celebrated during the festive season.
Michael Allcock, Team Leader for Knowsley Children in Care said:
“It was wonderful to hand the presents out. One mum was so grateful for the gifts, it really made her Christmas. One of the little boys was given a Lego toy and he was very excited and was jumping up and down. It really does make such a difference."
Secret Santa Case Study:
Ben’s Christmas Gift
Ben is a 12 year old boy and has been in foster care for the last 18 months due to experiencing neglect and being exposed to parental substance misuse. During his time in care he has had numerous placement moves. In the week before Christmas, Ben was moved from a foster placement into residential care. He struggled with this unexpected move so close to Christmas and his emotional wellbeing was being monitored by the placement staff. One of our Children in Care nurses was able to go and visit Ben and give him an Amazon gift voucher and a selection box. Ben was very happy to receive the gifts and was very grateful. The nurse shared that it was lovely to be able to bring some happiness to Ben’s life in times of adversity. Initially Ben was reluctant to engage, but the voucher and selection box helped to initiate conversation and Ben went on to describe what he would like to spend the voucher on.
You can support the appeal all year-round so when Christmas arrives, our Mersey Cares elves can set to work!
