Jules Carey writes about Waltham Forest Secret Santa, the annual donation drive she founded in aid of domestic violence survivors and their children
This is the eighth year of Waltham Forest Secret Santa. We collect new gifts for women and children escaping domestic abuse, forced to spend the holiday season in a refuge shelter. We create lovely gift bags with these new donations, and then distribute them locally and around London, through domestic violence charities.
In our first year, 2018, we collected 200 gift bags, then 500, and last year around 1,000 lovely gift bags were handed out!
In the year to March 2024, there were 94,609 reported incidents of domestic abuse in the UK. The good news is this is slightly down on the previous year. The bad news is this is still unforgivably high.
Though our aim is to give these women and their children some hope, joy, and love from their community. A gift bag full of some brand new luxury just for them. We hope to brighten these dark days, and let them know they are worthy of nice things.
Women have told us that the bags “really restored their faith in people” and gave them hope that there is a “brighter future waiting” for their family.
Others have been brought to tears by the “overwhelming” display of love and appreciation the gifts bring.
The money that we fundraise goes towards supporting local independent shops that we use to buy gifts from, so you will be helping the community in more ways than one!
We constantly post photos of what the GoFundMe money has bought from where on our Instagram page.
This year the gifts will be given to the following fantastic set of charities: Solace Women’s Aid, Refuge Women’s Aid, Ashiana Network Charity, Kiran Support Services, Medaille Trust, Sista Space, and Haven Network.
The last day for donations this year is Sunday 23rd November, so please get in touch now.
To find out more about Secret Santa Waltham Forest email: [email protected]
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