Barnardo’s Celebrates Christmas Past with a Look Back Through its Archives
UNITED KINGDOM / AGILITYPR.NEWS / December 23, 2019 / Barnardo’s is celebrating ‘Kidsmas’ past as it marks its new fundraising campaign which brings people together at Christmas to raise money to support vulnerable children.
The leading national children’s charity has been digging through its archives to look back at how children it has supported have celebrated Christmas over the decades.
The photos are being published during the charity’s first ‘Kidsmas’ campaign, which aims to raise money to help vulnerable children at Christmas.
They show children cared for by Barnardo’s celebrating Christmas with toys and presents, decorating trees and meeting Father Christmas at the charity’s old children’s homes from the 1940s to the 1960s.
This year people across the UK have been getting involved by hosting their own ‘Kidsmas Party’ at home, school, work and with their local community groups.
The charity is asking people to get involved by creating an online ‘Build a Kidsmas Snowman’ fundraising page. Through the platform, fundraisers can ask people to donate by throwing a ‘snowball donation’. The more snowballs thrown, the bigger their snowman gets and the more money is raised to help change the lives of vulnerable children.
Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said:
“Barnardo’s has been supporting vulnerable children at Christmas - and all year round - for more than 150 years.
“This Christmas many children we support will miss out on the fun and celebration we often associate with this time of year.
“It can be particularly difficult for children experiencing domestic abuse, dealing with mental health issues, recovering from sexual exploitation or struggling to live independently after leaving the care system.
“That’s why we’ve been asking people to come together to celebrate ‘Kidsmas’ and to raise funds to help Barnardo’s make sure vulnerable children are safe, supported and cared for.”
In a recent survey of Barnardo’s frontline staff, 43 per cent said some of the people they support who celebrate Christmas were unlikely to receive any presents, or enjoy a traditional meal.
The 230 Barnardo’s staff members surveyed also said they were concerned that some of the children and families they currently support will experience an increase in mental health issues (78 per cent) and loneliness (64 per cent) over the festive period.
- The charming black and white pictures from Barnardo’s archive show Christmas celebrations at children’s homes:Adsdean House, Chichester, West Sussex
- Farm Hill, Kelvedon, Essex
- Oakley House, Abingdon, Berkshire
- Garden City, Woodford, Essex
- Shelton House, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
- Montgomery House, Sudbury, Suffolk
The colour pictures from this year were taken at Barnardo’s Triangle Service, Crystal Palace, South London.
About Us
Last year around 300,000 children, young people, parents and carers were supported by Barnardo’s through more than 1,000 services across the UK, such as young carers, care leavers, foster carers and adoptive parents, training and skills or parenting classes.
We work to support vulnerable children in the UK and every year we help thousands of families to build a better future. But we cannot do it without you.
Visit www.barnardos.org.uk to find out how you can get involved. Registered charity No. 216250 and SC037605
Contacts