For every £1 we spend, 85p helps children and families.
Children across the UK need a Secret Santa like you
The magic of Christmas begins in childhood. Hanging stockings. Sharing festive food. Presents under the tree. It’s a time for children to feel loved and make memories that last a lifetime.
But for too many children across the UK, Christmas is anything but magical. No stockings. No presents. No festive food - often no food at all. Imagine your first memories of Christmas being going to bed hungry, being too cold to sleep and hiding your disappointment when Santa doesn’t come.
At Action for Children, we have over 2,500 frontline workers supporting children every day. We see children without a bed sleeping on the floor with just blankets. We answer calls from parents in tears, desperate because they can't afford to feed their children. It’s relentless. And it doesn’t stop because it’s Christmas.
But we also see the difference you can make.
By donating and becoming a Secret Santa, you could give a vulnerable child the essentials of warm clothes, a hot meal, or a special present just for them.
687,755
We helped 687,755 children and families in 2023/24
372
We run 372 services in local communities across the UK
155 years
We’ve been helping children for more than 150 years
Last year, incredible people like you were driven by love to take action for children, helping us be there for 551,400 UK children through 342 services.
Childhood is short. We don’t have long to make magical memories. That’s why we need your support now.
Donate to charity this Christmas and be a Secret Santa for a vulnerable child. You could help a vulnerable child feel the magic of Christmas.
For every £1 we spend, 85p helps children and families.
We’re lighting up the UK with Secret Santas
Every time a donation is made, a star can be added to our map
Total donations
£134
Secret Santas
8
Your virtual gift is a donation that helps us support vulnerable children, young people and their families in the UK.
85p of every £1* we spend goes directly towards helping children, young people and their families. We make sure that every penny you donate goes where it will have the greatest impact on children’s lives. Donations from this campaign will be unrestricted and used by Action for Children for its general charitable purposes. That means they’re not spent on one project or one specific area of the UK, but where the need is greatest. Some of our unrestricted funding goes towards essential management and administration costs to make sure funding can reach the children and families who are most in need of support.
*Figure based on audited 2023/24 charity accounts that exclude subsidiary companies like commercial nurseries.
