Secret Santa
Be a Secret Santa for a vulnerable child
Vulnerable children in the UK desperately need a Secret Santa like you.
What is a charity Secret Santa?
Each year, we ask people to be a charity Secret Santa for a vulnerable child with Action for Children by donating directly to our appeal.
Because for vulnerable children across the UK, Christmas is anything but magical. No stockings. No presents. No festive food - maybe no food at all. Their first memories of Christmas could be going to bed hungry, being too cold to sleep and losing all hope when Santa doesn’t come.
But you could help change that. Your gift could help a vulnerable child feel the magic of Christmas.
Being a Secret Santa means you could buy a child the essentials of warm clothes, a hot meal, or a special present just for them. They'll know Santa has remembered them - but they won't know that Santa is you.
Purchase a virtual gift
With a virtual gift, you could give a vulnerable child warm winter clothes, a hot meal, or a trip to visit Santa, you could help put the magic back into Christmas.
Buy a gift for your friends or family
Buy a virtual charity Christmas gift on behalf of a loved one and help support a vulnerable child. Dedicate your gifts by adding a personalised e-card for your friends or family
Make a donation
Be a Secret Santa by donating to our appeal. You could give a vulnerable child their own bed and a warm duvet, a hot meal, or a Christmas present.
Shop your Christmas cards
Spread the festive cheer with an Action for Children Christmas card. Your purchase could help put the magic back into a child’s Christmas
Our Secret Santas make a difference...
Bertie's story
"Bertie doesn’t understand the concept of Christmas yet but he loves it. When we gave him his presents his face lit up. He had this big smile like he knew what was inside. It’s the best thing ever seeing him like that."
Jess' story
“Action for Children made our Christmas magical. I’d also just come out of hospital so to receive all those gifts and food vouchers was extra special, and Jess was over the moon about her ice cream maker.”
James' story
“The energy vouchers made a huge difference as we were able to warm the house up and I didn’t have to worry about the kids waking up saying that they’re cold.”
Thomas' story
“I could never have saved up enough money for our family to go on such a special Santa trip. It created such a precious memory for all our children at what was a tough time. It was so magical and the children still talk about it now."
By becoming a Secret Santa you can help bring happiness, warmth, and safety to vulnerable children. At Action for Children, we have over 2,500 frontline workers supporting children every day. We’ve seen children without a bed sleeping on the floor with just blankets. Families phoning us crying because they have no money 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. Each year, we ask you to become a Secret Santa and thousands of you do. Last year, we were able to reach 687,755 children, young people, and their families. With your generosity, we could do the same this year.
You can make a difference, this Christmas and beyond.
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
£727519
Secret Santas
21518
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.
