Please watch the video further down in this post! Most of us prefer not to think about Christmas until October or late November.  Even so, on one dark night in late September teams gather in rooms up and down the country to talk Christmas Dinner. From their they source chefs, food, presents, transport,  venue, hosts and guests for a Christmas Dinner for Care Leavers on Christmas Day. This year there are 26 Christmas Dinners across the country, from Birmingham to Bradford, from Leeds to Richmond….. It’s the closest I have ever been to a miracle making machine.

The key to every Christmas Dinner is the steering group. Anyone can put on a Christmas Dinner but how do you do it while encouraging the wider community to contribute to, and further understand, the importance of  well-being for young adult care leavers on Christmas Day?  How do you encourage your community to make an unforgettably positive memory.   It’s all in the How To Guide.    Magical moments occur all the time.  Maggie Lloyd Jones got behind the cause and contacted quilters around the country ‘because a hand-made quilt is the equivalent of a hug’.   This year an army of quilters are sending a hand-made original quilt to 1,000 care leavers around the country on Christmas Day. Maggie formed a charity called Q4CL  and a facebook page with over 700 quilters. They begin quilting for Christmas 2022 in January 2022.

Subrina Kidd a stylist lauded by Vanity Fair sets up a salon on Christmas Day at the venue with her top stylist mates. Through Subrina L’oreal have kindly sent products for the young adults.    Contributions from the canal boat community at  Lesson Grove Moorings, from Abernethy House Surgery and Canongate Books, have made a great difference.  These are just a few examples of many who have helped The Hackney Christmas Dinner team this year.  Sadly last week many of us had to make the difficult decision not to hold the dinner for reasons made obvious by COVID.  But we would not be beaten. We are delivering presents and food to the homes of care leavers on Christmas Day.  All organised within seven days!

I am not the boss of the christmas dinners, not a paid employee, not a line manager,  not the holder of purse strings, not a  chair, not a minute-taker, funder or accountant. I am a writer and like Subrina I was in care.  I started this after seeing Tope Christmas Dinner in 2012. I started this in Manchester in 2013 with the aim that it would spread across the country and that society would become more aware of the care leaver and would be able to contribute to their well being. People are amazing.

Heartfelt thanks to all the incredible volunteers and steering groups AND all the people who have contributed to the food and gifts, venues and transport and spirit of the dinners around the country.   If you would like to contribute to the Christmas Dinners you can donate to The Gold From The Stone Foundation which was set up to support the dinners across the country.  Some of The Dinners have set themselves up as a charity and you can find them through a simple look at The Christmas Dinners Website.

The sheer amount of people who help the Christmas dinners across the country astounds me.  What many onlookers don’t realise about the individuals in the steering groups is this.  Focussing on The Christmas Dinner for Care Leavers throughout the dark nights of winter helps stave off the winter blues.  In-fact light spread from the group as they work towards their luminous goal.   Lifelong friendships are made. Look at Manchester or Leeds.  Trust in community is built.  Even marriages, yes marriages have happened!  Next year will be the tenth anniversary of The Christmas Dinners. 

If you would like to start a Christmas Dinner next year read the how to guide and then get a group of 12 to 14 people interested. You have ten months! Don’t wait for Christmas to worry about Christmas. Then contact The Gold From The Stone Foundation. Watch the video from 2015. It’s beautiful. There is a miracle in it. Two sisters who meet…

Merry Christmas. And thanks to the people who bought stocking fillers from the Amazon Wishlist for all the dinners. Merry Christmas. Merry Xmas. Happy Holidays.