Hackney Christmas Dinner & Manchester Christmas Dinner

In approximately seven meetings over a few months my team in Manchester have found a venue and presents and food and a chef and volunteers for the young care leavers of The North West of England. They will have a magical  Christmas Dinner on Christmas day.   Last year we raised £10,000 (approx) in 30 days via crowdfunder. It has paid for  Manchester Christmas Dinner in 2013 and for this year. Back here in London, in  Hackney,  my other Christmas Dinner team have also found presents, a venue, food, volunteers and  chefs for the  young care leavers here  to have a magical day on Christmas Day. We've raised £10,000 (approx) in 30 days  It will pay for this year in London and next.  These  Christmas Dinners are as much about the process as the actual day. It is the perception of the young person in care (and the care leaver) that I am trying to change. They are an opportunity for us to shine as a community rather than a problem to be solved. This perception change is  a pivotal (often ignored) component of change.  Without it we will only ever revisit the mistakes of the past. Shouldn't we actively celebrate  the young people in the present?