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LOOKING FOR OUR 2022 FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN? CLICK HERE TO FIND IT!
Since 2016 we have provided special Christmas gifts for children and young people who are inpatients in child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS) wards across the UK over the festive period.
These young people absolutely deserve to feel special, remembered and included during the holiday season. This year, with your help, we're hoping to give a gift to every single young person who needs a gift who is in inpatient mental health care at Christmas - as well as a gift and decorations for every ward too. It's our 6th birthday this year so we want to go BIG!
Last year we were able to send 1450 individual gifts, as well as some decorations, an advent calendar and some ward gifts. With your help, we hope to beat that record this year.
I cant say how much this meant to us! Huge Covid outbreak on our ward. No leave allowed and very limited, short, physically distanced visits from families with massive room decontamination between. Covid positive kids had to talk through a door to parents. Our OT team wrapped the gifts and put them in decorated shoe boxes - boxes to be used after Christmas for self soothe boxes. Kids werent expecting to wake up to a tree with gifts under it! They all said Christmas wasnt as bad as they were expecting it to be and a central part of that was the gifts under the tree.
Why We Exist:
Christmas For CAMHS was originally set up because volunteers saw a huge disparity in the way CAMHS units were treated over the festive period compared to other NHS services for children and young people. We wanted to do something to change that.
Children are admitted to CAMHS units to receive support and treatment for mental health issues, such as psychosis or depression, or eating disorders like anorexia. There are no official figures for how many children will spend the festive season in CAMHS units across the UK. While many members of the public and corporate donors give Christmas gifts to childrens hospitals or childrens wards in general hospitals, CAMHS units, which are usually based away from other services, are often forgotten, or not known about.
The young people would like to thank you. They were so sad to be in hospital at Xmas time and they said it really made their day.
How Can You Help?
The best way to help us, if you can, is to make a donation so our volunteer elves can get busy with buying and assembling gifts to whizz them across to CAMHS units across the country. Every single donation is important to us and we hugely appreciate your support in making the christmassy magic happen!
If you'd prefer, you can choose your own gift for us for our elves to deliver to a CAMHS unit via our Amazon Wish List.
Want to do more? Why not become one of our extra special fundraising elves! You could have a sponsored carol sing or gingerbread house bake-off - or something as simple as a collection at the end of a concert or school play or hosting a festive cake sale. Feel free to get in touch and tell us about your fundraising plans!
Another fantastic way to help is by spreading the word about what we are doing. Retweet us on twitter, share about our charity on facebook or chat about our charity in your instagram stories (you can find our instagram here). Or just tell your colleagues about us over tea break! The possibilities are endless...
Thank you for all your efforts at a very challenging time. It was greatly appreciated by the young people (and staff)
Want to find out more?
Click here to visit our website - or give us a follow on social media (links above). You can also drop us an email if you fancy (info@christmasforcamhs.org.uk).
Christmas For CAMHS is a registered charity: 1190353
The YP are always overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness by yourselves and all the presents are gratefully received.