Always on
This project successfully funded on 20th December 2025, you can still support them with a donation.
Barnsley Careleavers Christmas Dinner Project
Barnsley, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Aim
To provide a magical Christmas Day to remember for Care Leavers who alternatively would be spending the day alone.
The Christmas Dinner is an annual project founded by poet Lemn Sissay MBE, himself a care leaver, the project has grown since first being set up in Manchester in 2013.
The dinners are organised locally by a steering group who come together throughout the year planning and fundraising to ensure that care leavers are not left alone and that they have some magical memories of Christmas. This will be our eighth year in Barnsley, where we put on a face to face event on Christmas Day for care experienced young people who are alone and often isolated, trying to provide a Christmas to remember.
Our project lead and chair who started this project is a care experienced person herself so absolutely understands how important the project is , our steering group is made up of volunteers from the community who are all passionate about providing Barnsley care leavers with a day to remember.
These are some of the quote from our care experienced young people in the previous years “If It wasn’t for the dinner and being able to spend it with other people I would be on my own probably trying to hurt myself. Christmas is so hard for me because I have nobody, this has been the best Christmas I’ve had” “I have never had someone care about how I would feel on Christmas Day before, the day really helped me feel part of a community and cared for”
“I can’t believe you came to hospital to see me Christmas night to spend time with me and drop of a Christmas dinner and presents Even though I tried to end it and thought I had no one you coming made me realise people do care about me… I can’t tell u how much it meant to me. It gave me hope there’s something to live for. I really want to get better and help with the dinner next year.”
“these were actually made for us, it’s going to keep me so warm in the cold”it’s like a big hug”“when I’m feeling down I’m going to get my quilt and look at the quote because it makes me smile
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made