With less than a week to go until the big day, there’s snow way we’d let children and young people in hospital miss out on the festive fun. Our Family Support team have been busy as ever organising activities to bring some cheer and keep patients entertained. From making mistletoe paintings and snow globes to decorating gingerbread houses and building snowmen, there’s been no shortage of happy happenings – all thanks to kind donations from people like you.And there’s still more to come. We’ll be delivering Christmas Eve boxes in hospital to the children we support next week, arranging visits from Santa, and our Family Support Workers will continue to work over the Christmas period to bring smiles and comfort to families. If you’d like to support families this Christmas, you can donate and help bring more Christmas magic.
 Wreath-making for mums and grandparentsWe held our annual wreath-making workshops for 40 mums and grandparents earlier this month. These groups are an opportunity for family members to catch up and support each other, whilst taking some time for themselves. Giving parents and grandparents space to be with other people who ‘get it’ is hugely important – especially at this time of year.One Grandma said, “Thank you – it was a lovely morning. It was my first time and I found everyone so welcoming and supportive.” |
 Christmas grantsLast week we sent out Christmas grants to 214 families. Christmas can be a stressful and expensive time of year for any family. So navigating this season while looking after a child with cancer is especially tough. These grants can be used by families towards gifts or simply to relieve financial burdens they may be facing. One mum said, “I’d had to give up work to care for Rosie, so the grant meant we could buy presents and treats for the children without worrying.” |
 Christmas partyOf course, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the legendary Candlelighters Christmas party! This year there were 216 family members in attendance, enjoying a magical afternoon complete with face painting, a disco, characters, games, food, fun – and those all-important visits to Santa. Once again, smiles were brought to lots of little faces and precious, happy memories were made. |
 The Big GiveFor the first time this year, we participated in The Big Give’s Christmas Challenge – a matched funding campaign that doubles your donations. We were blown away to reach our target within 24 hours thanks to the incredible generosity of lots of amazing people. This funding will make a huge difference to children and young people affected by cancer. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who got involved. |
| If you’d like to help continue supporting children and families through Christmas and into the New Year, you can still donate via our website. |
| A quick note to let you all know our social media accounts will not be monitored from 24 December until 2 January. Our family support centre will also be closed, however our Family Support Workers will continue to support families in hospital during this time. |
Thank you for your continued support, it means the world to us. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas  From The Candlelighters Team x |