The NSPCC is reminding people in Edinburgh that there is still time to add some extra magic to a child’s Christmas this year by ordering a Letter from Santa.
The charity’s annual fundraising campaign gives family and friends the chance to nominate a special child to receive a personalised letter from Santa, for a suggested donation of £5.
Over 200,000 letters have already been ordered, over 12,500 of which have been ordered by parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends in Scotland.
Susie Barron, NSPCC Scotland community fundraising manager, said: “This year’s Letter from Santa campaign has already raised an amazing amount of money for our services and helplines, which includes our ChildLine service for children and young people. But our elves still have more magical letters they can send to local children so please get your orders in before 18 December.
“By making a donation when arranging for a child or newborn baby to receive a personalised letter from Santa, people will be helping to make sure ChildLine volunteers are there to support young people whenever they need us – including over the Christmas period.”
Over the twelve days of Christmas last year (24 December 2010 to 5 January 2011) ChildLine’s volunteer counsellors in Scotland answered over 3,900 contacts from children and young people across the UK and Channel Islands via telephone, email and 1-2-1 chats.
One young person contacted the service saying: “I just want someone to chat to really as I have no-one with me this Christmas. Mum and dad are working today and I want to cry and feel angry. I just want someone to say Happy Christmas to me and give me a present, but I have had nothing. I just don’t wanna be alone.”
Another young person posted a message on the ChildLine website: “I was really looking forward to Christmas. We started putting up the decorations today but whilst we were putting them up my Mum got annoyed and started swearing at my Dad and said she hated Christmas. My Dad is an alcoholic and I am thinking about running away.”
Susie continued: “The ChildLine service is available for young people 365 days a year, which is why we are aiming to raise £1.6 million through Letter from Santa to help make sure we can continue to be there for all children and young people whenever and however they need us.”
To arrange for a child or newborn baby to receive a personalised letter from Santa in time for Christmas, visit www.nspcc.org.uk/santa or phone the local NSPCC fundraising team on 0844 892 0212. Orders can be placed online and by telephone until Sunday 18 December. Any order placed by post must be received by Friday 16 December. Letters will be sent out daily until 19 December.
Order leaflets can also be found in a range of stores including SPAR, Debenhams, Thorntons, Matalan and Rowlands Pharmacy.
To find out more about supporting the NSPCC’s work with children and families in Scotland visit www.nspcc.org.uk/scotland join us on facebook www.facebook.com/nspccscotland or follow the charity on Twitter @NSPCC_Scotland
