To All The Christmas Dinner Teams.

Posted on by Lemn Sissay in Christmas Dinners
Dear Christmas Dinner Steering Groups Seventeen days to go.   How you’re doing?  You are incredible for making this happen.  I love it because it is such a positive  shining light throughout the  Winter. One of the central tenants of The Christmas Dinner is that steering group members are kind to each other, frank but kind. Kindness should underpin all communications: Kindness and fun.  There's a lot of work and we need to support each other cause Christmas is stressful enough.  Read more [...]

Will Your Company Support The Christmas Dinners?

Posted on by Lemn Sissay in Christmas Dinners
Dear reader, In 2013 we started with one Christmas Dinner in Manchester.  Now there are 17 across the nation for 800 young 'care leaves'.   They were once in Childrens  Homes and foster care but at eighteen many are alone. They are  between 18 and 25 years old. We provide them with a scrumptious meal and a day of festivities and presents. We have a crowd fund campaign to raise £30,000  by December 31st for The Christmas Dinners.  We have £16,14 kindly donated so far with grateful thanks.  Read more [...]

Cut The Strip Lights It’s Christmas

Posted on by Lemn Sissay in Christmas Dinners
https://youtu.be/kXH9O7ANuKU The Christmas Dinner is on Christmas Day because THAT is the day care leavers need it most.  From Canterbury to Stockport, from Hull to Hackney there `are seventeen Christmas Dinners for care leavers this year. Seventeen.   When I saw The Christmas Dinner for Care Leavers in 2012 (run by Tope Project  ) I knew. I just knew. And so in 2013 after respectfully seeking guidance I got a steering group together in Manchester. That was the first. My Read more [...]

Taking Care: The Christmas Dinner Campaign of Hope

Posted on by Lemn Sissay in Christmas Dinners
https://youtu.be/-m6jQUQj7Ys Care leavers are strong. They have to be. Especially this time of year:   Christmas can be an intense reminder of everything they’ve never had.  It was for me.  They've left care:  Some  are sofa surfing, some are homeless, some of them living alone in rented accommodation or in hostels and many without a family. As soon as the adverts come on television, you know the ones, the John Lewis adverts,  the arks and Spencer adverts,  the young care leaver senses Read more [...]