Seacroft parish have been working tirelessly over the past few months to help make the run up to Christmas more enjoyable for disadvantaged local families.
Thanks to their efforts, the parish have donated hundreds of presents to children in need while also organising a number of free events to help these children celebrate Christmas with their families.
Revd Fiona Harrison-Smith, Team Vicar in Seacroft, says, “For the families, knowing the church and community cares about them and their children makes a tremendous difference.”
Every year a Toy Distribution service is organised by Martine Hinchliffe, and a number of volunteers from across the Seacroft parish, at St Richard's Church.
Toys are given by people across the parish and then parents from local struggling families can choose a big and small present for each child for Christmas from among those donated.
These families have been referred by social services, schools, health professionals and community organisations and are parents who would usually struggle to buy presents for their children due to debt, benefit sanctions/delays, family illness or hard times and for who having to choose between eating, heating and Christmas presents is a daily reality during the festive season.
Martine Hinchcliffe, who organises the Toy Distribution service, says, “The majority of families who are referred are struggling financially for a whole range of reasons - basic poverty, poor money management, drug and alcohol issues, families where parent is on probation - many families come through social care.
“Basically their circumstances at the time would mean the children would get nothing for Christmas without the Toy Distribution.”
Martine continues, “Last year one of the probation officers who referred many families explained how valuable the Toy Distribution is to the families he works with. For many families with a parent on probation the stress of Christmas would have pushed them over the edge into crime again.”
She adds, “Last year a family was referred in this circumstance and this year they are on the straight and narrow thanks to the support they received through Toy Distribution (the family were also given food hampers by church and community).
“Another worker who works with recovering alcoholics and drug users explained how much this means – ‘Just by relieving the pressure of Christmas presents - you are giving children far more than just the gift, you are giving them sober parents’.”
Last year St Richard’s Toy Distribution gave out over 500 presents to children in the area meaning each child received 5 presents for Christmas due to the generous donations!
St Richard’s is part of the city-wide St George’s Crypt Toy Distribution service which has been running since the 1930s and which provides 200 disadvantaged children across Leeds with Christmas presents each year.
The presents are collected at St George’s Church all year round but St Richard’s only collects in the run-up to Christmas, though the church is still providing a drop-off point for presents this week while the gifts are being distributed at the same time.
Last month, the parish invited Santa to join them at St Richard’s Church for an afternoon of making Christmas crafts on Saturday 12th November.
Revd Fiona says, “In a community where Christmas causes stress and debt problems we put on this free Christmas Fun event where families can visit Father and Mother Christmas and make something special to hang on tree at home.
“In this community the church needs to support families in practical caring ways that demonstrate the love of God.”
The parish also held their annual Christmas Gala on Saturday the 12th December at St James’ Church, Seacroft, Chapel FM and the Methodist Chapel.
Revd Fiona explains, “Everyone at the church in Seacroft puts all their energy in with our community as we help to run Seacroft Christmas Gala every year.
“The Christmas Gala aims to bring the Seacroft community together to celebrate Christmas in a way that is affordable and accessible to everyone.”
Revd Fiona explains, “The Gala was opened by our Christmas Angel Gabrielle and her helpers before we sung community carols and listened to performances by East Leeds Music School and Seacroft Literature and Arts Group.”
“The church was decorated with twinkly trees to try and enable local people to have a lovely Christmassy space in their community.
“At Chapel FM there was live music and Christmas stalls in the Methodist hall and the Gala ended with sing-along carols.”
She adds, “This event would not happen without the Church putting all in with our community - we like to think that this is what the incarnation and the birth of Jesus at Christmas is about – taking risks and putting all in with your community, just as God took the risk of putting all in with humanity in the person of Jesus.”
The parish also held a candlelight Christmas service to help think about the real meaning of Christmas.
For more information on the Seacroft Parish Toy Distribution service, please contact Martine on 0113 2654236.