Thousands impacted by this year’s Bags of Kindness campaign
“Without this, I honestly don’t know how I would have managed Christmas.”
This is just one of the many voices touched by this year’s Bags of Kindness campaign, which created a wave of kindness – reaching thousands of individuals and families - across the UK. Seeing so many people come together to show love and kindness to those in their communities who may be struggling or alone at Christmas has been truly inspiring.
Impact
Around 1,100 churches and other organisations came together to pack and deliver more than 80,000 Bags of Kindness, and in total, more than 6,300 volunteers were mobilised – from Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and all across England.
“Christmas would have been very different for us without this support. Because of this, my children will have happy memories instead of disappointment.”
Getting creative
Churches reached out to their communities in a wonderful variety of ways, such as hosting free pop-up Christmas shops and toy stores, delivering Christmas hampers to families in need, or giving away supermarket vouchers as part of their Bags of Kindness. Some hosted a Santa’s grotto where parents could come and choose presents to give to their children. One church even partnered with their local theatre and were able to give away 100 free tickets to families to see Elf the Musical!
Exodus Youth Worx, Stevenage
Team work
Another hugely important part of Love Christmas is the impact taking part has on the volunteers themselves - giving people the opportunity to show kindness within their communities. Those who took part often commented on the importance of new and meaningful connections made with those living right on their doorsteps. By sharing Bags of Kindness, gifts, Christmas food parcels and more, it wasn’t just the recipients who benefited but the volunteers too!
Local collaboration
Many churches partnered with local businesses and organisations. One church told us they were completely blown away by the number of donations they received, with shops even coming to them and asking what they wanted. Another shared,
“Love Christmas has been an amazing way of getting to know more people in our community… we are touched by the number of people who said they found the Love Christmas activities to be the highlight of our Christmas programme. ”
Why it matters
Love Christmas is more than a campaign – it’s a reminder of what’s possible when we come together. In a world where many face daily struggles and hardships, small acts of kindness can spark hope and have a lasting impact. We hope that through Love Christmas we will continue to transform lives together – one bag at a time.
If you’d like to give to the work of Love Your Neighbour, which helps support churches serving their communities throughout the year, please use the button below.