Students donate Christmas gifts to terminally ill children and their siblings
21st November 22
A group of our Boarding students took the opportunity to help out with putting a smile on terminally ill children’s faces this Christmas.
The initiative driven by Post Pals charity seeks donations of Christmas gifts to terminally ill children and their siblings. The charity uploads profiles of the children onto their website which includes insights into what they might like as a gift such as their favourite colour, interests, if they can read, if they have hearing impairments etc. It also states which illness the child is suffering from, giving information about the illness to raise awareness. The profiles also include information on the siblings, recognising the impact it may have on them and making sure they recieve a gift to feel included at what can be a lonely time of year for families struggling with these circumstances.
We had a group of 8 students who got matched up with a profile, and they went away and picked personalised gifts for their matches and their siblings. We wanted to do something more than ask for money donations, and I feel this created a more personal connection for students, as well as highlighting how we take good health and fortune for granted, reminding students to consider those who are less fortunate and instill our core kindness value. Students can make this a one-off thing, or if they wished to continue their connection with their chosen child on their birthday, they can.
Scott Webster, Houseparent (Northern)
