Every year I wait for a message from my friend, Liz Fossu to say ‘ The List is up!’. Those four little words are the signal to go shopping. And I hate shopping!
Shopping as my contribution to The Christmas Dinner is the one exception – instead of misery it brings me joy. Someone else has done all the hard work creating the list and putting it up on Amazon. All I have to do is click. I chose four gifts this time – one on behalf of each of my grandchildren. Gifts range from colouring books for £4.99 to holdalls at £19.99. There are scarves, gloves, earphones and a whole host of other gifts to choose from; and the accumulated effect of choosing these gifts spreads joy and goodwill for a whole lot longer than a cup of expensive coffee that costs about the same price.
I have to admit that this is my favourite part of Christmas and I don’t even have to move from my desk to enjoy it. Who’d have thought it?
A huge amount of work goes into making every Christmas Dinner a success. The project was founded by Lemn Sissay, MBE – a care leaver himself. Each year the project grows as more cities set up their own Christmas List and gather a team of volunteers to make Christmas Special for hundreds of young people leaving the care system. Until Liz began sending me her messages I had no idea. I took for granted my big family Christmases – don’t we all. How often I have longed for five minutes peace after all the wrapping that takes hours and is demolished in seconds. But spare a thought for those young people who leave the care system and would crave a boisterous family Christmas. Many of them live in B and Bs, bedsits, or sofa surf. In the same circumstances would you look forward to Christmas?
All the volunteers have busy lives, frenetic jobs, careers and families; they are teachers, lawyers, photographers, PAs – yet they give up their free time, limited as it is, to plan, organise and deliver a wonderful Christmas Day for young people aged 16-25.
It isn’t just Christmas Day that takes up their time but the hours and hours of planning that making each event a fabulous success. There are venues to be secured, food and drink supplies, decorations, transport, people prepared to cook, people to serve – and wash up – oh yes, and all that wrapping. Can you imagine! I live too far away to join in with the Leeds wrapping (sighs with relief) but I’m sure if I didn’t I would enjoy the camaraderie and infectious enthusiasm that is generated when people come together with good will and generous spirit. Because that’s what Christmas is all about after all, isn’t it?
Why not pop over and discover the Christmas List on Amazon. It’s my kind of stress free giving.
And if you want to see what a great time everyone had last year you can watch this great video below.