Gift appeal a 'miracle' as families across Northamptonshire thank YOU and Mother Christmas for making their days special

Jeanette Walsh, aka Mother Christmas, has sent a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped with this year’s gift appeal to help children across Northamptonshire.

In a letter to supporters she expressed her gratitude for the ‘overwhelming generosity’ shown by residents towards those with the least.

This year’s appeal saw a record number of donations delivered to social work teams and distributed to children, young people and their carers.

Jeanette said: “Your overwhelming generosity has been absolutely fantastic. With the help from the Northants Telegraph, the Chronicle & Echo, the Daventry Express and the Faraway charity, we have yet again been blessed with many fabulous donations to help our disadvantaged families and young people enjoy Christmas.

“I therefore write to say a very big and sincere thank you to all my little Christmas helpers based in and around Northamptonshire – on behalf of the children, families and young people living in our county, ‘thank you’.”

Gifts were given to the teams for Children and Young Peoples Services, safeguarding, leaving care, special guardianship, children in care, contact centre and looked-after children, as well as five children’s homes and the early help team.

In one of the many thank you letters received by Jeanette a mum described the difference the gifts made to her family:

Dear Mother Christmas,

I want to thank you for supporting my two children through this Christmas. It means so much that there are beautiful humans out there that are so kind hearted and are willing to support families like mine.

I'm in a lot of financial debt – a huge overdraft – and owe money out. I do not drink alcohol, smoke or ever taken drugs. The debt is through not having enough income and with the rise in prices for everything. I am literally drowning!

To say that you and the amazing Northamptonshire people saved me this year is an understatement.

In the run up to Christmas, all I had was debt and sadness, thinking how an earth am I going to make a miracle happen for my children with absolutely no funds and not getting into more and more debt!

Mother Christmas, you were there for us and really did make that miracle happen. I was able to get us all some bedding and a well needed duvet with the Primark vouchers and the beautiful gifts for my children were just out of this world.

My children didn't actually ask for anything this year so when they came down on Christmas morning, their little faces...they were so, so happy and grateful for their stocking fillers and there absolutely lovely gifts.

You all made our Christmas and we will never forget the kindness shown from you and our lovely town.

Another letter sent by a social worker described how a child had hoped for a doll for Christmas and said:

“One child I am working with has a reward chart for good behaviour and hoped to get a doll for Christmas. She had been trying really hard. I checked in with mum to see how things were going. Her behaviour had much improved but mum was worried about how she was going to afford a doll. She had been trying to sell items on Facebook to afford it. I took her one of the beautiful dolls gifted and some accessories. Mum hugged me and said her daughter would love it. She is going to use some of the money from selling items towards having ‘a proper Christmas dinner this year!”

Gifts donated to Jeanette helped a brother and sister who had been abandoned:

"We took presents to two young people (12 and 17) who had been abandoned by their mother, we had a care agency attending the home while we were getting into court and the family were spending Christmas day at home with carer support. They had basics in terms of food (no Christmas type of food).

“I called Mother Christmas to ask for support and we were supplied with financial support to go and buy a Christmas dinner and accompaniments and Mother Christmas supplied a sack full of presents for both the young people.

“The children's memory of this Christmas will be bleak, knowing that they will be separated. What would have made this worse would have them to have had the memory that also on that Christmas day when everyone was with family and celebrating and opening presents they had no presents and no Christmas at all.

“The 17-year-old was very grateful and thanked us for giving him the opportunity to try and make the Christmas as good as it could be for his sister. He eagerly took the food and talked about the Christmas dinner he would make and what they could then do on Christmas day. He was shocked that there were presents for him and again was thankful for this. As said this was a challenging Christmas for them and would have been made must worse without the support that we were able to put in because of the support given by Mother Christmas.”

Jeanette will now switch her efforts to collect more than 5,000 Easter eggs to be given to children living in the most need.

She added: “If you are willing to help supply Easter eggs this year please let me know, I need over 5,000. They are already in the shops!”