This is why we Love Christmas
Let’s take a look back at the hope and kindness that was spread throughout local communities at Love Christmas 2022.
What an end to 2022!
We wanted to take the time to thank all of you who helped make Christmas that little bit brighter for so many through Love Christmas 2022. Christmas is a time of hope and kindness. But for millions of people across the UK, Christmas has increasingly become a time that highlights their isolation and deprivation – whether due to the rising cost of living or the rising uncertainty of their future. Even through all this, it was inspiring to see how local communities, churches, businesses and schools rallied around those who needed support. Up and down the country, people expressed their love for their neighbours with kindness – Bags of Kindness.
Over 100,000 Bags of Kindness later, and hope and joy were brought to Christmases throughout the UK!
Bagging up everything – from food to presents – over 6,000 volunteers worked tirelessly to provide what they could to those in need, then distributed them throughout the local community. For some, this was food to ensure a warm meal on Christmas day. For others, this meant local churches opening their doors to create a warm space for people to get together without the constant worry of the heating bill. Some moving stories of those impacted can be read here.
In the spotlight
These acts didn’t go unnoticed. The momentum quickly caught the attention of the press. The Blackpool Gazette stopped by Blackpool Church to report on their incredible work to reach those facing loneliness and isolation amongst the cost-of-living crisis. Blackpool Church hosted a beautiful atmosphere for volunteers packing Bags of Kindness, which were then delivered to people in need throughout the local community. Their mission statement wants to rewrite the headlines. And it looks like they’re doing a pretty good job of that! You can read the full article here.
Meanwhile, the work of Gas Street in Birmingham caught the eye of The Guardian. Designated as one of the ‘warm spaces’ by the local council, the church hosted families and people from the local community to come together and enjoy a warm drink and a chat. Some relief from the cold and time away from the anxiety of rising bills was enjoyed by many In Birmingham through Love Christmas. The offer of prayer, conversation, or just somewhere warm to relax was really needed. Remembering how cold December 2022 was makes the work of volunteers even more special. You can read the full article here.
Building momentum
The connections that were made, the hope that was shown, and the kindness that was given in local communities throughout the UK over Love Christmas 2022 has presented us with so many inspiring stories. Churches, organisations, and communities of all sizes reminded us why we Love Christmas. You can read about the different ways organisations and businesses got involved here.
