Think of children less fortunate this Christmas
MORE than a fifth of parents in Wales will spend up to £500 per child on presents this Christmas, according to a new survey.
The figures show that 22% of parents expect to spend between £250 and £500 on Christmas presents per child.
A further one in six – 17% of all respondents with children – are planning to spend between £500 and £1,000 on presents, while another 5% will be splashing out on more than £1,000 worth of presents per child.
The figures have prompted one flagship children’s charity to point out that even a fraction of such spending could help a child in need.
To make sure every child is heard, the South Wales Echo is this year supporting a Light up Christmas for Children campaign with the NSPCC to raise £600,000.
Not all parents will be spending such extravagant sums over the holidays.
A small number – 4% of the total – said they didn’t plan to spend any money on presents for their children at all.
Nearly a third of the total say they expect to spend between £100 and £250 on each of their kids, while a further one in five are aiming for less than £100.
During the festive period 32% of families said shopping for presents was the most stressful part of Christmas, while 22% found managing their money to be the most difficult part.
Despite this, three-quarters of people said spending time with family was the most important thing, compared to 5%, who said gifts were.
Unfortunately, not every child is lucky enough to be spending this time of year in a loving and supportive home.
And currently, one in four calls for help to Childline can’t be met due to growing demand.
A donation of just £4 to the NSPCC could pay for one of its trained counsellors to answer a child’s call for help – without making a dent in the donors’ Christmas budget.
To support the NSPCC’s Christmas campaign, text “NSPCC 4” to 70099 to donate £4, or visit www. nspcc.org.uk/echo.
Text costs include the donation of £4 plus your standard network rate. The NSPCC will receive 100% of each donation.