Secret Santa at the office? Here’s an alternative

It’s December, and there’s no escaping the fact that Christmas is coming. The office decorations may be up already, and the work Christmas party is probably fast approaching. You may even be wearing a snazzy festive jumper.

There are probably things that your workplace does every single Christmas without fail. Secret Santa – where you usually end up with something you don’t need – is likely to be one of them. For those of you who have enough gifts already,

I’d love you to consider an alternative this year. Action for Children is trying to recruit 25,000 Secret Santas – but not of the traditional variety.

Our Secret Santas will help thousands of children across Scotland who are facing a festive season without enough food, warmth or love. Last year, Action for Children helped 300,000 children and young people in need. We work on the ground and in communities to make a real, lasting difference. For some families, Christmas means choosing between having something to eat and affording a gift for their child.

Our emergency foster carers are trained to ensure children in care have a safe and loving home over Christmas, with spare presents wrapped for children they need to help at a moment’s notice. Some of our centres are open over the holidays to support families who have nowhere else to go. We distribute food from local food banks to make sure children don’t go hungry. Our staff call children on Christmas Day to let them know someone is thinking of them.

It doesn’t take much to turn a vulnerable child’s Christmas around. Sandy, one of our Children’s Services managers, delivers food hampers to families that can’t afford meals at Christmas. One day she knocked at a door and found there was no answer. Then the letter box opened, and she could see four little faces peeking through. The oldest child, a nine-year-old boy we’ll call Tom, started chatting through the letterbox as they had met before. When Sandy explained she had their Christmas food hamper, Tom opened the door. His mother is disabled and was too unwell to get out of bed, so Tom was looking after his three younger siblings. When Tom stepped outside, he had no shoes on, and told Sandy that he didn’t have any socks.

Sandy told us that inside Tom’s house, you would not know it was Christmas Eve. There were no decorations, lights or presents under a tree.

She said: “I asked Tom if he was getting anything special for Christmas. He pointed to the garden and I could see a string of old broken lights, not plugged in, but stuffed into a hedge. He said: ‘The lights are so Santa will know where me and my brother and sisters are’. They would never be switched on.”

We are working with families who really are on the breadline. They often need support for different reasons, whether it is disabilities, lack of family support, money problems or emotional needs.

Sandy told us that when Tom saw the turkey, he started shouting excitedly up the stairs “Mum! Mum! We have a turkey!” That night Sandy went back to Tom’s garden and put presents, donated to Action for Children, under the hedge.

A few days later Sandy got a call from the children’s mum to ask if she had been the Secret Santa and to let her know that the children had had the best Christmas ever. All it took was a donation of food and presents to Action for Children, and Sandy jumping into her car and putting them under that hedge.

A £10 donation could pay for a hot meal at Christmas for a child – £20 could buy books or toys. So when you’re planning your office Secret Santa this year, we’d love you to think of us. You can become a Secret Santa for Action for Children by visiting iamsanta.org.uk/scotland or texting SANTA8 to 70607.

Grant Mcfarlane, fundraising manager, Action for Children Scotland.

Secret Santa is likely to be one of the things your workplace does every Christmas