The Brighton and Hove Care Leavers Christmas Dinner Elves Come Together🎄❤️

Our first volunteer gathering — Brighton & Hove Care Leavers Christmas Dinner 2026

The elves had already been busy for weeks. But on Thursday 15 October, we finally got to meet one another! 🎄

We held our first online volunteer welcome gathering for the Brighton & Hove Care Leavers Christmas Dinner 2026.

Over the past few months, so much has already been happening. Volunteers have been developing decorations, planning menus, exploring activities, connecting with local organisations, approaching businesses, raising funds and helping spread the word.

With around 35 volunteers now involved, our different elf teams have been finding their feet, sharing ideas and beginning to make things happen.

Our first gathering was an opportunity to bring everyone together, hear what we've each been up to, put some faces to names and begin building connections across our growing volunteer community.

And what a lovely evening it was! ❤️

Getting to know our fellow elves ✨

We began with introductions and a rather important Christmas question: what's your favourite Christmas food?

There was laughter, conversation and plenty of enthusiasm as people shared a little about themselves and what had brought them to the Christmas Dinner.

We also tried some five-finger breathing, a gentle practice combining breath, movement and touch.

Why breathing at a Christmas planning gathering?

Because alongside everything we're organising, we want to remember something important: caring for others also begins with caring for ourselves and one another.

As Christmas approaches and things become busier, taking a moment to pause, notice and reconnect can be a little gift to ourselves.

Culture first, task second 🌱

One of the things we explored together was the spirit in which we want to create our Christmas Dinner.

Working alongside members of the Brighton & Hove Care Leavers Forum, we've developed four principles to help guide us:

Be interested in the person. Meet people with curiosity, warmth and respect, rather than assumptions about their experiences.

Embody kindness, warmth and openness. Small gestures of hospitality, care and attention matter.

Culture first, task second. How we work together and how we make people feel matters as much as what we accomplish.

One team, one celebration! We might belong to different elf teams, but we're all contributing to something shared.

These aren't simply principles for Christmas Day. They're also an invitation to consider how we relate to one another as volunteers, how we collaborate and how we make room for different ways of contributing.

What have our elves been up to? 🧚

It was wonderful hearing about all the activity already underway across our teams.

Our Decorating Elves have been visiting the venue and imagining ways to create a festive, welcoming environment, including sustainable decorations, creative signage and thoughtful welcome touches.

Our Catering Elves have been developing the Christmas menu, exploring different food options and preparing for the practicalities of feeding our guests.

Our Wellbeing Elves are considering how to create quieter, more comfortable spaces, with sensory resources and opportunities for guests to take time out whenever they wish.

Our Activities Elves are exploring games, creativity, entertainment and ways of welcoming care experienced parents attending with children.

Our Gifting Elves are developing ideas for thoughtful presents, approaching potential supporters and planning a festive wrap-a-thon.

Our Outreach Elves are helping us connect with care experienced young people through the Care Leavers Forum, local services and community organisations.

Our Communications Elves have been sharing the story through local media and social media, helping more people discover the Christmas Dinner and ways to support it.

And our wonderful Fundraising Fairies have been busy helping raise the funds needed to make the celebration possible.

Although we have different areas of focus, our first gathering reminded us that we're all part of one community. There will be plenty of opportunities to help one another, share ideas and perhaps discover some unexpected talents along the way!

50 Fairies in 50 Days! 🧚‍♀️✨

We also heard about our developing 50 Fairies in 50 Days fundraising campaign.

The invitation is simple: 50 people each raising £50 through something creative, enjoyable or meaningful to them.

Perhaps a quiz, cake sale, sponsored walk, artwork, music, a community gathering or something entirely your own.

We're working towards a fundraising ambition of approximately £5,000, with nearly £3,000 already raised at the time of our gathering.

Become one of our 50 Fairies, donate or find out more

We'd love more people to join the fun!

Creating a Christmas with choice and belonging ❤️

Throughout the evening, we returned to the importance of creating a Christmas Day where care experienced young people feel genuinely welcomed and free to enjoy the celebration in their own ways.

For some, that might mean games, activities, conversation and laughter. For others, a quieter space, a gentle activity or simply enjoying a good meal.

We want to offer opportunities for connection without placing expectations on anyone.

And we're especially grateful to members of the Brighton & Hove Care Leavers Forum, whose ideas and perspectives have helped shape the principles and direction of the Christmas Dinner.

We also hope that the connections made through Christmas might contribute to opportunities for friendship and shared experiences throughout the year, including through Moments That Matter, an initiative supporting care experienced people to enjoy activities, trips and shared experiences together.

Our Christmas Dinner is also part of a wider community of celebrations supported by the Gold from the Stone Foundation, which helps bring Christmas Dinners to care experienced young people across the country.

Our story is travelling! 📰

Our Christmas Dinner has been receiving some lovely local press coverage, helping us reach more supporters and celebrate the community effort underway.

A huge thank you to everyone helping spread the word!

And beyond Christmas… 🌱

We're also looking forward to Leading the Way: From Experience to Empowerment, a community gathering for National Care Leavers Month on Thursday 12 November at Brighton's Jubilee Library.

The afternoon will bring together care experienced people, members of the Care Leavers Forum, community organisations and supporters, alongside the Brighton book launches of Dr Lisa Cherry OBE's Mole's Move and Dr Rosie Canning and Dr Dee Michell's In Care and Incredible.

Find out more about the November gathering

Come and join the Christmas spirit! 🎄

There are lots of ways to support our Christmas Dinner, whether through fundraising, gifts, local business connections, sharing our story or contributing your time and creativity.

One team, one celebration! ❤️

Perhaps what made our first gathering so lovely wasn't simply hearing about all the things our elves have been doing, but beginning to experience ourselves as part of something shared.

Different people, different skills, different contributions, coming together around a common intention.

The preparations themselves are becoming opportunities to meet new people, share creativity, enjoy one another's company and build community.

And who knows what relationships and possibilities might continue growing long after the Christmas decorations come down?

To all our wonderful elves, fundraising fairies, care experienced collaborators and supporters — thank you for everything you're already bringing to this celebration.

One team, one celebration! 🎄❤️

Brighton and Hove Care Leavers Christmas Dinner News!

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