Dear Go Beyond Supporter,
This year we’ve been able to enjoy the holidays with our friends and family, as Christmas draws closer I’m reminded of the children we see at Go Beyond, many of whom see Christmas as the same as every other day.
It has been a tough year for so many people, the pandemic has impacted all our lives. However, many of us have been lucky enough to have space, gardens, and fresh air to help us bear the brunt of three lockdowns. How different it was for children growing up in some of our poorer communities, living in flats and over-crowded homes.
Amongst our first group of children welcomed back for residential breaks, we met young people who had never had their own bed, never mind their own bedroom. How hard must that be for weeks and months on end? No space indoors. No green space outdoors. No school to go to. No wonder we are seeing more children exhibiting signs of anxiety. And no surprise that referrals for our breaks are continuously rising, even now.
We have seen a rise in the number of children referred to us for ‘neglect’. These are the children who live in poverty, who tell us they have to make a choice between whether to turn the heating on or put food in their bellies. We need to think of these children at Christmas.
While lockdowns were hard, we’re glad our centres are here and supporting children. It has been a joy to see our centres re-open and be filled with laughter again. Even though it’s the start of winter and its getting chilly the rooms are warm and there are toys strewn across the floor. The children are off swimming or horse-riding, or simply running in the fields and playing in the barns. This is childhood as it is supposed to be.
For us, sadly, it’s no surprise to see children arrive for their break with hardly any clothes and unsuitable footwear. That’s why we have pairs of wellies in every size, warm coats and jumpers, hats, and scarves for those who need them. Their families are poor and doing the best they can. We don’t judge. We are just doing what we can to make their lives that much easier. They take their new clothes home with them along with their goodie bags and memories of fun times that we hope, will last a lifetime.
Every child that comes on a break will receive a Christmas present from us. Many of these are donated and sent via organisations that support and believe in the vital work we do. We’ve just started wrapping the presents this week, and although there are fewer of them this year we still had over 400 children join us for a day break or a residential break.
Each child is precious and we hope the present we gift them will remind them that we care and we’re thinking of them.
We’re grateful for the donations we receive that make this possible, and grateful too for the time given by volunteers to do the wrapping.
As we enter the last few weeks of 2021, we are looking ahead to 2022 and planning for what we hope will be a more straightforward year, with more children able to join our breaks. Financially, the pandemic has been a big blow. Our supporters have helped us the best they can, but we’ve had to tighten our belts and question whether we’ll make it through. Our Christmas appeal is launching this month and we are asking everyone who has been kind enough to support us before to dig deeper this year.
If you are reading this and can spare even a small amount to help a child have an amazing break, we would be very grateful.
£1100 will pay for a child to have a whole week with us.
You can make a donation by clicking the donate button above.
If you are representing a company that might consider being a corporate partner, I would love to meet you. Please send me an email: michelefarmer@gobeyond.org.uk
Please help us towards a brighter future.
Stay safe and have a Happy Christmas.
