Christmas presents for the women and children in our Milton Keynes refuge
Does Father Christmas come to a refuge?
Yes, with your help, Father Christmas will know just where to find the children, babies and their Mums this Christmas.
The refuge for women and children in Milton Keynes provides essential safety at Christmas, and our family support team tries their best to ensure the Christmas magic reaches the families in our care.
Often we see a child struggle to be away from their home, their friends, school and sometimes a now absent parent or family member. Christmas really is a time when we think of our loved ones which can prove tricky for everyone to navigate in a new setting, with a new family dynamic. The refuge is a crucial space and time for families to get the support they need to begin to heal and learn how to live without the abuser in their life, with your help we try to make the season as magical as possible.
There are various ways you can help a family escaping domestic abuse in Milton Keynes this Christmas…
1. Sponsor a hamper for a family: Gift Christmas dinner
🎄This Christmas we would be grateful for your help to your help to raise money to provide a Christmas Hamper for all the families in our service so they can make a special meal in their home in our refuge. The hampers will be specific to the family’s culture and contain all the food for them to make a meal for their family on the 25th December. Each hamper will cost us £40 and will be filled with food for a family of 4 people.
To give a Christmas dinner for a family in the refuge, visit our Local Giving page.
2. Gift supermarket vouchers: For Mums to shop for gifts
🎄We would appreciate supermarket vouchers for the families we support, both at our refuge and in the community, so that parents can pick presents for their children and also buy festive treats. Being able to give supermarket vouchers to families would be very empowering so that they can chose something to suit their child.
3. Give a gift to our Christmas wish list
🎄If you would like to give a gift to a child at the refuge this Christmas, please take a look below for ideas. We also welcome gifts for Mums that children can give on Christmas Day.
Age
Girls
Boys
Gift Ideas
Under 1 years old
0 girls
5 boys
Baby toys to help with development and learning, plus hats, scarves and tiny little gloves.
1 – 2 years old
5 girls
4 boys
Interactive and problem solving toys, simple puzzles, cuddly toys and dolls.
3 – 4 years old
5 girls
4 boys
Toy cars and trains, Lego Duplo, dolls and action figures, and dressing up costumes. Play kitchen toys.
5 – 6 years old
2 girls
1 boy
Crafting activities and lego, doll houses and accessories, action figures, dressing up costumes. Toys for exploring e.g. bug hunting kits and binoculars.
7 – 8 years old
2 girls
4 boys
Science kit, lego, action figures, Barbies, board games, colouring in accessories, jewellery and jewellery making kits.
9 – 10 years old
3 girls
2 boys
Science kit, lego, action figures, board games, colouring in accessories, jewellery and jewellery making kits. Pyjamas and oodies.
11 – 12 years old
1 girl
1 boy
Activity vouchers; Cinema vouchers, bowling vouchers, indoor golf vouchers. Smyths Toys/Amazon vouchers, bluetooth speaker, pyjamas and oodies.
13 – 14 years old
1 girl
2 boys
Activity vouchers; Cinema vouchers, bowling vouchers, indoor golf vouchers. Smyths Toys/Amazon vouchers, bluetooth speaker, pyjamas and oodies.
15 – 16 years old
1 girl
1 boy
Activity vouchers; Cinema vouchers, bowling vouchers, indoor golf vouchers. Smyths Toys/Amazon vouchers, bluetooth speaker, pyjamas and oodies.
🎄Please note the wish list may adapt due to new families joining us at the refuge accommodation.
🎄We collect gifts from those who access our services from the community, who aren’t refuge residents.
🎄We would appreciate gifts for teenagers and for the women in the refuge.
🎄Due to heath and safety reasons we only accept new toys and new clothes. We also cannot accept toy guns and knives.
🎄Please do not wrap your gift, if you like you can supply wrapping, tags and gift tags so that the children’s mothers can have the joy of wrapping their children’s gifts.
🎄Please drop off presents by Friday 13th December 2024.
🎄Let us know if you are arranging a collection at work and how we can support you with promoting it.
🎄Please email [email protected] for more information.
🎄Thank you so much your kindness and thinking of us this Christmas.
With Festive Cheer
🎄All the team at MK ACT🎄
Gift drop offs
Thank you so much to everyone who has been collecting Christmas gifts this years for those who use our service, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity and kind Christmas wishes we’ve been receiving.
Our Christmas gift drop off for individual gifts is located at:
Morissons Milton Keynes – Leisure Plaza, Elder Gate MK9 1DL (near CMK train station).
🛒Look out for the festive trolley opposite the kiosk.
📱Please scan the QR code when you drop off your gift.
☎️Please can we ask that gifts are not dropped at our Acorn House office as this is where our Crisis Intervention Service is based and the team are focused on taking calls via the helpline for those who need our help urgently.
Large donations and collections
🎅If you have more than one Santa sized sack of gifts which you would like to drop to us please email [email protected] to arrange a drop off with us.
Thank you very much to everyone who has taken a tag from a giving tree to donate a gift, hosted a giving tree, made a donation, organised a collection or supported us this Christmas in your own special way, you really will make a difference this Christmas to the families we support.
