More than 2,000 Leeds children given gifts to open on Christmas Day thanks to Salvation Army as need soars
Every year the church and charity collects donations of unwrapped gifts which are distributed to vulnerable children who would otherwise have nothing to open on Christmas Day.
Thanks to the generosity of members of the public and local businesses, the four Salvation Army churches across the area - Leeds Central, West Hunslet, Bramley and Morley, were able to meet the need by giving gift bags to 2,471 children from hundreds of families.
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Hide AdMany churches also gave out gift vouchers, food parcels, and presents to vulnerable adults.


Need had increased this year with Leeds Central Church supporting a third more children than they did in 2023.
Major Michael Barker, who leads Leeds Central Church with his wife Nicola, said: “We also provided 400 food vouchers and 50 food parcels. This provision was made possible by donations in kind from a number of businesses, our own toy service, and toy services at other churches, along with financial donations from other firms and organisations, and the money raised from our carolling activities.
“The sheer volume of referrals we had shows how much people are struggling. The fact we were able to meet the need is thanks to the generosity of people from Leeds and the surrounding areas. Even if they are struggling themselves they still want to help others.”
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Hide AdMajor Cliff Allchin, who leads Leeds West Hunslet, added: “Thank you to everyone who donated to our Christmas Present Appeal this year, your generosity made such a difference to hundreds of families and brought smiles to the faces of so many children who would otherwise have had nothing to open on Christmas Day.
“We are grateful to the general public for their fantastic support of the appeal which helps to spread the message of love and joy to our community, and of course to our brilliant staff members and volunteers who helped to sort the gifts and get them ready to distribute to families. We would not be able to do this without them.”
The Salvation Army worked with local agencies including schools, social services and health visitors to distribute the gifts in the weeks running up to Christmas.
The Salvation Army continues to support the community running a number of activities. For more information visit https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/map-page