A young person wearing a red paper crown opening a Christmas present at a table with a red table cloth.

Care Leaver Christmas Dinner

17th February 2025

Last Christmas, our teams went above and beyond to bring warmth and joy to young people, from festive workshops to Christmas Day celebrations. With exceptional organisation from Maddy Vierbuchen Reboot West Team Leader, and the support of 1625 colleagues and community volunteers, we partnered with the Gold from the Stone Foundation to host Bristol’s first-ever Care Leaver Christmas Dinner!

Three people sat next to a Christmas tree with a pile of presents underneath.

Open to any care-experienced young people, not just those in 1625’s services, twenty young people attended the celebration on Christmas Day. Guests arrived in Club Car taxis and were greeted with a stocking full of presents and sweets and a tour of the beautiful venue – the Forge in central Bristol.

Several red Christmas stockings lined up on a wooden bench.

At lunch, everyone’s plates were piled high with delicious food catered by Michelin-starred chef Josh Eggleton. Every young person had their own heap of wrapped gifts under the tree which were hand-picked and personalised to each young person. Every young person also had the chance to choose their own handmade quilt, along with a hand-knitted hat and scarf, created by Quilts for Care Leavers and Hand Knits for Care Leavers. After some festive games and crafts, young people were waved off with a box of Pieminister pie and mash for Boxing Day and a John Lewis hamper of festive treats.

A group of young people wearing colourful quilts over their heads and shoulders.

Maddy shared:

“Christmas has been a difficult time for so many of our young people – and my belief is that it shouldn’t have to be. The Christmas Dinner project is about making new memories, and a whole community coming together to celebrate some of its most amazing young people.”

Here’s what some young people had to say:

“This was the best Christmas I ever had.”

“Thank you for considering Care Leavers, you’ve put the biggest smile on my face.”

“I’ve never celebrated like this before, I can’t believe people thought of me today.”

We would love Christmas 2025 to be even more spectacular, so please get in touch if you would like to support at bristolchristmasdinner@gmail.com

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