Supporting Children and Families This Christmas

This Christmas, Healthworks’ Children and Families team is providing targeted, practical support to help families through what can be a challenging time of year.

Thanks to secured funding, partnerships and generous donations, we’re helping to reduce pressure on families and ensure more children experience a safer, happier and more supported festive period.

Christmas support at a glance

This year, our additional Christmas support includes:

Mission Christmas
Supporting 19 families and 55 children with Christmas presents, helping ensure children have something to open on Christmas Day.
Project Santa
Providing Christmas presents for 40 children, thanks to generous donations and partner support.
Circle of Hope
Supporting 10 families and 17 children with toys, food and essential hygiene products for the whole family.
Holiday Activities and Food (HAF)
Distributing 50 activity packs and 50 food parcels, supporting around 100 children during the school holidays and helping families manage increased costs over the festive period.

Alongside these programmes, we also received additional festive food donations from Morrison’s Cowgate and Co-op Funeralcare, that helped spread a little extra festive cheer. Every contribution, big or small, helped make a real difference.

Supporting children with visual impairment

Through Useful Vision, part of Healthworks, we are also working in partnership with British Wireless to support children with a visual impairment by providing free iPads. These devices help improve access to learning, communication and digital inclusion – benefits that extend well beyond Christmas.

We’re also pleased to share that Healthworks is now taking bookings for our activity programme for children with visual impairments across the North East. The programme offers inclusive, supportive activities designed to build confidence, wellbeing and enjoyment. Families and carers are encouraged to check out the latest timetable and book early, as places are limited.

Check out our January to March 2026 programme

More than gifts

This support is about more than Christmas presents.

It’s about:

reducing pressure on families at a financially demanding time
supporting wellbeing and reducing stress
helping children feel valued, included and cared for
ensuring no child feels forgotten during the festive season

Thank you

We are incredibly proud of our Children and Families team for the care, coordination and compassion they bring to this work.

We’re also deeply grateful to our partners and funders, including Project Santa, Astell Homes, Circle of Hope, Cash for Kids, British Wireless, and local businesses, whose generosity has made this support possible.

Together, we’re helping families feel supported – not just at Christmas, but into the year ahead.

Pop over to our What’s On page to find a family activity in Newcastle near you.