The best thing I’ve ever done is to organize Christmas Dinners for Care Leavers between the ages of 16 and 30.
This year I’ve created a HOW TO GUIDE which you can DOWNLOAD HERE. Itl shows how rigorous we are in every detail of The Christmas Dinner and how you can do it too.
This year The Christmas Dinner will be in Leeds, East London & Manchester. I will be at all the meetings. We need people with a can do, pr
oblem solving, attitude. People are the greatest resource of The Christmas Dinners.
For the Leeds Christmas Dinner the next meeting is on 16th October Georges House at 40 Great George St (on the corner near the wedding shop) Leeds LS13DL on 16th October at 3pm. Please email tcdleeds@gmail.com
For the East London Christmas Dinner the next meeting is 21st October above Palm 2, the shop on the corner. The address is 152-156 Lower Clapton Rd, London E5 0QJ. . Clapton pond at 6.45pm. This group have set up a Facebook Group. Click for info and any questions
For the Manchester Christmas Dinner the next meeting is on 20th October at 1pm at The key 103 offices in Castlefield, Castle Quay, Castlefield, Manchester, M15 4PR. Ask any questions about this in the comments under this blog.
The Christmas Dinner is voluntary. The community is caring for the care leaver. And we know that Christmas Day can be the worst of all days for them. All moneys go to the dinner. No admin costs. No worker costs. No institution building and yet rigorous attention to detail (Have a look at the how to guide) and no less than one hundred years experience of professional qualification of working professionally with young people on each steering group. Each area makes it happen by the community for the community.
Now for the money part. A contingency of five thousand pounds for each dinner is vital. This year we are aiming to raise thirty thousand pounds so that we don’t have to fundraise each year. We will be starting a crowdfunding campaign soon. But you can help us now by donating to The Christmas dinner at The Cooperative Bank, Sort Code 08 92 99, Account number 65741757.
Thanks so much for your time. Christmas may feel a million years away but we are creating memories. And that takes time and energy.
When I lived in Manchester, I always had his vision of having Christmas dinner project for Refugees that would arrive in a community and provide for individuals or families that were isolated. I had this idea of utilising media catering i.e. Facilities to move around a feed people at a fixed location.
I love the idea of Christmas dinner for care leavers!
I hope you can come to that next meeting in Manchester as detailed in this blog
Hi Lemn,
Really want to be involved in London event this year. Pleas would it be possto ensure that future meetings are at a wheelchair accessible venue.
Thanks.
Mandy xx
Lovely Mandy,
I wil take this to the next meeting which isn’t wheelchair accessible. We will try and get it at an accessible venue for the next meting.
I don’t finish work until 2pm on the 20th October but would like to come along to the meeting in Manchester. Would that be OK or will it disrupt things?
Cheers Michelle
Please come we will be there – no problem
THAT IS FINE AND WOULDN’T DISRUPT ANYTHING, COME ALONG
Lemn I am nowhere near any of the venues but we will donate gladly, I remember you as a young boy in Atherton in care in I think the mid 80s. I love what you are doing for care leavers.
That is so kind. Thnakyou. Thankyou. Thankyou.
My husband and I are really keen to volunteer for the Manchester event but are not going to be able to make the meeting on Tuesday. I hope to make it to the next meeting though – I think this is such a great idea!
I haven’t been involved before but can made decent Christmas cakes, mince pies and puddings etc. and would like to contribute in some way. Am based in E17 so could drop stuff to your East London dinner if you need this sort of Christmas food.
Thank you
Carol
will you write to hackneychristmasdinner2013@gmail.com THNANKYOUUUUU
Hi Lemn
I will be at the meeting In Manchester on Tuesday to support you and the team – with a view to being considered to spend Christmas Day helping in any way I can.
Diane xx
Hi Lemn, we met, somewhat briefly, at the Southbank event ‘WHY’. I was interested in developing a generalised model of personal development through the concept of salutogenesis. You mentioned the spectrum self harm:self heal and that this process was enlightening and life-saving. I want to set up a discourse with you to develop a more generalised model which could lead to some form of educational initiative…[Thank you also for your description in ‘DID’ of the innovative use of poetry for ‘care-leavers’ who go through the experiential learning of a darkened room…] All the best Chris, Cambridge, UK
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