Through restoring community, renewing civic life and claiming our place in the world, we build a society in which our extraordinary nature – our altruism, empathy and deep connection – is released. A kinder world stimulates and normalises our kinder values. –  George Monbiot

We mobilise local communities across the UK to put on scrumptious and magical Christmas Day dinners for care leavers  turning Christmas into a time to cherish.   It takes one person ( How to Guide)  to start a Christmas Dinner.

That one person attracts another and a chain reaction begins until there is a steering group of local talented and  kind people like this steering group in Leeds.

And this one in  Canterbury.  There are  many other Christmas Dinner Steering Groups throughout the country. You’ll get a glimpse of them in this blog.

This lot are in Manchester.

Via the How To Guide the groups radiate into their communities and seek out  a venue,  presents, a chef , food,  transport,  guests and volunteers.  The kind responses  from individuals, public institutions  and privatre business is the fuel that drives us on. The pic below, ladies and gentlemen,  is Louise Wallwein
She is fierce of focus and kind of heart. She is a writer of national significance and was in care like me. She is our fundraiser.  She has smashed the target with crowdfunder and announced  “an outbreak of kindess and solidarity with care leavers at Christmas is breaking out all over the UK” . So let’s look at some of the twelve Christmas Dinners that use the How To Guide. Here’s a glimpse of  OXFORD

And SHEFFIELD
And MANCHESTER again

And  RICHMOND

And HACKNEY

And BIRMINGHAM

There are  Christmas Dinners in Stockport, Wirral, South London Tope Project, East Sussex and Islington and Scotland. There are twelve in all.   With our model there are no administration costs, no workers costs, no capital funding.   All members are accountable to each other.  They choose to give there all. I was inspired in 2012 by  The Tope Project.You can read about how that happened.  My role is the same now as it has been from the beginning

The Christmas Dinners  have been running for  five years. This year we launched The Lemn Sissay Foundation. There’s no website yet but there will be. It is a registered charity to raise funds for The Christmas Dinners.

But it is the people on the steering groups:  From a Barrister, to a Lord Mayor, from a Theatre Designer to a headteacher: From a TV camerawoman to the head of Children Services, from a head teacher to a pediatrician,  from a Yoga teacher to a swimming instructor the volunteers for the Christmas Dinner are incredible.This is the Britain we  belong to. This is the kind of society I want to live in.

Our processes are transparent, our organisation is rigorous, our attitude is kindness and the result is… well it is this…..

Here are representatives from all the christmas dinners of 2016 who came together this year  (thanks to METAL) and created the brand new HOW TO GUIDE which has allowed so many Christmas Dinners to light up the country. It is just the beginning.

I am opposed to the institutionalised drama of reasoned inaction. 

Through restoring community, renewing civic life and claiming our place in the world, we build a society in which our extraordinary nature – our altruism, empathy and deep connection – is released. A kinder world stimulates and normalises our kinder values. – George Monbiot