Secret Santa needs Elves this Christmas

The not-for-profit company ltd 'Secret Santa' needs YOUR help this Christmas to help them make less fortunate children have a special Christmas.

Phil Boulding, 57-year-old ex-Royal Navy Radio operator from Lower Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen, set up Secret Santa with his wife earlier this year. The charitable couple set out with an aim to provide 200 children with a Santa sack of gifts.

In just 16 weeks Phil and Karen have created a not-for-profit company ltd ‘Secret Santa’. The word and charitable deeds they have done has spread rapidly reaching 2.1k members on their Facebook group. Phil said, “Secret Santa has spread as far as Perth, Australia on the other side of the world”.

He continued “A lady called Nicola Dawson, with 6 kids and 2 jobs STILL found time to seek us out, and show her children that is it important to help people less fortunate than yourself.”

The charitable couple have since reviewed their target number of Santa sacks and are now aiming for 800. Phil said, “Originally I arbitrarily pulled 200 sacks out of the air and I was happy with that for our 1st year,

“Then I met Maureen Bateson head of Children’s services for Blackburn with Darwen, who said that 1600 children are

loosely classes as underprivileged in this area, 300 of those children are in need (really struggling/suffering) and 400 are within protective services.

“This 700 are those that we are providing sacks for. Then a further 100 sacks are provided for Clitheroe and the Ribble-Valley.”

Each sack is made up of 7 presents and for a reason: a selection box, as Secret Santa believes every child deserves a treat on Christmas day; a stocking filler to add to the excitement; a book to encourage reading and learning; a board game or a puzzle that allow them to play with their family; a main present, just for themselves; a sports item to encourage activity. Finally, a teddy, for comfort.

This Saturday and Sunday you can get involved and make someone else’s Christmas special.

The Blackburn based not- for-profit company are looking for helpers this coming weekend to help wrap and pack present for those who are less fortunate at Christmas. You can spend as little or as much time helping out as you wish, in return their will be tea, coffee, good company, plenty of laughter. (9am-5pm at Livesey Children’s Centre, Blackburn)

To find out more about Secret Santa you can visit their webpage for more information at

http://secretsanta.ltd/. To donate to Secret Santa you can visit their Just Giving page on http://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/secretsantaltd

Chloe Cravagan |12-12-17|