The Christmas Dinners

The Christmas Dinners is a social movement of community-driven events on Christmas day for young care leavers, seed funded and supported by the Gold from the Stone Foundation.

The Christmas Dinners offer a warm welcome, a beautifully prepared meal, gifts, hairdressing, creative activities, entertainment, and above all a sense of belonging, to those who may otherwise be alone on Christmas Day.

Since 2013, there have been 155 Christmas Dinners in 35 towns and cities, reaching 7,500 care-experienced young people.

Each dinner is run by a group of volunteers who organise an extraordinary day packed with generosity, following the recommendations outlined in our How-To-Guide.

We also facilitate each dinner receiving amazing gifts for all the Christmas Dinner guests, from our partners, including incredible hampers from our partners John Lewis/Waitrose, and beautiful handmade quilts from Quilts for Care Leavers.

If you would like to set up your own Christmas Dinner, or volunteer at a dinner near where you live, please download the How-To-Guide to see if this is for you, and then feel free to reach out to the 2025 Christmas Dinners, as listed below. If there is a dinner not happening in your area this year, feel free to get in touch as we will be bringing volunteers together in 2026.

THE HOW-TO-GUIDE

“The Christmas Dinner is a extraordinary social movement and a radical act of generosity.
Get involved!”
— Sophie Willan, Creator of BBC hit series
‘Alma’s Not Normal’ and Care Leaver

Thank You to our Funders & Supporters