Supporting Santa this Christmas in Highland

The Highland Council is supporting Moray Firth Radio (MFR) and other local groups and organisations in Highland in their mission to ensure children in our local community wake up to a gift from Santa this Christmas.

Cllr Bill Lobban, Convener of The Highland Council, said: “This has been a challenging year for many individuals and families across the Highlands as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are engaging with and supporting the fantastic work of charities, local groups and organisations who are making sure that those who are struggling can have an enjoyable Christmas after a particularly challenging year. This work will also help to ease the additional stress that the festive period places on households.

“This year we have witnessed strong community spirit as the majority of our residents continue to make sacrifices in order to protect our most vulnerable members of our community. I would like to ask that if you are in a position to donate that you please do so, so that our children and young people can end this year on a high note.”

Officers in the Council’s welfare, social work and education services will be engaging with Partners and local groups to identify individuals and families and distribute gifts safely.

As coronavirus is still present within the Highlands, to ensure gifts can be stored and distributed safely, we are engaging with various charities and groups to achieve this.

Highland

MFR’s Cash for Kids is a charity helping the children that need it most across its broadcasting area, including most areas in Highland. You can make a monetary donation online or you can donate a new and unwrapped gift at your nearest drop-off point. These retailers can continue to operate safely within the current lockdown restrictions.

If you would like to apply for a gift this Christmas, you can do so online.

Skye and Lochalsh

Radio Skye is entering it’s seventh year of Cram The Van to help local children and their families at Christmas time by filling the Radio Skye van with new toys and gifts for local children (from babies to teens) and distributing to families. You can also donate to their online campaign,  with the money raised being spent on food and gift vouchers to help as many people as possible this year.

Lochaber

We are working to identify a local charity who can coordinate collections in the Lochaber area. A local group of individuals have already fundraised to create Christmas Eve boxes for children and young people in the area. They are liaising with our social work service and local organisations such as Lochaber Women’s aid.