Santa Appeal smashes target, bringing Christmas cheer to hundreds of local children
Tuesday 23 December 2025
This year's Santa Appeal has been another absolute triumph, with the Bridgend community stepping up in a truly phenomenal way to ensure local children have a magical Christmas. Thanks to the incredible generosity of residents, local groups, schools, churches, and businesses, the appeal has not only met but exceeded all expectations.
The online 'Just Giving' donations page, set-up in collaboration with our partners at Awen Cultural Trust, saw it not only reach, but smash its target of £10,000, with an incredible £11,869.13 raised (including Gift Aid). On top of that, gift donations have been arriving regularly at the council's Civic Offices and designated drop-off points at Awen and Halo Leisure facilities across Bridgend County Borough.
We've seen some truly heartwarming contributions from individuals and local businesses alike, while a group of Year 8 pupils at Cynffig Comprehensive School designed posters, delivered assembly presentations, researched suitable gift ideas for a ‘Giving Tree’, to encourage staff, pupils, parents, and visitors to the school to get involved in donating to this year’s appeal.
The generosity didn't stop there! Our own council teams, including Social Services and Wellbeing and Day Services, got creative with bake sales, Bridgend College, and Porter’s Estate Agents made significant donations of toys, gifts, or cash.
A special shout-out goes to the incredible 50 volunteers who dedicated their time and energy to wrapping and sorting over 1,400 toys and gifts. The gifts will be going to children and young people in our care, nominated by our Social Care and Early Help/Flying Start teams.
"Despite another difficult financial year for many, local people have dug deep and responded overwhelmingly to the call for donations to this year’s Santa Appeal. We are amazed by people’s generosity and delighted that as a result, 250 local children and young people in our care will be guaranteed a gift to open on Christmas Day. I’d like to offer our sincere and heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has taken the time and effort to donate to this year’s appeal – your generosity and kindness means local children have something to celebrate this Christmas. We’d also like to thank our staff, our partners at Awen, Halo and Bridgend College and the volunteers at Brackla Tabernacle - we really could not have done it without your support!"
