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2024 is the 48^th year of the Belfast Cathedral Black Santa Appeal. The appeal has become a Belfast institution since first launched by Dean Sammy Crooks in December 1976.

In two year’s time, the Black Santa Appeal will celebrate its 50^th anniversary year. Over those years, millions of pounds has been raised on the steps of St Anne’s Cathedral, with every penny given away again to support local and international charities, large and small.

For me, this will be my 7^th year as “Black Santa”. I look forward to exceeding the amazing total which was achieved last year in 2023, when, through the generosity of so many people, £171,000 was raised. That sum was distributed at the Good Samaritans Service, held last February, to some 120 different charities. This year, in 2024, the need from local charities is greater than ever. I hope that through your generosity and by our continued partnership with professional services firm PwC, we will be able to raise even more than we did last year.

To Donate Now Please Follow This Link:

https://belfastcathedral.enthuse.com/cf/belfast-black-santa-sitout-appeal-2024

To Apply for an Award from the 2024 Appeal please download the application form at the foot of this post.

Each year a wide range of local charities receive support from the Black Santa Appeal. These awards are made possible by the generosity of those individuals, companies and organisations who willingly give to Black Santa.

In 2024, the Black Santa Appeal will have a special focus on charities working for two groups of younger people who have particular need in our community.

The BBC Northern Ireland Spotlight programme “I am not OK” ⁽¹⁾, aired last September, shone a light on the intense challenges faced by families living with the daily realities of a family member with autism. Yet support for those charities working to help these families has reduced significantly in recent years. Some of your donations to the 2024 Black Santa Appeal will be applied directly to charities working to help this particular group of children, teenagers and their families.

A second focus this year, will be to help those charities working to prevent young people, and in particular young people with a lived experience of care, from finding themselves homeless as they move to independent living. For those care experienced young people, this move happens as soon as they turn 18. From that significant birthday, they must live, work or study independently. These young people must find their own accommodation, and set up their lives, for example with bank accounts and internet connection, without the family support which others who turn 18 (or older) will be given. As a result up to 30% of those with a lived experience of care can find themselves homeless and on the streets within two years. The homelessness crisis in Belfast is something which we at Belfast Cathedral experience first hand.

This year's Black Santa Appeal will be supporting those local charities at the forefront of helping people who find themselves made homeless. But Black Santa will have a particular focus to help local charities working to prevent young people from becoming homeless in the first place.

Across Northern Ireland today, the need which charities face is immense. Every local charity knows that demand often exceeds their ability to respond.

Your generous contribution to the 2024 Black Santa Appeal will make a really significant difference to each of the charities we are able support.

The powerful testimony of some of the charities who received awards from last year’s appeal can soon  be viewed on our dedicated Black Santa website: http://www.belfastblacksanta.org

And this year there are even more ways by which you can make your donation:

• On-line, via the donate button at https://belfastcathedral.enthuse.com/cf/belfast-black-santa-sitout-appeal-2024

• By BACS direct transfer to the Black Santa Appeal.

Please contact the cathedral office on 028 9032 8332 (Office Hours) for BACS details

• You can write a cheque to the “Belfast Black Santa Appeal” and post it to:

Belfast Black Santa Appeal, Belfast Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. BT1 2HB.

If you wish us to receive Gift Aid on your donation, please include the Gift Aid Declaration Form enclosed with this letter.

• OR you can make your donation in person to Black Santa or one of his helpers. We will be standing on the cathedral steps from Monday 16^th December until Christmas Eve (9.30am to 4.30pm – Excluding 22^nd December). And this year you will be able to make a card donation on the cathedral steps with our new hand held card machine.

If you are a local charity and you wish to apply to the 2024 Black Santa Appeal for an award to your charity, please download the Application Form below and return it by Tuesday 17th December, 2024.

This year, once again, I hope that the incredible generosity of people and organisations across our community will ensure that local charities can continue to give their help and support to those most at need across the whole year.

Thank You for your Generosity in 2024.

Note 1: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0023db6/spotlight-i-am-not-okay-spotlight