The 'Black Santa' tradition at Belfast Cathedral was started in 1976 by Dean Sammy Crooks. The local press described Dean Crooks as Belfast's Black Santa.
2025 is the 49th 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.
TO DONATE TO THE 2025 APPEAL PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK
https://belfastcathedral.enthuse.com/cf/belfast-black-santa-sitout-appeal-2025
Launching the 2025 Black Santa Sitout Appeal Dean Stephen said:
"For my 8th year as Belfast’s Black Santa, I look forward to raising much needed funds to support local charities across our province for the wonderful and life changing work which they each do. It was 49 years ago when Dean Sammy Crooks held the first Cathedral Sitout in 1976. This year, I know that once more the people of Belfast and far beyond will take this Appeal to their hearts and you will be as generous as ever."
In 2024 I was overwhelmed that we were able to raise £121,000 which was distributed to 107 local charities, each with a registered income of less that £250,000. These are the smaller charities, which do not have their own fund raising departments, but which each offer incredible support to their own local communities.
And as in each of the past 49 years, we also made our single overseas donation to support the incredible work of Christian Aid, who in 2025 have celebrated their 80th anniversary year. In September of this year I had the opportunity to visit Kenya and Burundi in East Africa with the CEO and Chair of Christian Aid Ireland to see for myself how your donations make a life changing difference to communities who experience extreme poverty, and the consequences of brutal civil war.
However, in addition to the wide range of charities supported annually, each year the Black Santa Appeal has a special focus on a group of charities working in a particular area. For the 2025 Black Santa Appeal, this focus will be on Charities working with three groups of people:
- Charities which support individuals with a diagnosis of Motor Neuron Disease (MND)
- Charities which support individuals with a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Charities which support Children with a diagnosis of Arthritis.
Each of these conditions is life changing, and in many cases will become progressively more severe. A diagnosis can be devastating. Sometimes even the fittest of sports personalities can be given such a diagnosis that will impact every aspect of their own life, and that of their closest families. For many who live with such a diagnosis, life can become increasingly isolated for themselves and those who provide their day to day care. That is why charities working in these fields provide such vital and important support, day and night.
I hope that, despite the continued economic difficulties which we all face, the generosity of individuals, companies and organisations will mean that we can exceed the amazing total of £121,000 raised in 2024.
So for whatever donation you can make, large or small, on behalf of myself and every one of the charities you will be supporting 'Thank you'"
To Donate Now Please Follow This Link:
https://belfastcathedral.enthuse.com/cf/belfast-black-santa-sitout-appeal-2025
The powerful testimony of some of the charities who received awards from last year’s appeal can now 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-2025
- 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 which can be downloaded from the website:
https://belfastcathedral.org/news/launch-of-black-santa-appeal-2025
- We will be standing on the cathedral steps from Monday 15th December until Christmas Eve (9.30am to 4.30pm – Excluding Sunday 21st December).
- You can make your donation in person to Black Santa or one of his helpers either by credit or debit card on our dedicated Black Santa hand held card machine
And in addition to the Black Santa donation point on the cathedral steps, we are introducing a second lunchtime donation point on certain days at the cathedral’s gates on Exchange Street West, opposite the entrance to St Anne’s Square, following a very successful trial last year.
If you are a local charity and you wish to apply to the 2025 Black Santa Appeal for an award to your charity, please download the Application Form from the cathedral website at https://belfastcathedral.org/news/launch-of-black-santa-appeal-2025
Please return your application by Friday 12th December, 2025.
In 2026, the Black Santa will celebrate 50 years of charity fund raising on the steps of Belfast Cathedral.
In this year of 2025, the 49th year of Black Santa, I hope that the generosity of individuals, companies and organisations will match and even exceed the generosity of recent years, so that what you give this year will make a lasting difference to the lives of those who face every day with courage, with hope and with a belief in measure of human kindness.
Thank You for your Generosity in 2025.
2025 QR Code to follow
A local tradition
Black Santa
At the Heart of the City
Belfast Cathedral
The Cathedral also accepts donations large and small. We make sure they are put to good use...
As you can imagine, maintaining a large and beautiful building like Belfast Cathedral is a costly business. Every day we are delighted to welcome visitors for tours of St Anne’s, but we also seek to raise funds to help with the ongoing expenses. Donations made here will help us stay open and further the work to which we are called by Christ in a city that needs this Cathedral to be active and involved in its life.