The Skipton Step Into Action Christmas Elves appeal is now in its fifth year. We believe that every child should experience the magic of Christmas and, as such, we are coordinating a scheme to provide gifts for children in Skipton and South Craven whose families are struggling to afford Christmas this year.

Families can request a gift to the value of £20-£25 for any child between the ages of 0 and 17, living in Skipton or the surrounding villages (Bradley, Cononley, Farnhill, Carleton, Cowling, Crosshills, Glusburn, Draughton, Embsay, Gargrave, Sutton and Thornton in Craven). We host the requests on our anonymous gift list for people to buy. We then collect and wrap the gifts, and deliver them in time for Christmas.

To request a gift, simply fill in our Google form, here:

You are welcome to request a gift for more than one child, but please fill in a separate form for each child, so that there is no confusion about which child would like what. Do give us as much detail as possible, as this helps us to make sure we get the perfect gift for your child.

The last date for forms to be submitted is Friday 29th November at 6:00pm. We are sorry but no more requests will be accepted after this date.

If you have any questions, or need any help with the form or gift list, please contact us Monday to Friday 9am-1pm on 01756 802 098 or email hcrabtree@ssia.org.uk

The Christmas Elves appeal could not happen without the generosity of local businesses and people, who really want to ensure that no child goes without a special gift at such a special time of year. Our funding is limited and it is really important that we do our utmost to help families who need this support the most.

We appreciate the impact the cost of living has had on so many, and we do again suggest that everyone who requests a gift for a child/children asks themselves if they really need this extra support this year. If the answer is ‘yes’, then we are of course more than happy to help.

Our gift list is here:

• Choose the item or items from the list that you’d like to buy – then tick it off so it doesn’t get bought twice!
• When you tick the gift off the list, please write your name AND a way of contacting you (email address or phone number) so that we can get in touch if there are any problems. Your data will not be shared outside our organising group, will be deleted after the appeal has closed, and you will always remain anonymous to the family/families you are supporting.
• Buy the gift from wherever you would like (if you can support a local business, even better!)
• Drop it off in Skipton at Walker Foster Solicitors (3 High Street) or NFU Mutual (at the Auction Mart), or at Skipton Properties on a weekday, by Friday 6th December at the latest.
• IMPORTANT: Please drop off your gift/gifts unwrapped, in a carrier bag clearly marked with the ID number of the child you are buying for. Don’t write the ID number directly on to the gift, but do make sure it’s clearly marked on the bag
• Our volunteers will wrap and deliver the gifts in time for Christmas, hopefully with some added extras to make Christmas really special.

If you have any questions, or need any help with the form or gift list, please contact us Monday to Friday 9am-1pm on 01756 802 098 or email hcrabtree@ssia.org.uk

If you have any questions, or need any help with the form or gift list, please contact us Monday to Friday 9am-1pm on 01756 802 098 or email hcrabtree@ssia.org.uk

Donating money: If you’d like to help out, but these gifts cost too much, please do consider donating whatever you can afford, so that we can buy any remaining gifts. You can donate via PayPal (please use reference ‘Christmas Elves’).

If your company would like to support us with a donation of gifts or money, please contact Hannah at hcrabtree@ssia.org.uk

Volunteering: If you’d like to help us out with the wrapping, this will take place from the 9th-13th December, near Gargrave, during the day. Please email Hannah at hcrabtree@ssia.org.uk for more details.

Knitting: We love to include a hand-knitted item (hat or scarf) with our bags. Any knitted donations can be dropped off at the locations listed above, or if you need someone to collect them from you, please contact hcrabtree@ssia.org.uk or call 01756 802098 (Monday to Friday 9am-1pm) and we can arrange this

Donating other items: We do accept some donations of other items, new or secondhand (provided they are in pristine condition – the rule we normally apply is whether or not it’s something you’d be happy for your own child to open on Christmas Day). Please email Hannah at hcrabtree@ssia.org.uk if you have something you’d like to donate

Thank you so much for your support!