A WOKINGHAM charity is asking the public to change the way it donates this festive season.
First Days Children’s Charity is appealing for cash donations this year in a bid to buy more personal Christmas gifts for children in need.
Last year, the anti-poverty organisation redistributed £85,000 worth of gifts to more than 1,500 children in the region.
But in 2021, it wants to offer more “dignity, choice and power” to the families it serves.
“At First Days, everything we do aims to restore dignity, choice and power to families with a low income,” a charity spokesperson said.
“[These] three things are so often taken away from people when they’re experiencing times of hardship and do not have financial autonomy.”
The charity said while Christmas is an exciting time for many in Wokingham borough, it can be stressful for anyone struggling to make ends meet.
“The parer or carer might dread this period, knowing that they can’t afford to buy gifts,” the spokesperson continued.
“Although children received wonderful gifts [from us last year], feedback from some of the parents we helped was that they felt oversupplied with presents and were put in a position with an unsustainable standard or expectation for future Christmases or birthdays.
“Taking such an impersonal decision about what a child receives reduces the value to the child and removes all choice from the parent or guardian.”
The charity is asking residents to donate £20 for one present for each child this winter, which can then be chosen by their parent or guardian.
The spokesperson added: “Choice is everything, especially at Christmas, and this year we want to give families the gift of choice.
“What every parent or carer wants is to choose a meaningful gift for their child [and] many of us are lucky enough to choose presents for our children we know they will love.
“By making a donation to First Days, you are helping families [enjoy] that magical feeling of seeing your child’s face light up on Christmas morning.”
First Days Children’s Charity will also work with groups across Reading and Wokingham throughout the winter season to offer parents the chance to choose stocking gifts for their children.
To find out more about the group’s upcoming plans, or to make a donation, visit: www.firstdays.net