Mouth Off this Christmas for Kids Company

Put a smile on your face this Christmas

The festive season, in case you’ve been living in a corporation-free non-commercialised box, is almost upon us. Mince pies have been lurking somewhere near the biscuit aisle since mid-October, advent calendars are already protruding from every supermarket basket in sight and French and Saunders have probably already put the finishing touches to their latest Christmas special.

But the festive season won’t automatically be as cheerful for everyone in Hackney, especially for some of the borough’s youngest residents. Fortunately, that’s where London children’s charity Kids Company has stepped in, intending to bring a dose of cheer to youngsters in the area with spectacular Christmas Day games, presents and, naturally, food.

Such yuletide activities do not, regrettably, come for free, which is precisely why Kids Company have been fundraising their stockings off with some astonishingly innovative campaigns over the last few months. The charity even managed to hit national headlines with their latest effort, the technologically astounding, hopelessly addictive Kids Company take on the MouthOff iPhone application.

A rather catchy name for an application, you might cry, but what does it actually do? MouthOff does exactly what it says on the tin – allowing your iPhone to mouth off with you. Simply purchase and download the application, hold your iPhone to your mouth and sing/squeal/shout to your heart’s content, whilst the mouth on the screen imitates your moving lips.

Better yet, the mouth accompanying your words isn’t just any clip-art design. It is one of a multitude of different mouths, lovingly hand-drawn by schoolchildren aged between seven and twelve from St Mary’s School in Stoke Newington, and faithfully re-created digitally by local design company UsTwo. The whole application is very much a local grass-roots take on an impressive digital concept, with all profits made from application sales going straight to Kids Company.

But MouthOff is just one of a number of ways in which Kids Company tries to fund its activities. Other sources include an on-line shop with hand-crafted ceramics from interior designer Nina Campbell, as well as independent donations.
Donations go to support children all year round, not just for Christmas. Kids Company operates in two drop-in centres, an over-16s academy, a therapy house and over thirty different London schools, fighting to provide help for children, many of whom live below the poverty line.

“Kids Company supports 14,000 children, many of whom are struggling with poverty and loneliness,” says Camila Batmanghelidjh, the charity’s founder and chief executive. “Our intention is to help them experience joy and feel more secure. We do this through a programme of arts, activities as well as therapeutic and social work interventions.”

She also stresses the important ways in which charities such as Kids Company supplement state services.

“Hackney children’s services endeavour to work very well with children who are within their systems,” she says. “Lack of funding and resources means that the numbers who can access help are limited compared to the enormous demand. For those children who are not being helped by statutory agencies, charities can function as aspirational safety nets.”

The opportunity to work with UsTwo was a fantastic one for the company, she adds, because of the experience it gave the children as well as the money it managed to raise.

“We were delighted to be participating in a collaborative project with UsTwo because they have a professional but also generous attitude. At all times they respected the children’s art work and honoured their creativity,” she says.

Like any other charity, Kids Company relies heavily on the dedication of members of the local community. Volunteering can come in all forms, depending on whether you’d rather spend your time making castles in a sandpit or sorting out the filing in an office.

Batmanghelidjh explains: “For those who like children at a distance we have lots of administrative back-of-office jobs at our headquarters. For those with high energy, mentoring might be brilliant! Musicians, artists, sports workers, grannies and granddads, the unemployed, we’d love to hear from all of you if you have something to offer children.”

At no point is this support more crucial than over the Christmas period, when thousands of children will be coming to Kids Company on Christmas Day for festive activities. “Three thousand children will be accessing Kids Company on Christmas Day because being at home is not the best place to be,” says Batmanghelidjh.

She adds: “So any money for presents would be brilliant. Can you imagine, we have to cook 4,000 chickens and some 30,000 brussels sprouts, so stop complaining about your Christmas dinners!”

Batmanghelidjh is quick to stress that those working for the charity get as much out of the experience as the children. “Kids Company is continuously inspired by the amazing children we meet in Hackney!” she says.

It’s clearly a mutual inspiration, given what the children involved have to say about their experience of the charity. “I love Kids Company, I want to take it home in my pocket,” said one satisfied youngster, whilst one grandmother whose grandchildren benefit from the charity said: “Every time my children come to Kids Company it’s like they are walking into a giant hug!”

Now if that doesn’t plunge you into a whirl of philanthropic festive spirit, nothing will.

If you would like to volunteer please contact mentoring@kidsco.org.uk.

For donations please contact fundraising@kidsco.org.uk.