Care leavers invited to poet Lemn Sissay’s Hackney Christmas dinner

Leaps and bounds: The Christmas Dinner has spread to more cities since it inception in 2013. Photograph:

Poet Lemn Sissay is inviting care leavers in Hackney to The Christmas Dinner, a day packed with “scrumptious” food, presents and celebrations.

The Christmas Dinner is run by a collective of artists, adult care leavers and social care professionals – led by Sissay – who organise a “Christmas Day to remember” for young people aged between 16 and 30 who have spent time in care.

“Each year we put on a scrumptious Christmas meal for care leavers who otherwise would be alone, or in bed and breakfasts, or sleeping on the streets or without family,” says Sissay in the fundraising video.

“We want to change that,” he adds. The collective behind The Christmas Dinner aims to let no care leaver spend Christmas Day alone.

The project has grown since it first started in Manchester in 2013. This year projects are running in Leeds and Hackney too.

Organisers are calling on everyone across the country to donate towards the £30,000 target that will help support those organising Christmas Day dinners.

The team also needs presents, venues, food, people to refer care leavers and transport to help make the magic happen.

Sissay grew up in foster and care homes, and, has vowed to use his new position as Chancellor of Manchester University to help his fellow care leavers into education.

Click here to donate, visit the Hackney Christmas Dinner Facebook page to find out how to help or watch the video below for more information:

Lemn Sissay Christmas Dinner Appeal from Rubber Goat Films on Vimeo.