Children's Society Christingles
Help us celebrate 125 years of the Children's Society during this year's Christingle
This year The Children's Society celebrates 125 years of life saving work with some of the most marginalised children in our society. With your help, taking part in a christingle service can once again light up the lives of these children and young people all over the country — disabled children, children in trouble with the law, children at risk on the streets and refugee and asylum seeking children.
In 1881 Edward Rudolf founded the Church of England Waifs and Strays' Society after two children who used to attend his Sunday school were found begging for food on the street. He couldn't bear to see children so impoverished and without hope, understanding and support. And 125 years later the society he founded still feels the same way. The world may be a very different place now, and The Waifs and Strays' Society is now the Church of England Children's Society, but sadly many of the problems that existed all those years ago still affect children today.
For 125 years The Children's Society has worked in partnership with the Church to support children in trouble with the law, disabled children, children at risk on the streets and young refugees, as well as tackling abuse and drug and alcohol issues affecting children:-
• From assisting migrant children of the industrial revolution in the late nineteenth century, to supporting refugee children escaping persecution in the twenty-first century.
• From enabling children to develop a trade to keep them out of trouble a hundred years ago, to current preventative and restorative justice work with young people.
• From providing safe, secure housing for young 'waifs' on the Victorian streets, eschewing the workhouses so popular then for smaller family-style homes, to rescuing homeless children from the streets today, often reconciling them with their families.
• From championing the rights of disabled children, promoting education and apprenticeships in the early twentieth century, to involving children with disabilities in the decisions that affect them to ensure they enjoy a full and active life today.
Times may have changed, and The Children's Society is now able to help over 50,000 children and families a year, but the challenges remain the same. That's why Christingle is so important. The Christingle services provide vital funds to support today's vulnerable children. Thanks to the continued participation of churches around the country, and the generosity of many people, The Children's Society is in a stronger position than ever to continue its work for children. ts on a worrying trend.