Give a child a happier future this Christmas

Approximately 1 in 5 children in Colchester are living in poverty*

This winter, many more families face the impossible choice between heating and eating, as the financial strain grows during school holidays and weekends.

We want to stop families from having to make these choices by offering free, fun days filled with art, movement activities, and a nutritious hot meal, all in our warm, welcoming gallery.

Our Holiday Fun programme follows the NHS’s 5 ways to wellbeing, helping families to connect, stay active, learn new skills, share with others and be present.

*End Child Poverty Coalition 2024

Give a child a happier future this Christmas

We want to provide meals, creative activities and movement activities to any family who requires support during the holidays and weekends this winter.

To do this, we need your support.

Your donation can make a huge difference – and if you donate between 3-10 December you can double the difference as all donations up to £30,740 will be matched by The Big Give!

A donation of £5

Can provide art and sports activities for one child – for one day of Holiday Fun.

Donate £5 between midday 3-10 Dec and The Big Give will match your gift, doubling your impact to support two children!

A donation of £22

Can provide a child with a weekend of fun and inspiration at Holiday Fun, where they can enjoy two days full of art and movement activities and a nutritious meal.

Donate £22 between 3 -10 Dec and Big Give will double it so you can give two children a weekend of fun and creativity!

A donation of £38

Can provide a full day of Holiday Fun activities for a family of four, offering fun, creativity, and nutritious meals to help them make the most of their day together.

Donate £38 between 3 -10 Dec and Big Give will double it so you can give two families a day at Holiday Fun!

Every donation, no matter the size, will make double the difference.

We have been selected to be part of The Big Give’s Christmas Challenge who will match up to £30,740 of donations – turning it into £61,480!

This means that between midday 3 Dec and midday 10 Dec, if you give £10, we’ll get £20, if you give £20, we’ll get £40… you get the idea!

Please give what you can to help provide a warm and safe space for a child to explore their imagination, and develop essential life skills, such as resilience and teamwork.

Your donation can help families like Najma and her children relax and enjoy fun days out – without the worry of financial strain

Over the past five years attending Holiday Fun, Najma and her children have developed greater confidence and creativity through our range of free activities, from arts and crafts, learning from local artists to fun movement sessions.

Click the link below to read Najma’s full story.

Unable to donate?

Please tell your friends and family about our campaign.

Or share our posts on social media to help more people to see our campaign and donate.

Or post your own message of support on social media – please tag us and use #CreatingHappierFutures when posting about our campaign to help us see it.

By helping to spread the message you can also make a big difference and help local families access Holiday Fun.

Art matters

At Firstsite, we believe that art and creativity are essential for building resilience, connection, and happiness. Through creative activities, children can explore their imagination and develop vital life skills, such as teamwork and perseverance.

Helping families access art and explore their creativity truly changes lives.

With living costs rising, and access to affordable nutritious meals, as well as art and movement activities, becoming increasingly limited, our Holiday Fun programme is needed now more than ever.