The Cardiff Christmas Dinner 2025: Bringing Joy to Care-Experienced Young People

For the fourth year in a row, young people across South Wales who would otherwise spend Christmas Day alone will be warmly welcomed to a fabulous festive celebration — The Cardiff Christmas Dinner.

This special event is designed for care-experienced young people — those who grew up in foster care, kinship care, or children’s homes. Many of them face loneliness or social isolation as adults, and this dinner offers warmth, community, and connection during what can be a difficult time of year.

A Team That Understands

The event is organised and hosted by a dedicated team of volunteers, including members from CASCADE and WISERD research centres at Cardiff University, Voices from Care Cymru, and NYAS Cymru. Many of the volunteers have personal or professional experience of care themselves and understand how meaningful this celebration can be. Some previous guests have returned to be volunteers, keen to give back to their community and be a part of something special.

What the Day Involves

Guests from within a 30-mile radius of Cardiff will be invited and provided with transport, a festive meal, gifts, and a day full of fun activities. The Cardiff Christmas Dinner is inspired by a movement started by poet Lemn Sissay, who founded similar events across England based on his own experience growing up in care (read more here). Cardiff remains the only Christmas Dinner event of its kind in Wales.

Some pictures from one of the events

Feedback from previous years has been heart-warming — many guests have told us the day made their Christmas truly special.

Feedback from previous guests about the day

How You Can Help

The event is entirely funded by donations, with all funds managed by the registered charity Voices from Care Cymru.
Here’s how you can get involved:

  • Donate: Visit our fundraising page to support the event financially.
  • Buy a Gift: Purchase something from our gift list.
  • Donate Items: We’re also looking for high-quality gifts and decorations to make the day extra special.
  • Refer a Guest or yourself: Share details via our referral form.
  • Join Us at Our Fundraising Event! Come along on to SBARC|SPARK on Maindy Road at 5pm on the 4th December for our fundraising and awareness event featuring:
    🍰 A bake sale
    🎟️ A raffle
    🎵 A performance by the Voices from Care Cymru Choir

Your support — big or small — helps ensure that no care-experienced young person in South Wales spends Christmas alone.

Get in touch: thecardiffchristmasdinner@gmail.com  

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