Mission Christmas Leeds 2023: More than 16,000 disadvantaged children to receive presents after Pulse 1 appeal

Pulse 1 Breakfast hosts Mylo and Rosie have announced that the Leeds-based station’s Mission Christmas appeal has distributed gifts to 16,002 children this festive season.

The largest Christmas toy appeal in the UK, Mission Christmas is an annual campaign run by Pulse 1 charity Cash for Kids, which aims to give Santa a helping hand in getting presents to those in the local community and across the UK who may otherwise go without.

The charity had higher levels of requests for help this year as a result of the continuing cost-of-living crisis, which has pushed more and more families into poverty in 2023.

But tens of thousands of children in Leeds and the surrounding area will be able to wake up to presents on Christmas morning, thanks to kind donations from listeners and locals.

Mylo and Rosie said: “We’re so happy that thanks to the incredible generosity of our listeners, we’re able to deliver joy to 16002 children in our community.

"With more families than ever this year facing the prospect of not being able to give their children a present, Mission Christmas became even more urgent and we couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you!”

B&M Bargains and B&M home stores supported the campaign again this year across the area, with all of its stores hosting drop off points for gifts.

During the Yorkshire Evening Post’s annual Christmas carol service at Leeds Minster, hundreds of guests brought new toys and games that were donated to the appeal.

The team at Cash for Kids worked tirelessly throughout December ensuring that gifts reached the homes of the children who need them most. The charity works with many local grass-root organisations as well as social workers, head teachers and the emergency services who nominate families in crisis to be supported by the appeal.

“It’s been a really tough campaign this year,” local Cash For Kids manager Lisa Sullivan told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “It was slow to begin with and gifts weren’t coming in in the quantities we’ve seen before.

"We’ve had to buy an awful lot of gifts, as thankfully we’ve had people going online and fundraising and donating cash. But in the end, it’s been absolutely fantastic.

"As much as it’s been a struggle right up until the last few days, I’m so delighted to say that we’ve helped 16,002 children this year.

"It is such an emotional feeling. We’ve had many tears, many sleepless nights and very long hours, but together as a community we’ve all pulled together to make sure these kids are going to have something to open on Christmas day.

"It’s the best feeling in the world and I cannot thank people enough for their amazing support.”

Supporters can continue to help make a difference to lives of disadvantaged children in Leeds by making a donation to Cash for Kids, or finding more about campaigns, on the Pulse 1 website.