BELFAST Charitable Society has made a significant donation to the annual Black Santa tradition.
The familiar sight of Black Santa on the steps of St Anne’s Cathedral has become synonymous with the giving spirit and generosity of the people of Belfast. The 48th annual sit-out on the steps of St Anne’s began on December 16 and will end on Christmas Eve.
This is a seventh annual sit-out for the current Black Santa, the Very Rev Stephen Forde, and as it has done since the first charity sit-out by Dean Sammy Crooks in 1976, the appeal will fund small charities across the North, with a portion going to Christian Aid.
This year, the appeal has a special focus on charities working for two groups of younger people who have particular needs in the community – those who support families who have a member with autism, and those working to prevent young people, in particular young people with a lived experience of care, from finding themselves homeless as they move to independent living.
To mark the 250th anniversary of Clifton House, Belfast Charitable Society made a significant donation to this year's Black Santa appeal. Paula Reynolds, CEO of Belfast Charitable Society, said: “This year, as well as reflecting on our long history of philanthropy and social reform, we have also been looking ahead to our future.
"Throughout the year, we brought others together to talk about the reality of poverty and disadvantage today – with an aim to inform our future work.
"The decision to support Black Santa’s remarkable fundraising this year has been as a direct result of the feedback we have gathered over the last 12 months in order to support those most in need.”
Welcoming the donation from Belfast Charitable Society, Dean Forde said: “It is wonderful to establish this partnership between Belfast Charitable Society and Belfast Cathedral and wonderful to share the celebrations of their 250th anniversary and our 120th anniversary.
“The outworking of this is seen in the amazing generosity of Belfast Charitable Society in its support of this year’s Belfast Black Santa Appeal, and as Dean of Belfast, I am extremely grateful for their generosity. As with every donation, all the money received will be given away to charities across Belfast and Northern Ireland.
“We are delighted to be in a position to make this donation today, bringing the total amount raised to £250,000 as a mark of this milestone anniversary.
"The impact this fundraising will have on those charitable organisations working hard to meet the needs of poverty and disadvantage today will be significant. It saddens the Board that such a need still exists 250 years on, but commend these charities for their work, which is invaluable at this time.”
The Black Santa sit-out finishes on Christmas Eve, for another year. There is still time to donate online at www.belfastblacksanta.org.
