Belonging at Christmas: 8% of children unhappy with family and friends
The Children’s Society reports that around 8.3% - or 1 in 12 - 10- to 17-year-olds in the UK are unhappy with their relationships with their family and 8.3% of children in this age group are unhappy with their relationships with their friends.[1] The charity’s research also reveals that relationships with family and friends are important to children’s overall well-being.[2]
· In 2022 children aged 10 to 17 were on average most happy with their family – with an average score of 8.2 out of 10 – followed by their health and their home (both with an average score of 8.1 out of 10).
· Almost one-third of children (31%) aged 10 to 17 indicated that they did not cope well with not being able to see people in their family and 33% that they did not cope well with not being able to see their friends during the pandemic.
This festive period is a time to reconnect after the restrictions from previous years. Christingle is a great way for communities everywhere to get together and catch up, make special memories and support vulnerable children and young people.
Christingle celebrations have been taking place for The Children’s Society for over 50 years, but Christingles themselves date back as far as the 1700s when the Moravian church in Germany celebrated with decorated oranges.
The celebration is named after the Christingles that are lit during the service. Christingles are made from an orange decorated with red tape, sweets and a candle. They have been part of The Children’s Society’s history for over 50 years and have helped raise millions of pounds for children and young people.
Mark Russell, Chief Executive of The Children’s Society explains: “Every young person deserves a good childhood. One where they feel safe and happy, where they can make friends, get an education, and feel like they belong. We are there for children and young people and support them when they’re facing huge life challenges like abuse, neglect, or exploitation, so they can transform their lives. Through our Christingle campaign we want to raise vital funds and awareness that can make life better for the young people we support.”
Christingles are special events between Advent Sunday (27 November 2022) and Candlemas (2 February 2023) organised by schools, churches, and community groups all over the country to raise vital funds to help children who are facing Christmas alone or feel like they don’t belong.
Katie’s story – a child helped by The Children’s Society:
Katie was really happy when she was growing up. She knew how much her parents loved her, and she liked spending time with her friends. When she started secondary school, though, things got more difficult.
Her friendship group got bigger and she started using different social media channels and visiting new websites. She didn’t realise it at the time, but some of the things she was seeing and the people she was talking to were putting her at risk. It wasn’t until the police came to talk to her that her and her family understood she might be in danger.
‘It was police, a nurse, and a social worker that came round. There was a lot of shame, a lot of embarrassment and a lot of guilt for putting that stress on my mum because she didn’t think anything had been going on.’
The police put her in touch with The Children’s Society and she met Sophia, one of our project workers. She talked to Katie about what she was feeling and what had happened. She took the time to listen. And she told Katie about a group she could join where she could meet other young people in her community.
There, Katie found a lot of new confidence. She’d always been shy and quiet, and she didn’t like taking the lead. But with The Children’s Society’s help, Katie was able to enjoy new experiences and opportunities, taking on challenges she’d never have thought she was capable of.
‘The Children’s Society puts hope back into children. I always saw them as a bit of a security blanket to keep me on the right track because you felt the love from them. You feel like you’ve got another family.’
Thanks to The Children’s Society, Katie was able to stay safe and find a community of new friends too. She’s confident and courageous and she’s looking forward to her future.
*Katie’s name has been changed to protect her identity.
Support young people by donating to the Christingle campaign or attending a local Christingle Service. For more information, visit www.childrenssociety.org.uk/christingle.
