No child should go to bed cold and hungry this Christmas

It’s not fair that more than one in four children in the UK live in poverty.   

More and more children are going hungry, without a bed to get a restful night sleep, or a warm home. Families who were once forced to choose between feeding their children or heating their homes can no longer afford either. This Christmas time we need your help to ensure families can go to sleep in warm beds with full stomachs. 

Right now, the families we support are struggling more than ever before. Even a small donation from you can make a big difference to children living without stable access to food or warmth.

A young man cooking food on a hob
Everything is very expensive due to the high cost of living, but Barnardo’s has provided me with supermarket vouchers, so I’ve been able to do a food shop on occasions when this has been difficult

Paul

Young person living in a Barnardo’s Gap Home

Together, we're helping families in financial hardship 

With your donation, we can help children living in poverty at Christmas and beyond. Our frontline staff will be helping struggling children and families by providing them with emergency support such as beds, access to food, and support with their mental wellbeing. 

We also provide ongoing support by helping to find suitable accommodation, and empowering families with access to longer term financial advice to set them up for a better future.

Through our influencing work, we’re standing up for every child with no bed of their own by calling on governments across the UK to ensure no child grows up in poverty. 

In the last year our crisis support has helped more than 13,000 children and 7,200 families. 

Find out more

  • A woman looks concerned looking at some bills while two children hug her

    Ask your MP to take urgent action on child poverty

    The Household Support Fund is practical support given by local councils in England to help households struggling to afford things like energy, food, clothing, or other essentials such as a bed for their child. The current funding is due to end in March 2024. We are calling on the Government to renew the fund, but we need your help. 

  • A young man cooking food on a hob

    "Life can be challenging for young people who are leaving care, but Barnardo’s can make a real difference"

    Read how we helped give care-experienced young person Paul, stability and independence through our Gap Homes project. We’ve also continued to support him through our Cost-of-Living Fund.   

  • Parent holding childs hand

    Get support

    Struggling with the cost-of-living crisis? Don't be afraid to ask for help. Find out where you can get advice and support.

Work in partnership with us

Graphic with text: We're giving £100 for every property we value, raising £1 million to help vulnerable children in your local community.

We are calling on businesses across the UK to partner with us in addressing child poverty. Arun Estate Agencies Ltd. and their colleagues at Cubitt & West, Douglas Allen, Pittis and Wards have raised £1 million to help us provide essential support to children in South East England this winter.

Learn more about corporate partnerships.

Thank you for believing in children

Pie chart showing how much money is spent on working with children and young people (94p in every pound)

Excluding retail costs, for every pound we spend approximately 94p goes on working with the children and young people who need it most. For more information see our annual report.