“Mums can’t believe that complete strangers can be so kind”
By: Sophie East
Tags: Appeal, Domestic Abuse, Volunteering, Christmas Gifts, Donations

Discover how the Smile Sleigh appeal is helping women and children impacted by domestic abuse… and how you can get involved.

Hi, I’m Sophie and I’m the founder of Smile Sleigh, an initiative that collects and delivers gifts to women and children affected by domestic abuse.

The appeal is now in its third year — and has seen us give out 1,950 Christmas presents and 900 Easter eggs — so I thought it was time to introduce myself. I’m a counsellor and psychotherapist, working with adults and children and currently splitting my time between my NHS work and my private practice.

I also wanted to tell you a bit more about what we do… and how you can get involved. (We can’t do any of this without our incredible volunteers and donations from the local community!)

How Smile Sleigh began

I set up Smile Sleigh in 2018 with the hope of supporting the women and their children living in a nearby refuge. They often arrive there with nothing after fleeing dangerous and volatile situations in their home life. It’s an incredibly difficult and stressful time for them, and I wanted to do something to help.

With Christmas approaching I had the idea of asking friends and parents at the school gates to donate gifts for the children. Through word-of-mouth and more than a few WhatsApp messages we collected an amazing 250 presents!

The response from the refuge was incredible: the mums were able to give their children a Christmas gift and that was exactly what I’d wanted to achieve. One team member from South West Surrey Domestic Abuse outreach team told me:

“We were absolutely blown away by your generosity…Mums just can’t believe that complete strangers can be so kind. You can see the relief of the financial burden lifted, and the emotion on their faces that their children will be receiving wonderful presents on Christmas morning.”

The following year we collected 350 presents and then came 2020…

Making a difference

The Covid-19 pandemic turned our world upside down. I was wary of asking people to donate to Smile Sleigh when many had lost their jobs or had their hours cut. But I decided to go for it, and was blown away by the response.

We collected 1,400 presents — beyond anything I’d ever imagined. We decided to ask for gifts for the mums as well as the children and were inundated with everything from scarves and slippers to puzzles and playsets.

Storing and delivering the gifts was a mission (and if you can help with this for Christmas 2021 please do get in touch) but it’s SO worth it, especially when we hear the impact the gifts have had.

One outreach worker told me:

“All the women we had in refuge at Christmas time were so overwhelmed with all the gifts they received for Christmas. One of the mother’s sobbed when she saw all the gifts for children. She had been so stressed thinking she would be letting them down because she couldn’t afford to buy them many gifts. It was such a relief for her to be able to make their day special!”

Who we help

We now deliver gifts to eight refuges around Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. We also collect presents for women and children who receive outreach support to help them manage the impact of domestic abuse in their lives.

The charities we support include SW Surrey Domestic Abuse Outreach Team, Reigate and Banstead Women’s Aid (RWBA), Berkshire Women’s Aid (BWA), Your Sanctuary, You Trust, SW Surrey Refuge (SAHA) and Stop Domestic Abuse.

Project Easter Egg

This year my daughter had the brilliant idea of collecting Easter Eggs for the children. Once again I was left in awe of the kindness and generosity of those around us. We collected 900 Easter eggs and delivered them in time for the children to open and enjoy on the Easter weekend.

A letter sent by a family support worker at South West Surrey Refuge summed it up perfectly. She wrote:

“Women so often arrive here with absolutely nothing, and so donations such as this mean so much. Due to the trauma and the domestic abuse our families have faced they are unable to work during their stay with us whilst they focus on their recovery. Therefore the pressure for providing for their children at Easter can really affect their emotional health. This makes the support you provide for them extra important and valued by everyone here.”

How you can get involved (and we’d LOVE you to!)

We’re already preparing for Christmas 2021 and we’re aiming big. We’re collecting gifts FROM NOW for the children (aged 0–18), their mums, and women in refuge and your support is massively appreciated.

We’ll shortly be posting a wish list of gifts we’d love to give out, based on the feedback from the families we’ve helped in the past.

And we’re also on the hunt for volunteers who can help us store, sort or deliver the gifts. If this sounds like you, please contact me on info@sophieeast.co.uk

Thanks for reading and for supporting Smile Sleigh! And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more updates.