Charity partner Christmas events, appeals and volunteering

This festive season, three of our charity partners are looking for additional support to help those most in need.

Claire House Children’s Hospice

Christmas Hat Day

Thursday 4 December is Christmas Hat Day, and Claire House Children’s Hospice is encouraging its supporters to take part.

Claire Cain was the inspiration behind Claire House and when she was poorly and lost her hair, she would wear silly hats to cheer up everyone around her.

Inspired by this, every December, the hospice encourages the local community to wear festive hats and fundraise to support their work. Register to take part and you’ll receive a Hat Day pack in the post.

Every penny raised will support seriously and terminally ill children in our community, and all you have to do is wear your festive hat for the day – think Santa hats, Rudolph ears, Christmas tree hats, paper cracker hats….

Sign up on the Claire House website

Liverpool Santa Dash 2025

On Sunday 7 December, thousands of scouse Santas will run 5K through Liverpool city centre at one of the world’s biggest festive fun runs.

The hospice is offering free entry into the event for those who pledge to raise £120 (and £60 for any children taking part) in sponsorship. You will be provided with a Claire House t-shirt to wear under your Santa suit, and you will also have access to an official after party.

Register on the Claire House website

Any LJMU staff who are already taking part in the run through the staff wellbeing offer and are thinking of raising money for charity, we would encourage you to consider supporting one or more of our four charity partners. If you would like to raise some funds, donations can then be sent to the relevant charity via their online donation platforms:

• Donate to Claire House Children’s Hospice
• Donate to The Girls’ Network
• Donate to Micah Liverpool
• Donate to Local Solutions

Local Solutions

Donate your pre-loved mobile phones

As many people might be making the most of Black Friday deals with a mobile phone upgrade, or asking for a new device on their Christmas list, have you thought about what you might do with your old phone?

Local Solutions’ Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVA) are asking for LJMU students and staff to consider donating their pre-loved mobile phones to help victims and survivors of domestic abuse in our region.

Perpetrators of domestic violence often destroy their victim’s phone, cutting them off from their friends, their families, and from help and support. Donated phones (wiped, unlocked and in working order, chargers welcomed but not essential) would be passed to the charity’s IDVA team to give directly to clients who need a safe way to contact support networks and rebuild independence.

Staff can send their devices to Colette Quail (Corporate Communications and Stakeholder Relations at Rodney House, 70 Mount Pleasant) in the internal mail, and students can drop off their old devices at the reception at the Student Life Building. We ask that you donate your old device by Friday 30 January 2026.

Micah Liverpool

Reverse Advent Calendar

The Reverse Advent Calendar is a list of suggested food items and toiletries which can be donated to Micah throughout December.

You can either select a few items and drop them off at one of their collection points or group together with others to see how many boxes you can cross off on the calendar in the run-up to Christmas.

All donations are gratefully received and will be distributed by Micah Liverpool, through their food banks, to families and individuals in need within our city this festive season.

Download the Reverse Advent Calendar

Volunteering

Micah is also in need of additional volunteers during December to support in the collection, preparation and distribution of donations.

Two volunteers each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday would be welcomed to support Micah’s driver in making collections from donation points across the city.

On Mondays and Thursdays, volunteers would be appreciated at the charity’s storeroom at Liverpool Cathedral to help pack, sort and prepare donation bags.

Volunteers are welcomed on Tuesday mornings to help set up, run and clear up at the St Vincent’s (Parish Church of St Vincent de Paul) foodbank.

On Wednesday mornings, volunteers are welcomed to support the Community Food Market at St Dunstan’s Parish Church.

Volunteers are welcomed on Thursday mornings to help set up, run and clear up at the St Brides Church foodbank, and support is welcomed in the café area where you could also use the opportunity to talk to those staying for refreshments.

Contact Catherine at Micah to arrange volunteering