Jeanette Walsh Mother Christmas

Jeanette Walsh aka Mother Christmas tells her story of growing up in care and how she supports disadvantaged children

Transcript

00:00I went to live in a children's home because basically my mum and dad were very abusive.

00:08The day we went I was the day before I was six years old and we got to the children's home,

00:15we had our own bed, we had food and it was nice and warm. I absolutely loved it and for Christmas

00:25we used to have Father Christmas come and visit us every year and give us a brand new present.

00:32I actually was amazed because a. I didn't know who it came from but b. it was brand new

00:40and just to have something new that we didn't know where it had come from. It was lovely,

00:45magical. I always wanted to work with kids, I wanted to work with kids just like me that

00:52in a children's home. I've worked with children in the social services and

00:59NCH for 35 years. They needed a sort of Christmas coordinator

01:07in 2002 and they asked me would I do that and it was the best thing I did because it meant a lot

01:16to me because I remember what it was like when I was young and somebody gave me a present. It was

01:22a delight, an absolute honour to be asked. The children that receive these gifts, anything from

01:28nought to 25, we get some marvellous stories that what a difference these gifts make and how

01:38right they were for that young person or child. Well given that we've got this

01:44horrendous pandemic going on, we've set up a just giving page.

01:52What we would ask is please just anything that you can give,

01:59please go on the just giving page and donate. That would be absolutely brilliant. It does make a big

02:05difference because I have, although I do give them to the social work team, there are some that

02:12I've seen receiving these gifts. The smiles on their faces, that tells the story. To me

02:19I'd do anything. If I put one smile on one children's face then it's all worth it.