Key Points
- The stockport council leaving care team has started their Christmas gift campaign to help care leavers within the local authority.
- Over 360 care leavers reside within Stockport according to the local authority. They lead independent lives with minimal social supports.
- The council has established an Amazon wishlist where residents can purchase gifts at various price levels.
- The gifts will be delivered straight to the council leaving care team which will distribute them among the young people.
- Some of the gifts which have been suggested are toiletry gifts, chocolates, dressing gowns, pyjamas, scarfs, makeup, earphones and aftershave.
- Councillor Colin MacAlister, the Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education said that some of the young care leavers might not get any other present during Christmas.
- Any questions or inquiries regarding donations can be sent to Clare Bibby at Stockport Council through email.
Stockport (Manchester Mirror) October 23, 2026 — Stockport Council’s leaving care team has launched its annual Christmas appeal to provide gifts for care leavers across the borough, asking residents to help ensure young people without family support feel remembered during the festive period.
The council says Christmas can be a difficult and lonely time for some young people who do not have families with whom to celebrate. It reports that there are more than 360 care leavers in Stockport, many of whom live on their own and have limited support networks.
As reported by Stockport Council, the leaving care team has created an Amazon wish list containing gifts that young people have said they would like to receive. The council says the list includes items at a range of prices, allowing donors to choose something within their budget.
Gifts bought through the list will be delivered directly to the leaving care team, which will then pass them on to care leavers in Stockport.
The council has suggested gifts including toiletry gift sets, chocolates, dressing gowns, pyjamas, scarves, makeup, earphones and aftershave.
What Has Stockport Council Asked For?
Stockport Council is asking residents, community groups and businesses to buy a gift from its Christmas Amazon gift list or contact the council about making a contribution.
The council says the appeal is intended to help young people feel cared for and remembered at Christmas. It has not published a fundraising target or stated how many gifts it hopes to collect.
Councillor Colin MacAlister, Stockport Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education, said: “We know that, for some of our young care leavers, this will be the only present they receive and so we’re asking people in Stockport to help us make Christmas a bit brighter for them.”
He added: “Every present, big or small, goes a long way to help our young people feel cared for and remembered.”
Who Are Stockport’s Care Leavers?
Care leavers are young people who have been looked after by local authority care services and are moving towards independent adulthood. Stockport Council describes its leaving care team as providing support to care-experienced young people as they get older.
The council says many care leavers in the borough live alone and have limited support networks. It says this can make occasions such as Christmas particularly challenging.
The appeal follows the council’s wider work to support care-experienced young people. In August 2025, Stockport Council announced the opening of a new Leaving Care Hub, which it said was designed with and for care-experienced young people as part of a broader commitment to improving support during the transition from care to independent adulthood.
What Gifts Can People Donate?
The council’s suggested gift list includes practical and personal items:
- Toiletry gift sets
- Chocolates
- Dressing gowns
- Pyjamas
- Scarves
- Makeup
- Earphones
- Aftershave
The council says gifts are available at a range of prices through its Amazon wish list. It does not specify a minimum or maximum donation amount.
People who wish to donate a gift or make another form of contribution have been asked to contact Clare Bibby at Stockport Council by email at clare.bibby@stockport.gov.uk.
How Does This Year’s Appeal Compare With Last Year?
The 2026 appeal is the latest in a series of Christmas campaigns run by Stockport Council’s leaving care team. In September 2025, the council launched a similar annual appeal when it reported that there were more than 330 care leavers in Stockport.
In that earlier appeal, the council said its leaving care team provided thoughtful gifts, festive food hampers and other seasonal treats to help young people feel valued and supported during the holidays.
As reported by Stockport Council in 2025, then-Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education, Councillor Wendy Meikle, called on the local community and businesses to donate gifts and help “wrap all our care leavers in warmth and kindness over the festive period”.
The council also quoted Jill Sherratt, Supported Lodgings Team Leader at Stockport Council, who said the gifts had a real impact because young people knew that people had thought of them and cared about them.
The 2026 appeal lists a similar range of suggested items to last year’s campaign, although this year’s council announcement specifically directs donors to an Amazon wish list and says gifts will be delivered straight to the team.
Why Is the Council Running the Appeal?
Stockport Council says the appeal responds to the risk of isolation among young people leaving care, particularly at a time of year commonly associated with family gatherings.
The council states that some care leavers may not receive any other present at Christmas. It frames the campaign as a way for the wider Stockport community to provide practical support and a personal gesture of recognition.
The appeal does not include a request for cash donations through the public announcement. Instead, the council has published an Amazon gift list and provided an email contact for people who want more information about donating gifts or making a contribution.
Background of the Development
Stockport Council’s leaving care team supports young people who have experience of local authority care as they move into adulthood. The council’s care leavers information sets out support available through the leaving care team, and the council provides a duty email contact for the team.
The Christmas appeal forms part of the council’s seasonal support for care-experienced young people. Its 2025 campaign included gifts, festive food hampers and seasonal treats, while the 2026 campaign focuses on an Amazon wish list through which donors can purchase individual presents.
The council’s announcement comes as Stockport prepares for its wider Christmas programme. The council’s newsroom also promotes a town-wide Christmas celebration featuring more than 200 performers, 50 free shows and a parade finale with more than 100 drummers.
Separately, the UK Government announced on October 23, 2026, a Care Together mental health pilot involving Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board and the local authorities of Stockport, Tameside and Rochdale. The Government said it would invest up to £9.4 million over three years in the pilot for young people supported by social care. That announcement is separate from the Christmas gift appeal but relates to the broader policy context of support for care-experienced young people.
Prediction: How Could the Appeal Affect Care Leavers?
For care leavers in Stockport, the immediate effect of the appeal is likely to be access to a personal gift during a period when the council identifies heightened loneliness and isolation. If donations match the range of items requested, young people may receive practical goods such as warm clothing, toiletries or technology accessories, alongside the reassurance that local residents have thought about them.
For local donors, the appeal provides a direct and low-barrier way to participate: selecting an item from a published wish list rather than organising a separate collection. The council’s arrangement for gifts to be delivered to the leaving care team may also reduce administrative barriers for individual supporters.
For community organisations and businesses, the campaign may encourage seasonal charitable activity focused on care-experienced young people. The council’s previous appeal explicitly invited both residents and businesses to donate, suggesting that the council views local organisations as an important part of its support network.
The longer-term effect will depend on participation levels and whether the council continues to pair seasonal gifts with wider leaving-care support, including housing, education, employment and wellbeing services. The council’s own messaging indicates that the appeal is intended not only to provide presents, but to reinforce care leavers’ sense that they are valued members of the Stockport community.
