Christmas for Grenfell campaign raises £26,000 to buy presents for children affected by fire

The money was also used to fund an event for children of the local community

Santa gave out presents at a community event for the children affected by the Grenfell Tower fire

Hundreds of Christmas presents have been sent to the children affected by the Grenfell Tower fire after volunteers raised more than £26,000.

Christmas for Grenfell appealed for donations to buy presents worth up to £25 for around 300 children who had survived or been displaced by the fire, which killed 71 people in June.

Stevan Racz, who helped set up the campaign after losing his uncle in the blaze, told The Independent: “The project has gone miles better than anything I ever expected or could have hoped for. Everyone has been amazing.”

He said he hoped the campaign brought some Christmas cheer to the families affected by the fire, many of whom are still living in temporary accommodation.

The father-of-two said the children had asked for a range of presents, including toys and dolls, Nintendo DS games and one child asked for an art set. Some parents requested vouchers so their children could choose their own gifts.

“It’s been wide and varied, because the ages are varied,” he added. The gifts were delivered by several volunteers who had survived the fire.

“Families have turned around and said their children are loving it,” Mr Racz said. “Some of them haven’t opened them yet and are excited to see what they get. Some have opened their presents and they loved them because it’s what they’ve asked for.”

Several volunteers, including survivors from the fire, displaced family members and local residents helped to run the project, which Mr Racz said was supported by local schools and the Kensington and Chelsea council.

The money was also used to fund a community event for other children who were directly affected by the fire, such as those who witnessed the blaze or lost friends from school.

‘It’s a lot of work that’s been involved from start to finish’

Around 600 children turned up to the event on Saturday, which featured face painters, a balloon twister and a candy floss machine. There was also a photo booth, a DJ and reindeer.

The children were given a gift bag from Father Christmas, which contained Lego toys, a Beano comic book and Guinness Book of Records, as well as Haribo sweets and a Lindt chocolate Santa.

“The kids were just smiling from ear to ear and the parents were smiling because their kids were happy,” Mr Racz said.

He said a lot of the services were provided free of charge and many companies offered a discount for the gifts.

Around 600 children turned up to the community event, which featured face painters, a balloon twister and a candy floss machine (Christmas for Grenfell) (Christmas For Grenfell)

The remainder of the money will go towards buying equipment for local schools, nurseries and youth centres, Mr Racz said.

He added: “I’m really pleased with how that’s gone, people have donated not only money but most of the people who did the event did it free of charge.

“It’s a lot of work that’s been involved from start to finish, but it’s been fun because there’s loads of camaraderie with the other people assisting.”

Mr Racz called for more support to be given to the children affected by the fire.

He said: “Imagine what those poor kids who lived in the vicinity saw and heard, and how they’re coping. That’s what spurred me on really.

“A lot of them have friends from school who lived in the building who have passed away. Every day they get reminded of that when they pass Grenfell to go to school.”

He added: “Hopefully this campaign highlights the need for there to be some support for children in the community.”

Speaking after the community event, Mr Racz said: “For that one day, the children were smiling, they were dancing, they were happy. There was a real sense of love and community spirit in that room.”