Strengthening the golden thread between parent and child
Evie wrote to me sharing how Angel Tree made her family’s Christmas so special:
‘Thank you for helping me while in prison myself. More than I can say. You helped me show my daughter she is so very loved by her mummy. The toy your volunteers found was her very favourite gift. It still goes everywhere with her. Your charity brings smiles to broken-hearted children — and some small comfort to deeply sorry parents for hurting their little souls. I will be forever thankful for your charity.’
Family relationships are essential for rehabilitation. The Farmer Review calls them the ‘golden thread’ that should run through prison reform.
That same golden thread runs through the heart of Angel Tree.
Every Christmas, thousands of children face the season without their mum or dad at home. Prison creates painful distance: children feel confused and forgotten, while parents grieve the loss of connection.
Angel Tree helps to bridge that divide —strengthening the golden thread between parent and child. Parents in prison choose a present and write a personal message; our volunteers buy, wrap and deliver the gift in time for Christmas. Each parcel arrives with a hand-written gift-tag from the parent, as though it were delivered by their own hands.
At Christmas, we celebrate the greatest gift of all-God’s gift of His Son, Jesus, given out of a Father’s love for the world. We are called to share that love — bringing hope, connection and transformation where it is most needed.
One dad told us, ‘If you don’t have anything to want to change for, you’re not going to change.’ For him, being close to his children gives the motivation to turn his life around. For his children, the gift is a reminder that their dad still loves them.
Last year, thanks to supporters like you, 4,467 children received gifts through Angel Tree—reminders that they are loved and remembered. But many more children are still waiting.
This Christmas, will you help us reach them?
From midday on Tuesday 2nd December, thanks to a group of generous philanthropists who will match every gift we receive until our ‘pledge pot’ is empty, every pound you give will be doubled for free.
That means your donation will go twice as far — blessing twice as many children with a gift from their parent in prison.
Your gift will do far more than deliver a toy. It will bring connection to parents, joy to children and could be the catalyst for change.
You can double your gift by donating online at prisonfellowship.org.uk/x2 from midday on Tuesday 2nd December.
At its heart, Angel Tree is motivated by love — the love of God for each of His children, whether parent or child, and the love of His people expressed through generosity and practical care.
‘We love because he first loved us’ (1 John 4:19).
Through Angel Tree, we can weave that golden thread between parents in prison and their children — bringing Christ-like love, hope and transformation to those who need it most.
Please will you help make this Christmas unforgettable for a child missing their mum or dad? It won’t just be a gift – it will be a memory that lasts a lifetime.
*Name changed to protect identity.
