Thanks to the generosity of Dame Joanna Lumley, Bibi Heal, Stephen Barlow, the Lord Cope of Berkeley PC, and our wonderful supporters and friends, we are thrilled to share that our Candlelit Christmas Concert has raised an extraordinary £26,389.58 to help save children from starvation this Christmas.
St Peter’s Eaton Square was once again filled to the rafters, transformed beautifully by our volunteers with candles, baubles, garlands, and of course, our donkeys and reindeer. The atmosphere was truly enchanting, lifted by the angelic voices of the Queen’s Gate Choir and a moving performance from our soloist, Bibi Heal, accompanied by Stephen Barlow. Mitra Alice Tham and Alice Chua also delivered a stunning piano duet that held the audience spellbound.
We were deeply grateful for the continued support of the Lord Cope of Berkeley, who once again gave up his time to deliver a Reading. Our long-standing supporter, Jane Fancott, read a heartwarming poem. The congregation sang with heartfelt enthusiasm, Thames Fanfare Brass and Roy Bilham were magnificent as ever, and Les Magee’s harp performance was nothing short of captivating.
Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who makes this concert possible: the team at St Peter’s Eaton Square; our dedicated volunteers, led tirelessly by Ann and Richard Lienard; our advertisers, friends, and of course our Musical Director, Ian Webb-Taylor.
Patricia Parker OBE, Founder of Kids for Kids, gave an incrediblly moving speech explaining the current situation in Darfur. She said: “This has been a terrible year in Sudan and reports are that terrifyingly, things look as if they will get worse. It is hard to believe that children will be facing an even more bleak future in 2026. Unless we can do something about it. We can. And we will. Our Kids Kitchen Kits are being delivered right now in Tawila where people have fled when they managed to escape the siege of El Fasher. The dreadful conflict in Darfur has been going on for almost three terrible years, whilst the world turns a blind eye. And now even the scarce food her mother has scrounged for that child – some fed their children animal food in El Fasher last month, ground up shells – even that food has just about disappeared.
“By the end of this year we expect our direct help to reach over 51,000 children in our 110 Kids for Kids’ villages, plus in Tawila itself. Until the violence erupted we adopted five villages each year – working closely with them for the first two years, then stepping back whilst the communities we had trained, took over to run the projects. Now we are providing emergency aid. 51,000 is not an estimated number. Please can you consider what you or friends might do to help us make even more miracles as we celebrate our 25th Anniversary throughout next year. Please join with me in prayers for Peace, and please help Kids for Kids to turn every donation into a meal for a child, a bar of soap for a mother, a mosquito net to safeguard a little one – there will be miracles this Christmas.”
Please download and share a copy of Patricia’s full message here: FOUNDER’S MESSAGE DECEMBER 2025
Make a difference this Christmas. Donate Kids Kitchen Kits, Goats, Mosquito Nets or Seeds to families in Darfur and gift a Certificate to someone special. Click here to order.
And don’t forget — all donations made between 1 and 31 December 2025 will be DOUBLED, thanks to the incredible generosity of Dame Joanna Lumley DBE FRGS and special friends who have pledged to match every gift until funds run out.
With grateful thanks to Amy Wallace, Principal Queen’s Gate School and to our wonderful advertisers.
All photos were taken by Michael Blyth Photography
