This page is for the people who already know the families — local authority homeless services, homeless charities, family support and community workers across the west.
You know who is spending this Christmas in a hotel room or a hub, and which of those families a fortnight in Leenane would carry furthest. Home for Christmas exists to be nominated into. We host the stay; you tell us who should have it.
We ask only what we need to host a family safely and well, and we hold it in confidence. Families are our guests. Nothing a family shares with a referrer is used to appeal for funds, and no family is identified publicly.
Families with children currently in emergency accommodation — hotel, hostel, hub or equivalent.
A stay that can be made safely, for the family and for the others hosted alongside them.
A family for whom a settled, catered fortnight away would make a real difference this winter.
Exact eligibility is being set with referring partners. The above is indicative.
The referral mechanism is not yet settled. The steps below are a template; the parts marked in amber are for the Foundation to confirm with its referring partners before this page is published.
A recognised referring agency puts a family forward. Self-referral by families is not the intended route — nominations come through a worker who knows the family.
The referrer shares the minimum needed to host safely: family composition, any access or safeguarding needs, and a point of contact. The form and the exact fields are to be confirmed.
The Foundation matches nominations to available rooms and dates within Advent. Selection criteria, and who decides, are to be confirmed with partners.
Once a family is offered a stay, practical arrangements — travel, dates, needs — are made with them and their referrer. Consent rests with the family throughout.
If your service supports families who might benefit, tell us who you are and we will be in touch as the pathway opens. This is an expression of interest, not a referral.
This form is a template and is not yet connected. Until it is wired, please use Contact. Any live form will collect only what is necessary and be governed by the programme's data and safeguarding policies.
