Forget Me Not to launch £320,000 Snowflake Appeal at Christmas Fayre

Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice will launch its 2026 Snowflake Appeal at its annual Christmas Fayre in Huddersfield, with donations made on the day set to be doubled through match funding.

The Christmas Fayre will take place at Russell House on Sunday the 29th of November 2026, from 12pm to 3pm.

The hospice is aiming to raise £320,000 through its Snowflake Appeal to fund a year of specialist support for families following the death of a child. To reach that total, the charity needs to raise £160,000, which will then be doubled through match funding.

Activities at the Christmas Fayre will include Santa’s grotto, games, food and hot drinks, live performances from a choir and brass band, and stalls selling handmade gifts.

Forget Me Not will also be selling locally grown Nordmann Fir Christmas trees ranging from four to eight feet in height. Prices start at £35 and include collection and recycling within West Yorkshire after Christmas.

Following its launch at the fayre, the Snowflake Appeal will run from Wednesday the 2nd to Friday the 4th of December.

The money raised will support the care Forget Me Not provides to families following the death of a child, whether at Russell House or at home. This includes practical and emotional support, help with funeral planning, grief counselling and ongoing bereavement services.

Georgia Lane, fundraising manager at Forget Me Not, said:

“It is hard to imagine the heartbreak families face when a child dies – whether after years of uncertainty or completely without warning. In the difficult yet precious minutes, hours and days that follow, what families need most is time, space and support. That’s when we step in.

Our snowflake care wraps around every member of the family, providing emotional comfort and practical support through the most difficult experience of their lives.

This support is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, but receives no statutory funding. That’s why we’re launching our Snowflake Appeal at this year’s Christmas Fayre. We hope the festive event will help us get the appeal off to the strongest possible start.

Thanks to match funding, every penny donated to the appeal will be doubled, so we’re pulling out all the stops to help us raise the £160,000 needed to unlock the full £320,000 target. Every penny raised at our Christmas Fayre will be included, meaning everyone who comes along will be helping us make twice the difference for local families facing the loss of a child.

So whether you’re coming to see Santa, buy your Christmas tree, pick up gifts or simply enjoy the festive atmosphere, you’ll be helping launch our Snowflake Appeal and support families at the toughest time of their lives.”

The Christmas Fayre will be held at Russell House, Fell Greave Road, Huddersfield, HD2 1NH. Entry costs £2 for adults and is free for children, with donations made on the door also included in the match-funding scheme.

Further information is available at www.forgetmenotchild.co.uk/supporting-us/events/christmas-fayre-2026/.