By Kate Nicholas

Christmas can be a time of hope and wonder but for too many people it can also be one of stress and financial pressure. All over the UK there are parents who are dreading this time of year, fearing that they won’t be able to give their children not only presents, but some of the essentials of life.

Before changing career to become a full-time author, I spent many years as a communicator working with international charities tackling child poverty in low to middle income countries. I tell stories of some of the families I met in my memoir Sea Changed, but I never dreamt that I would see some of the same issues that we encountered playing out here in this country.

But now here today in the UK there are 2.8 million people who are unable to pay for the essentials of life – forced to borrow just to pay household bills and to feed their children - with almost one in five UK adults skipping meals every month. The sad reality is that one in three children will be in poverty and facing hunger this Christmas.

And at this time of year particularly, being in poverty, in what is meant to be a highly developed country, has a terrible eroding effect on people’s physical and mental wellbeing. With TV adverts portraying an unrealistic ideal of the perfect family celebrations and shops encouraging us to spend, spend, spend – Christmas can be a lonely and frightening time for too many people. In fact, nine out of ten of those who contact the charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP) for help say that they are losing sleep over their finances. Poverty steals hope and dignity every day, but poverty doesn’t have the final word - because God is working through his Church to transform lives.

A couple of years ago, I felt called to take the experience I had gained working internationally and joined the board of CAP as trustee, and since then I have been privileged to see the way in which God is coming alongside people through local church volunteers and befrienders to help people navigate their way out of poverty.

For Jade, who features in this year’s CAP Christmas campaign, this started with emergency food aid which give her dignity to provide for her children. With the help of local debt centre manager Ben, she has now navigated her way out of debt and says she is looking forward to this year’s Christmas. ‘I can’t wait to celebrate the birth of Christ with my children, free from worry, and building a new life filled with peace and joy, with Jesus at the centre.’

This time of year should be one of wonder at the birth of Christ, Emmanuel, God with us, who has experienced human poverty, and knows all our hopes and fear. But when money is in short supply, it can be very hard to appreciate the amazing promise of Christmas. So if you are struggling with debt or can help CAP provide vital emergency food aid to families this Christmas, I encourage you to reach out at www.capuk.org.

May you rediscover the wonder of Christ with us, even in the hardest of times.

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