Santa's Grotto at Coin Street

Santa’s Christmas Message from Coin Street: 

As told from the rooftop of the neighbourhood centre, 108 Stamford Street, Waterloo 

Ho ho ho! Santa Claus here. As I make my final preparations for Christmas, I can tell you that few places have been as busy, generous, and full of heart as Coin Street this festive season. 

In the run-up to Christmas 2025, the teams at Coin Street’s Family and Children’s Centre, Nursery and Youth and Community Programmes have been working as hard as my very best elves to make sure children and families across Southwark and Lambeth feel supported, celebrated and full of festive cheer. 

A magical welcome for local families 

Over two joyful days, families were invited into a festive wonderland at Coin Street, where staff and children sang Christmas songs and all got creative doing arts and crafts. Partners joined us from Healthy Minds Thrive, British Film Institute, Rambert Dance, and we read books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library whilst the children and parents waited excitedly for their very own private audience with Father Christmas. 

Parents joined sing-along sessions and enjoyed time together, while every child had the chance to tell Santa exactly what they wished for this Christmas. Some even brought their own letters, and my elves made sure every one of them was added to the list. 

Coin Street never charges for this experience. Every family is welcome, and every child matters and gets a present from Santa. So far, 220 people from across the Nursery and Family and Children’s Centre have joined us in the Grotto, across four carefully planned sessions: 

• A morning session for nursery children 
• An afternoon session for Children’s Centre families 
• An after-school session from 4pm to 5pm for families with children aged 5 to 8 
• A Christmas lunch and visit to Santa 12.30pm to 1.30pm for families with very young children 

Practical kindness, wrapped with care 

Christmas can be especially hard for families and individuals facing financial strain. Rising costs mean some must choose between heating and a warm meal, while school holidays add extra pressure. Isolation and limited access to food banks make this season even more challenging. That’s why Coin Street’s support matters, bringing warmth, dignity and joy when it’s needed most. 

Behind the festive sparkle, Coin Street’s teams have been focused on practical support for families. The Youth and Community Programmes team put together 41 food care packages for families to take home this Christmas. 

The Coin Street Toy Drive helped create gift bags for 41 disadvantaged families, giving parents gifts and wrapping paper so every child can enjoy Christmas morning. Extra items donated will be shared amongst other local charities and services and given to families in need. 

Santa says: Behind every bit of Christmas magic at Coin Street is a team that cares deeply about families and children. Here’s Jane Christofi, who leads that work every day: 

“Christmas can be a joyful time, but it can also be incredibly stressful for families who are already juggling a lot. What matters most to us is that every child feels seen, celebrated and cared for, and that parents know they’re not on their own. The generosity of our community, volunteers and partners makes moments like this possible, and we’re hugely grateful.” Jane Christofi, Strategic Head of Family and Children's Centre 

Earlier this week, Coin Street hosted around 25 families for a Christmas lunch, lovingly cooked by our nursery chef. After sharing a meal together, parents and children visited the Grotto as a family, creating moments of joy and connection that will be remembered long after Christmas Day. 

A community that gives generously 

The Coin Street Toy Drive 2025 has been nothing short of extraordinary. This year, the community donated 717 toys and essential items, along with £190 in supermarket vouchers. Gifts have already been sorted and are being wrapped by the Family team before being distributed to children, individuals and local partners supporting communities in need. 

A heartfelt thank you goes to everyone who donated, and especially to the teams at SuckUK, Brand Academy and King’s College London School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences (BMEIS) for their generous contributions. 

Our Family and Children's Centre delivered to over 41 families, with 59 children receiving food bags and children’s gifts this year. In addition, our Youth and Community supplied bags of groceries to 60 families and vulnerable residents. 

And yes, a special thank you to Santa’s elves for safely parking Rudolph, his friends and the sleigh on the roof of the neighbourhood centre at 108 Stamford Street. We’ve loved seeing volunteers from across Coin Street come together to support the Grotto. That’s the true spirit of Christmas. 

The festive season continued with Christmas Carols by Candelight at St John's Church Waterloo.

It was a beautiful evening of Christmas favourites and special choral pieces from St John's Community Choir, Take Note Singers and Coin Street's community singing group. After the music, guests enjoyed festive stalls, warming mulled wine and mince pies, perfect for a crisp December evening.

This special event was held in partnership with St John's to raise money for Room For You and Coin Street’s Youth Programme - two brilliant projects that support and bring together local people in Waterloo and North Southwark.

From all of us at Coin Street, and from me, thank you for helping make Christmas kinder, warmer and brighter for local families. 

Merry Christmas and a hip, hop, happy New Year!