The annual Brumwish campaign, a heartfelt initiative to provide Christmas gifts for Birmingham's most vulnerable children, has officially launched for 2025. This year's appeal comes at a critical time, as more of the city's children are living in poverty than at any point since modern records began.
The Stark Reality of Child Poverty in Birmingham
The need for the Brumwish appeal has never been greater. Recent data reveals a deeply concerning picture of deprivation across the city. The number of under-16s in Birmingham living in 'absolute poverty' – the most severe measure of deprivation – has surged from 27% to 37% over the past decade. This figure is more than double the national percentage.
Overall, nearly half of all children in Birmingham are living in relative poverty, meaning their families face a constant struggle to afford life's essentials, making Christmas gifts an unattainable luxury.
This crisis is geographically concentrated, with five Birmingham constituencies now ranking among the 15 most deprived in the entire country:
- Birmingham Ladywood (ranked 2nd)
- Birmingham Perry Barr (5th)
- Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North (6th)
- Birmingham Erdington (13th)
- Birmingham Yardley (14th)
The continuation of the two-child benefit cap is cited as a major factor exacerbating the hardship for families with three or more children.
How You Can Make a Difference
This year, the campaign has set an ambitious target: to deliver 15,000 individually chosen gifts
There are several straightforward ways for Birmingham's residents and businesses to contribute:
- Online Wishlist: You can click through to the Brumwish 2025 wishlist, select a gift, pay for it, and have it sent directly to the collection point at Edgbaston Stadium.
- Special Donation Days: You can bring your own newly purchased gifts to designated drop-off events.
- Cash Donations: Financial contributions are welcomed to allow expert support workers to buy specialist toys for children with specific needs.
Every child connected to the campaign's partner charities will receive a gift at Christmas, specially chosen for them by those who know them best.
A Community United for Change
Brumwish is once again running in partnership with Thrive Together Birmingham, a faith-motivated charity tackling poverty. Other key partners include the Birmingham Play Care Network and the Warwickshire Cricket Foundation, the charitable arm of Warwickshire County Cricket Club, which provides the Edgbaston Stadium as a hub for the operation.
Graeme Brown, editor of BirminghamLive and the Birmingham Mail, acknowledged the tough economic climate but expressed confidence in the community's spirit: "It's been another really difficult year in Birmingham for so many families. Despite the tough times in the city I know our wonderful readers will want to help us again, in any way they can. We have included lots of gifts from a fiver upwards so even if you don't have a lot to spare, you really can make a difference."
The campaign has a proven impact. Last year, gifts brought joy to families like a mother in Nechells who could not afford presents due to the cost of essentials, and an Erdington grandmother caring for her grandchildren after the death of both parents. A network of children's centre staff, council support teams, and charity workers will ensure every donation reaches a child in need, spreading a message of love from the whole of Birmingham this Christmas.
