'Real Mrs Claus' makes Christmas magic for vulnerable kids

A Renfrewshire woman who has spent two decades making Christmas magical for vulnerable young people has been hailed as 'the real Mrs Claus'.

- EDEL KENEALY

Helen Sloan is preparing to spend her 24th Christmas Day with Kibble to ensure care-experienced young people have a day to remember.

Helen, who works as a child and youth care worker, has voluntarily given up her own Christmas celebrations since she joined the Paisley charity in a bid to ensure that no young person feels alone at Christmas.

Working within the housing support team, Helen helps young people settle into their own homes, often the first place they have ever been able to truly call their own.

Her role involves teaching essential life skills such as cooking, budgeting and keeping a home, but it is the emotional support Helen offers that young people cherish most, especially at Christmas.

Helen said: "I give them my undivided attention. I never rush off or say I need to go. I want young people to know I am always there for them."

For Helen, the magic of Christmas begins on Christmas Eve, when she visits each young person with a Santa sack filled with new pyjamas and small gifts before settling down to watch a Christmas film together.