'Christmas Day was a painful reminder of the family I don't have'

A brunch for philanthropists raises £75k for our appeal — and gets very emotional

- BY DAVID COHEN

Fourteen people gathered for a sumptuous brunch around a table in central London, and the conversation soon turned to the festive season.

"Christmas was the worst day of the year for me from when I was put into care at age 12, because it was a reminder of everything I never had," declared Lemn, seated next to the host at the head of the table."It was a reminder that everyone would be going home to their families — however dysfunctional — whereas I had no family. I would hide myself away, feeling I was not relevant to anyone, or in the mind of anyone."

A few chairs down, Mark put aside his croissant and responded. "For a long time, I refused to eat anything on Christmas Day, prompting my brother-in-law to ask me: 'Whose Christmas are you ruining this year?' But I couldn't help myself — Christmas takes me back to when I was 16 and my mother and stepfather banished me and made me homeless. From then on, to use Lemn's phrase that really resonates, nobody held me in their mind. I could be out all night — nobody cared."

So far, our appeal has shared the stories of people helped by the charities we are supporting — those who have struggled with food insecurity, homelessness, or who were forced to flee their homes.

But today’s story is different. This time, the focus is on the supporters and philanthropists funding our joint campaign with Comic Relief — and what emerges is that they, too, have experienced hardship. Despite their success in adulthood, that early vulnerability remains a defining part of who they are. The openness with which they shared their stories made the lunch unexpectedly emotional.