Once filled with sweets the socks will be given to food banks across York, local charity IDAS (the Independent Domestic Abuse Service) and homeless shelters for young people to be given to those most in need.

The Santa’s Socks initiative is a community arts project organised by the council’s York Learning team, which encourages groups and individuals to make stockings which will be filled with sweets and donated to local families, children & homeless young people.

Due to the overwhelmingly generous response of York residents in last year, residents and businesses are also being asked to donate sweets to help fill the stockings. People are asked to ensure that the sweets will still be in date by 30 December 2016 and that they have all the wrapping intact, but not wrapped in Christmas paper.

Residents are invited to sew, knit, crochet, felt, quilt or embroider their stockings. Each stocking should not exceed 35cm in length or 20cm in width – across the top, otherwise they become difficult to fill. The shape can be inspired by classic stockings, Victorian or elf boots or any other Christmassy stocking shape.

Santa’s Socks is one of many York Learning community arts projects, which this year have included Tiger Moths & Memories, a project produced in partnership with York Art Gallery. The piece commemorates the centenary of WW1 and in particular, the importance of aviation. Over 1,800 moths and butterflies were created by local residents, and a large proportion of those are currently on display at Explore York within the cafe area.

Residents are asked to hand in any completed socks and/or sweets by Friday 25 November to the councils West Offices or York Explore Libraries.

For more information about the project email Claire Douglas at santassocks@york.gov.uk. People are also being urged to share pictures of their socks with York Learning on Facebook or Twitter where they can be retweeted or shared to inspire others.
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