Children from Grenfell Tower will deliver Channel 4’s powerful Alternative Christmas Message

Rex Features

Life


Children from Grenfell Tower will deliver Channel 4’s powerful Alternative Christmas Message

By Grace Allen

Updated 7 years ago

Channel 4 has announced that their Alternative Christmas Message will be delivered by five children who lived in Grenfell Tower.

Due to be broadcast 30 minutes before the Queen’s speech, the three minute message will show the children discussing their favourite things about Christmas like the dinner, decorations and lights.

They go on to talk about their experiences of surviving the Grenfell Tower fires - 10 year old Amiel says “On the night of the fire, I heard people screaming”. He escaped with his parents and brother Danel, who adds “We got outside, then we saw stuff falling down from the tower and grass on fire”.

Megan, 10, recalls past Christmases at her home in the tower, saying “We were on the 21st floor. We always got a real tree, not a fake tree.” Hayam, also 10, lived on the 15th floor and talked about the impressive views of London -  “Everyone, when they came, they were just saying, ‘Oh that’s so cool! I wish I lived here!’ You could see the whole area – parks and stuff.”

The over-arching message from the children is that families should be cherished at Christmas. Megan goes on to say “My Christmas message is that I think all families, children and families, should have a nice, warm, cosy home. I just want everyone in the world to have a house at least.” 

Megan and her sister Luana, 12, were placed into induced comas while treated for smoke inhalation. Their family spent five months in a hotel, and were moved recently to a temporary flat where they will spend Christmas.

With department stores across the country rammed with frantic Christmas shoppers, Channel 4’s message is a timely reminder to appreciate the roof over your head and the family you get to spend the big day with.

The Alternative Christmas Message will be broadcast on Channel 4 on 25 December at 2.30pm. 

Donate to Grief Encounter to help the bereaved children from Grenfell Tower. 

Image: Rex Features 

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