Requests for food and clothing dominate a list of children's wishes for this year's Children’s Dreams Initiative, run by the Foundation for Social Welfare Services.

This is the tenth year of the initiative, which sees the public being invite to help realise a Christmas wish for over 2,000 children.

The programme enables members of the public to fund the dream of a vulnerable child, typically a gift or experience, that would otherwise be out of reach. 

The dreams come from children who either directly or through their families are known to social services, with case workers referring a child to the programme, which then vets the requests. 

While the first edition in 2012, started by Lina Pecorella, fulfilled 100 wishes, this year there are 2371 to be fulfilled. 

A look through the requests made by children shows that many have requested simply food, clothes or daily necessities. Others were more specific, requesting a game of laser tag, bowling or a trip to the cinema, an escape room or a wildlife park. A few children kept their favourite cartoon characters in mind, with requests for Peppa Pig, Elsa, Baby Shark and Paw Patrol toys also making an appearance. 

“At face value, you might say that the initiative itself is not really a big deal, some children only ask for minor things like a meal at McDonald’s,” said Family Minister Michael Falzon. 

“But the thought behind it is that society has a duty to care for everyone and we must see how we are able to improve people’s lives.” 

Calling on the public to take up one of the children’s dreams, the minister said that it was important to give children hope and belief that their dreams are achievable. 

“The joy of giving is far greater than the joy of receiving,” Falzon said. 

“It’s so important that we support the dream of tomorrow’s generations and do what we can to make them a reality.”

“The secret to making society better is to be empathetic with other people.” 

To fulfil a child's Christmas wish visit www.childrendreams.org