Social media stars and Salvation Army spread Christmas joy

Vulnerable children who might go without a present this festive season will have something to open on Christmas morning thanks to the generosity of Tik-Tok stars The Smithy family.

That’s because the family, who found fame during the first lockdown and now have more than 3 million followers, delivered thousands of pounds worth of presents to The Salvation Army in Shoeburyness last week.

From there, the gifts for boys and girls were sorted into age groups. The kind-hearted family, who donated around £60,000 worth of gifts last year, said they wanted to donate to the church and charity at Shoeburyness, Welling and Bexleyheath as well as to other groups in Kent and Essex.

Nick explained why the family were keen to help the church and charity for the second year in a row at Christmas. They regularly buy food for The Salvation Army food bank at Bexleyheath throughout the year.

He said: “The Salvation Army is something I believe in and giving back is what we do. The Salvation Army is a gateway to helping many other areas through one place and that’s why we do so much for them. If people are in a position where they can help, I believe now is the time they should help.”

Captain Rob and Clare Davis, church leaders at Shoeburyness, said they were very grateful for The Smithy’s family’s generosity.

Rob commented: “Christmas for some families and individuals is incredibly difficult but thanks to the Smithy family, we are able to bring some joy into the homes of many children and adults over the festive period.

“We would like to say a big thank you to The Smithy family and their friends for their donation and all their hard work to make this possible.”