Christmas is a very special time. It's when we come together with friends and family to take stock, and give thanks for what we have.

Some years – in the best of times, this is cause for celebration.

Other years – it's more complicated if we're missing loved ones,
affected by illness, or facing money worries, homelessness, or loneliness.

Sometimes – let’s be honest, for many reasons, Christmas can just be about getting through it, and that's ok!

Because regardless of the year that’s been, or the circumstances you find yourself in, Christmas offers everyone a precious gift – hope.

Christmas is a very special time. It's when we come together with friends and family to take stock, and give thanks for what we have.

Some years – in the best of times, this is cause for celebration.

Other years – it's more complicated if we're missing loved ones,
affected by illness, or facing money worries, homelessness, or loneliness.

Sometimes – let’s be honest, for many reasons, Christmas can just be about getting through it, and that's ok!

Because regardless of the year that’s been, or the circumstances you find yourself in, Christmas offers everyone a precious gift – hope.

In the coldest and darkest conditions, it’s a fragile green shoot pushing up through the hard winter soil. And if we nourish it, hope flourishes.

So, it’s up to all of us, across our town, and our country, to offer peace and goodwill to others now, at Christmas time, and always.

We share hope in the belief that we can create a better future.

I believe the future is bright if we remember that hope is a shared endeavour, with strength, resilience, and enduring decency binding us together.

And it's the everyday, small gestures of kindness and generosity that can make the biggest difference.

That's why I want to pay tribute to all the local charities and community organisations across Barnsley, and further a field,
which are beacons of hope to many people.

We owe them so much for the incredible, inspiring work they do all year round.

So, whatever you're doing at Christmas, and wherever you are, I hope you get the opportunity for rest, relaxation, and reflection.

And I wish you all a happy and healthy Christmas.