’Tis the season to be charitable
By: Rachel Murray
Tags: Giving, Writing, Poverty, Charity, Christmas

Photo Credit: Matt Collamer

December — the month of fun, festivities and in recent years, food banks. According to charity the Trussell Trust, December 2017 saw a four percent increase in food bank usage compared to the year before that and, sadly, it is expected to rise again this year. Further, between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2019, their food bank network distributed 1.6 million three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis, a 19 percent increase on the previous year. More than half a million of these went to children.

With an abundance of adverts showing yuletide greetings and blissfully happy families, it can be easy to get caught up in the baubles, bucks fizz and Bublé. But Christmastime is also a period when family tensions rise, domestic abuse rockets and more people — including 130,000 children — face homelessness.

While these crises can’t be solved overnight — nor is it solely our responsibility — more can, and should be done by us as consumers to help. Money talks, and if it really is to be the season of giving, Christmas should be more than just exchanging gifts with your nearest and dearest.

Many of us claim to be time poor, but as a nation we are cash ‘rich’. In the financial year ending 2019, the disposable income of UK households rose by 1.4 percent. While this can be seen as modest growth, by being savvy with our seasonal spending, we can put this extra dosh to better use to make what can be an incredibly difficult time for some feel a little less bleak.

Retail companies see a huge increase in footfall and website visits over the festive period and with a little extra effort, we can wield our cash for good and focus on shopping with organisations that offer initiatives to give back to those in need.

Turkey: a necessity in some households and controversial in others (turkey stew for breakfast, lunch and dinner anyone?). Regardless of your own approach, this Christmas staple and all the trimmings can be bought from the Co-op. The company’s supermarkets offer you the opportunity to add extra food to your basket and donate it post-checkout to local food banks through their national community initiative. If you’re a Co-op member — joining costs £1 — you’re also able to donate one percent of your spend on selected branded products and services to support local causes through their Local Community Fund. Marks and Spencer has followed suit and now also offers a similar opportunity through its Festive Food Collection and free Sparks Card membership.

If you love animals but aren’t quite ready for the commitment that comes with getting a kitten or a puppy (they’re for life, not just for Christmas remember), you can get a temporary fix and do a good deed by buying your greetings cards or crackers from an animal shelter such as the Dogs Trust or the RSPCA.

For those who like to look extra jazzy on the actual day (I’m with you) and want to give back, ASOS has confirmed expansion of its marketplace charity shop partners. The initiative began in May of this year with Barnardos, clothes recycling organisation TRAID and Oxfam. This season now sees the arrival of two new partners; Save the Children and British Red Cross. Each charity will release a series of seasonal products through the platform, from Christmas jumpers and Christmas gifts to unisex clothing.

Similarly, Little Black Dress has adopted Refuge as its charity partner and is aiming to raise £5,000 through sales of selected dresses and Christmas giveaway. Glitter and goodwill all round!

Companies like Lush, Avon and The White Company also have selected ranges that donate a portion of sales proceeds to charities such as CoppaFeel! and the Prince’s Trust among others. Perfect for stocking fillers or if you just simply want to treat yo’ self.

Finally, you can’t be expected to do much rockin’ around without a tree. For those who have yet to purchase their spruce don’t panic, The Christmas Forest has you covered. The company supports Tree Aid; for every real Christmas tree purchased from the company, a tree is grown in the drylands of the Sahel region of Africa, meaning you’ll be truly green fingered.

If, after buying everyone’s presents, you have anything spare, first — I salute you. Second, consider making a trip to the newly opened Choose Love store in London’s Covent Garden or online site. The first of its kind, the charity allows you to purchase much-needed items like coats and tents that will be sent to refugees across the world who have been displaced due to war or natural disasters.

While this list is by no means exhaustive, think about how you can make your money go that little bit further while you’re eating that fourteenth mince pie of the holidays and rewriting your gift list for the eight time. After all, Santa will know who’s been really good this year.