5 Charities to support this Christmas

Christmas is a time for giving back, and I find every year I seem to spend more and more money on material gifts for people and the pile of presents under the tree seems to get bigger and bigger. But what if we cut down on the amount of presents we bought and gave the money to some charities that might need a bit of extra help this time of year.

Cats Protection

One charity that I give to on a monthly basis is Cats Protection. I am such a cat lover and this charity is very close to my heart. I have worked with them a couple of years ago on a Christmas gifting campaign, which you can find here. You can sign up to sponsor a cat, or you can just give a one off payment whenever you want. They also have an online shop where you can buy your fury friends some gifts, as well as any cat lovers in your life. It really is a great cause to support.

RSPCA

Another animal charity I fully support is the RSPCA. They care for and rescue all animals in the U.K, from domestic to wild, big or small, fluffy or scaled. They are the largest welfare charity in the U.K, and could really do with more support for the amount of work they do, especially this time of year.

Secret World Wildlife Rescue

A local charity that I used to volunteer with is Secret World Wildlife Rescue, located in Somerset. They work very closely with the RSPCA to help rescue, rehabilitate and release wildlife. This time of year they are inundated with animal casualties and orphans, especially hedgehogs, and are currently fundraising to build a new wildlife treatment centre, as they are currently functioning with portacabins and they need to expand. You can donate in the usual way, and they have an amazon wishlist you can order from and have it sent directly to them.

MNDA

One disease that has affected close family these last few years is Motor Neurone Disease. The Motor Neurone Disease Association (mnda) is a charity on a mission to improve care and support for people with the disease, as well as their families and carers. They also fund and promote research to try to find a cure for mnd, and help develop treatments. This really is a horrible disease to watch someone go through, so every little bit of help the charity can get is appreciated.

Samaritan’s Purse

One thing we always did as a child was pack a shoebox to send to children in countries less fortunate than we are. Samaritans Purse have a campaign called Operation Christmas Child, where they collect up shoeboxes full of gifts to send out to these children. Here’s how it works:

• Find an empty medium sized shoebox and wrap box and lid separately.
• Download and print the appropriate boy/girl label. Mark the correct age category and attach the label to the outside of your shoebox.
• Fill your shoebox with a variety of new gifts that will bring delight to a child, add a suggested project donation of £5 which includes shipping, and take it to a Drop-off Location which will be listed on the website.
• National collection of these boxes is 9-16 November.

You can find a list of suggested items on the website, as well as things that shouldn’t be included. I really loved doing this as a child, as we receive so many gifts and a lot of children around the world haven’t got anything.

Until Next Time.

XOX