- Christmas
- 11th Dec 2024
- 0
- 0 minute
6 ways to give back this Christmas in your local area
Christmas is the perfect time to reflect and appreciate what you have with your loved ones. But for those less fortunate, it can be a difficult time of year.
From donating gifts to supporting your local food bank, there are plenty of ways to give back this festive period.
We’ve rounded up some special ways to help those in your local area this Christmas…
Dunelm gift-giving scheme
As part of Dunelm’s 2024 ‘Delivering Joy’ initiative, customers can select tags from Christmas trees displayed in Dunelm stores across the UK. Each tag represents a gift request from local care homes, schools, refuges, or charities. Customers can purchase the requested items, ranging from essentials like blankets and toiletries to festive treats like toys or chocolates and return them to the store with the tag. So, if there’s a store near you, this is a great way to spread a little bit of joy this year.
Donate to Crisis at Christmas Newcastle
Crisis at Christmas is a charity that prides itself on making a difference to the homeless community in Newcastle and beyond. As part of their ‘Christmas wish list’ project, donations provide a fundamental opportunity to unite the community. This year, their donations will enable members to access a sit-down Christmas meal, a Christmas meal delivery, and a hamper of care items. Crisis at Christmas appreciates any help – little or small – so take a look at the list of items you can donate and help out if you can.
Wear a Christmas jumper
Save the date. Save the Children’s annual Christmas jumper day falls on the 12th of December this year, so be sure to dust yours off and wear it with pride for a great cause. Every year Save the Children encourages those in schools and workplaces to wear a Christmas jumper and provide any size donation which will go towards children in need around the world. So get creative and wear your festive jumpers with pride this year – the more people looking festive the better.
Warm Meal Appeal
Newcastle Cathedral will host its annual Christmas meal at Café 16 for those who need it the most. Changing Lives charity is calling on the North East community and their generous donations to spread warmth and joy to those less fortunate this Christmas. They are asking for £5 donations which will provide a warm Christmas dinner to someone in need in our local community. In this case, a little really does go a long way.
Shieldsy Crimbo
1a Bedford Terrace, North Shields, NE29 0AW
Shieldsy Crimbo is an online community group of people from North Shields wanting to share Christmas with those whose home is on the street. This year, they will host a Christmas dinner for those in need, offering a warm, safe space at a Li’L Community Hub in North Shields. Shieldsy Crimbo is kindly asking for donations of thermal hats, socks, gloves, and toiletries, which can be dropped off at the hub, Monday to Thursday, 11.00am–2.00pm. So, if you’ve got any old thermals lying around, this is the perfect place to give them a new home this Christmas.
Norah’s North Pole
In memory of a local beloved Mother and Grandmother, Norah’s North Pole is a family organisation asking for help to fill Santa sacks with gifts for children and families most in need in the North East this Christmas. After successfully delivering thousands of Santa sacks over the past eight years, Norah’s North Pole is committed to sprinkling a little Christmas kindness again this year. Donations can be made through their Amazon wishlist, GoFundMe page and at local drop-off points. There are plenty of ways to spread kindness, so be sure to get involved.
So with the most exciting time of the year just around the corner, together let’s spread a little bit of festive kindness this Christmas…
Emma Rowell
Journalism graduate and freelance writer born and bred in the North East.
Comments