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The first thing people probably think of – children certainly – when you mention Christmas is presents! It’s nice to put a smile on other people’s faces and give a gift but what if we step away from the consumerism and waste that seems to have grown up around the holiday season and do it a bit differently this year?
Leave a sack of toys for other children
Emulate the big man himself and pack up a bag or box of toys for other children. It may be that you donate toys and items your children have loved but grown out of, ready for another child to enjoy or you could look at initiatives like Operation Christmas Child, where you fill a shoebox with toys, school supplies and essentials for children around the world. There is even a way to track your showbox to see where it ends up and realise the difference you helped make.
Host a Christmas fundraiser
There’s a vast array of ways to raise funds for valuable charities and services who are greatly in need of extra support over winter. Host a Christmas-themed coffee morning, don a Christmas jumper and celebrate with friends and family, or if you’re feeling energetic, take part in the famous annual Santa Run and head back to yours for some well-earned mince pies afterwards. What’s not to love? It’s the perfect excuse to bring people together for fun, whilst helping a worthy cause at the same time.
An advent calendar with a difference
Step away from the chocolate advent calendar this year. Not only will your pearly whites thank you but you’re also likely to make some other people very happy too. Create your own charitable advent calendar, where you buy an item of food for the foodbank every day throughout December and then donate them in January when many food banks are often in greater need. Or invest in a charity advent calendar from Advent for Change, which supports 24 different charities. Each day you open a door to learn about the charity you have helped and the difference your donation can make. What a way to start the day!
Spare some time
Even if you don’t have money to spare this Christmas, you can volunteer your time to make a difference others. Sign up to help out at your local food bank or soup kitchen, feeding hungry tummies this winter. Alternatively, volunteer from home by talking to vulnerable people over the festive period; either on the phone, via text messages or on email. Become a friendly voice on the end of the phone for an elderly person by volunteering from home with Age UK. The charity is also on the hunt for tech enthusiasts to become ‘digital buddies’ to support elderly people use technology more effectively.
Check out at volunteering opportunities near you or those you can do from home, supporting the likes of Age UK, mental health and homeless charities or organisations supporting young people.
Conscious consumerism
If you do need to splash out on gifts or homewares ready for hosting guests this Christmas, then make sure you buy responsibly. Whether supporting the planet or an important cause with your purchases, consider buying preloved items from charity shops or second-hand sites. This helps to reduce waste and can save you a pretty penny too.
If buying new, look for greener and more ethical choices, such as Fairtrade goods, recycled and recyclable materials, companies that are operating to improve conditions for communities, like Tony’s Chocoloney, which is striving to make 100% slave free ‘the norm’ in chocolate production, Y.O.U Underwear, which makes sustainable products and helps improve access to education for girls living in Africa, or items made from Social Plastic®, a groundbreaking recycled plastic that tackles plastic pollution across the globe, preventing it from entering waterways, whilst also helping to support local communities and lift them out of poverty.
LifestyleGarden® is extremely proud to manufacture products from Social Plastic, creating chic furniture from this incredible recycled material. Browse our Nassau collection powered by Social Plastic® for chic furniture that is helping to make a change in our world.