‘Tis the season of giving — and charities need your help this year more than most. 

Many Money Mail readers have told how they will be supporting local and national charities by giving donations in their loved ones’ names this Christmas. 

Here we round up a selection of our favourite festive causes…

Christmas spirit: Many Money Mail readers have told how they will be supporting local and national charities by giving donations in their loved ones' names this Christmas

Christmas spirit: Many Money Mail readers have told how they will be supporting local and national charities by giving donations in their loved ones' names this Christmas

Christmas spirit: Many Money Mail readers have told how they will be supporting local and national charities by giving donations in their loved ones’ names this Christmas

Christmas for kids

The Kitmas Appeal invites families to donate old football shirts they no longer wear to children who can’t afford to buy their own kit.

If you are not a football fan but still want to help you can donate cash online (gofundme.com/f/kitmas).

Or consider purchasing a gift for a child as part of the Cash4Kids appeal (cashforkids.org.uk/mission). 

You can drop off a new and unwrapped present at locations including any branch of Bensons For Beds, Wickes or selected B&M stores by this Friday. You can also donate money online.

The Kitmas Appeal invites families to donate old football shirts they no longer wear to children who can't afford to buy their own kit

The Kitmas Appeal invites families to donate old football shirts they no longer wear to children who can't afford to buy their own kit

The Kitmas Appeal invites families to donate old football shirts they no longer wear to children who can’t afford to buy their own kit

Book Trust is running a project to support the 14,250 children who are vulnerable or in care (booktrust.org.uk/support -us/give-ten-pounds- today-and-bring-

joy-to-a- vulnerable-child-this-christmas).

Donating £10 will pay for one child to receive a book, along with a bookmark, special letter and festive poster.

This year’s books include The Gruffalo Sound Book, Elmer: A Classic Collection, Through The Animal Kingdom, Our Planet, Wild Lives and Guinness World Records 2021.

Help the homeless

Donate £28.12 to Crisis (crisis.org.uk/get-involved/donate-to-crisis-this-christmas) and you’ll give someone a place to stay over Christmas, plus food, training and support. You can also call 0800 999 7020 to donate.

The Salvation Army is delivering Christmas lunches to older people living alone, food parcels and toys to struggling families, as well as helping those sleeping rough. 

A £19 payment could buy a food box and gifts for a family whereas £45 could provide an hour of one-to-one support for five homeless people. 

Sleeping rough: Donate £28.12 to Crisis and you'll give someone a place to stay over Christmas, plus food, training and support

Sleeping rough: Donate £28.12 to Crisis and you'll give someone a place to stay over Christmas, plus food, training and support

Sleeping rough: Donate £28.12 to Crisis and you’ll give someone a place to stay over Christmas, plus food, training and support

A £112 donation could help the charity deliver Christmas meals to 16 older people who would otherwise be alone.

For more information visit donate. salvationarmy.org.uk or call 020 7367 4800. You can also drop off presents to your local Salvation Army: salvationarmy.org.uk/christmas-present-appeal.

Fight loneliness

A £10 donation to the Samaritans, which provides support to those in emotional distress, could cover the cost of two calls to volunteers this Christmas. 

Visit samaritans.org/donate-now or call 03709 000 032.

A payment of £20 to mental health charity Mind would help run its online peer support community Side By Side for an hour, which helps people feel less alone. See mind.org.uk/donate or call 020 8215 2243.

Age UK is running a telephone service to help more than 850,000 older people spending Christmas alone this year. Giving £15 would cover three calls to its advice line. Go to ageukorg.uk/get-involved/donate.

You can give money to domestic abuse charity Refuge to provide emergency packs for women and children fleeing their current situation (refuge.org.uk/christmas or call 020 7395 7771). A Christmas dinner package for a vulnerable family costs £25, and a £52 donation would pay for their accommodation for a night.

Support the sick

A £30 donation to cancer charity Macmillan could pay for a nurse to provide essential medical and emotional support to someone for an hour. 

A £30 donation to cancer charity Macmillan could pay for a nurse to provide essential medical and emotional support to someone for an hour

A £30 donation to cancer charity Macmillan could pay for a nurse to provide essential medical and emotional support to someone for an hour

A £30 donation to cancer charity Macmillan could pay for a nurse to provide essential medical and emotional support to someone for an hour

Donate here: donation.macmillan.org.uk or call 0300 1000 200. A one-off payment of £20 to Marie Curie could pay for an hour of nursing care for someone with a terminal illness in their home. 

Ring 0800 716 146 or donate online: mariecurie.org.uk/donate/ christmas-appeal.

No one can deny the tireless work of the NHS – this year especially. NHS Charities Together supports more than 140 organisations, including hospitals and trusts, to help them improve patient care. Visit: nhscharitiestogether.co.uk/donate.

Top tips for donating 

  • Having a clear-out? eBay allows sellers to donate all or some of the final price to one of 8,000 charities. It also promises to donate £5 for every £1 you give up to £500,000 until December 20.
  • If you’d rather give the goods to a charity shop you can opt into Gift Aid, which will allow the charity to claim an extra 25 per cent on the sale price. You will need to fill in a form and be a UK taxpayer.
  • December is the busiest month for food banks, which provide emergency food for those in need. You can find your nearest here: trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank.
  • Check the charity is registered on gov.uk/find-charity-information — most charities with an annual income of over £5,000 should appear. Be warned, some fraudsters may copy all of the charity’s information.
  • Don’t be pressured into making on-the-spot donations and be wary of emotional appeals. Last month a 34-year-old man was arrested by Herts Police for falsely claiming he was suffering from extreme poverty and duping at least 50 people into sending £5,000 in donations.

Enjoy a panto

The Original Online Panto Company is helping to support a host of charities via ticket sales. It will be streaming family favourite Sleeping Beauty, which was filmed in front of a live audience at the Brindley Theatre in Cheshire in 2017, online until January 3. 

The show stars Crissy Rock, from ITV’s Benidorm, as Fairy Nuff and a ticket costs £15.49 per household.

Buy through one of four charities on the website (theoriginalonlinepantocompany.com) — Mencap, Cancer Research, Great Ormond Street Hospital or Barnardo’s and it’ll keep up to 40 pc of the price.

Smaller charities, hospices, parents of sick children, food banks, theatres and schools are also receiving cash from ticket sales.

You’ll be emailed a link with the necessary code to log in and watch, which is valid for four days after you activate it.

Carols for causes

Watch The Story of Christmas (youtube.com/channel/UCPnuLqfLXmKv14kJfnMun9g) today with readings by celebrities such as Olivia Colman and Dame Judi Dench, accompanied by music from the Band & Fanfare Trumpeters of the Scots Guards and The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral.

Donate what you can here: justgiving.com/campaign/soc appeal2020. The proceeds go to a number of organisations, including homeless charity the 999 Club and Cherry Trees, which supports children with severe disabilities.

The Alzheimer’s Society is putting on a carol concert tomorrow at 6.30pm.

It’s hosted by Bafta award-winning actress Carey Mulligan, who will be joined by guests including actor Lesley Manville OBE and journalist Sir Trevor McDonald OBE.

Tickets are free (alzheimers.org.uk/get-involved/events-and-fundraising/join-event/special-events/christmas-carols) but the charity asks for a donation.

[email protected]

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This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

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