6 Simple Ways to Help Charities this Winter

Last year wasn’t normal for anyone – this year is tough too, as we enter 2021 in lockdown.

For charities, 2020 was particularly tough, with increasing stresses on their services and reduced public and private funding. Quiet have been the days where we we would have held bake sales and big sponsored runs. Not to fear – There are plenty of ways you can still help out this winter, whether you’re looking to help financially, or with your time.

Keep reading to find out the six simple and easy ways you can help this winter!

1. Follow them on social media & share posts!

The simplest way to help, but by no means the least useful, is to give everyone a bit of virtual love. Like a hug for a charity over the internet. Most charities are active in posting about what they are up to and how you can help. Even if you cannot currently assist with money or items, simply interacting with posts through liking, commenting and sharing can make a big difference.

Did you know that the clever social media algorithms mean that a page’s post will be shown to more of their followers if it has high levels of interaction?

Following a charitiable organisation on facebook, twitter, linkedin, instagram etc. not only helps you keep up to date, but also helps them reach a wider audience. When you share a post to your friends and family, you help the charity reach a new audience, that maybe haven’t heard about who they are or what they do. The power of social media is quite fantastic.

On that note, we’d be slacking if we didn’t ask your to follow, like and connect with us through our social media platforms. Click on the links below to go through to the relevant platform:

Facebook – TheHopeRev

Twitter – @TheHopeRev

Linkedin – The Hope Revolution

We keep you updated on what items your local charities currently need, and provide you with a platform for purchasing them! Plus, keep an eye out and you might spot a picture of your donation arriving at its charity destination.

2. Donate your old, but good quality items

You’ve rummaged in the back of the cupboard to dig out the Christmas decorations and found that coat you meant to get rid of. It’s warm, good condition, but you just don’t need it any more. Perhaps the same goes for a scarf, pair of gloves, or even that pack of new underwear you were going to gift to a relative and never got around to.

You can drop these items off at a charity shop. Here, the charity will sell on your items and use the money raised to help them keep doing the work they do. Don’t forget to fill in a Gift Aid form if you do this, and are a UK tax payer. Because the charity raises funds by selling your items, these count as a financial donation and the charity can claim an additional 25% from the government, on top of what they sell for!

If you want your items to make a more direct impact, but don’t know who needs them, why not browse their Give Today donation shops? We can help your items get directly to a child in need, or a person who is currently experiencing homelessness. Each of the charity donation hubs lists the items that charity currently needs. If you already have the item, click on the item and let us know! We’ll help you liaise with the charity to get your items to the best drop-off location, or which address you can post them to. Not every charity can accept 2nd hand donations right now due to the risk of infection. We have regular contact with each of the charities we list, so know who can and can’t take your items. Visit givetoday.co.uk/donate to find a charity donation shop, or drop us a message here with details of your items and we’ll help you make the best impact possible.

3. Donate new items through Give Today!

If you don’t have an item to donate already, but want to and are able to, do not fear! Each of the items listed as needed in Give Today charity donation shops are also available for purchase, meaning that helping your local charities with item donations has never been easier!

Using our secure checkout system, you can fill your virtual donation basket with as many or as few of the items you wish to donate. Once purchased, we have your exact items sent from our suppliers, directly to the charity. No added commission and no delivery costs. 100% of what you spend on items, goes on providing those exact items!

Visit givetoday.co.uk/donate to choose the charity you wish to support, and purchase the items directly from their donation shop. Every item purchased goes directly to the charity to help those in need.

A sleeping bag purchased today can be with a homeless person by the end of the week.

Dreamies can be making rescue cats purr with happiness.

A jigsaw puzzle can be helping an older person in isolation stay entertained and mentally active.

Every donation, whether big or small, makes a real difference to the people receiving the items. That’s why we believe in no minimum order size, and no delivery costs.

Simple, easy, effective – Donating, but different.

We were blown away with your generosity in November and December 2020, with over 5,000 items donated! Thank you to each and every person who donated.

Honorary mentions:

• The generosity shown for Leeds Women’s Aid‘s Christmas campaign has been fantastic, with over £1,000 of donations of presents for women and children who have escaped domestic abuse situations in 2020.
• Honorary mention also goes to LoveBrum’s “Bags for Brummies” campaign. Thousands of items went off to SIFA Fireside, St. Basil’s and Let’s Feed Brum. These items made such a difference to the vulnerable and homeless in Birmingham over Christmas 2020.
• Thanks to the generosity of member of the public in Bristol, inHope’s Wild Goose Drop-In were able to provide over 80 men and 20 women with a gift set of a wash bag, new underwear and deodorant. Fantastic!

4. Monetary Donations

Even with all the creative and new ways to donate to charity, a monetary donation is still always appreciated by charities. Most will have a system whereby you can make a one of monetary donation, or set up a regular monthly contribution.

The donation shops have a link at the bottom to take you directly to the charity’s monetary donation page. Regardless of the size of donation, every penny helps.

5. Volunteering

As restrictions lift, you might be keen to help charities with your time through volunteering. The good news is that this is definitely possible. From telephone befriending if you in at at-risk category, to in-person roles. Local charities have worked hard to put together the correct risk assessments and provide the correct PPE and precautions where needed.

Consider how much time you are able to commit to, your travel possibilities, and whether you are an at risk category. If you have a particular professional skill, consider donating your skilled time. Be that a practical skill such as plumbing or cooking, a digital skill such as web development or administration skills. Either contact a charity through social media or email, or bob over to https://do-it.org/ to find a suitable role.

The last, and perhaps most important way that you can help your local charities is…

6. Stay safe, stay healthy!

This message doesn’t need over complicating. The more of us that socially distance, the safer and healthier we can be as a community and the sooner we can go back to normality! With the vaccine being distributed, next year really is a new start!

If you haven’t already, why not give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook?

Twitter: @TheHopeRev

Facebook: /TheHopeRev