Culture

Charity Over The Christmas Period

Charity is not just for Christmas

Christmas means more to some people than others. Personally, as soon as the first of December comes around I am screaming Michael Bubl├® and dressing only in tinsel. Some are able to control themselves in a far less… embarrassing fashion. Many people do not celebrate Christmas. We know all this. However, you view Christmas – whether you love it or hate or acknowledge it or not, the winter period does offer itself as an opportunity to get involved in some charity work.

Enough films and books tell us the “true meaning of Christmas”. December does not just mean Christmas. For a lot of people, it is the end of the year, it is cold and they do not have enough to get through. For many parents, it brings a struggle to give their children a Christmas day. I strongly believe charity work is important all year round because of course, January does not just bring the end to some peoples suffering, however, getting involved now is a great place to start.

Picking your Charity

Making sure that you find a cause you really care about is very important. There are so many different routes you can go down so do your research. What issues do you believe to be pressing? Is there anything personal to you that you would like to support? Maybe speak to friends as they could have some suggestions you have not thought about. There is also the question of if you want to help out a local or more global charity.

Charity does not just mean giving money either. I am under no illusion that as students we are not exactly in the upper percentile of society when it comes to the money in the bank, but this should not have to be a deciding factor in our ability to help other people out.  There are plenty of things you can physically do, such as volunteering in soup kitchens or schools that can be just as valuable. Without the sting to the back account.

You can use the period to start planning further ideas too. Fundraising events and ideas for your chosen charity that you can carry forward into the new year.

I have tried to find some charities both local to Cardiff and some larger ones to give some ideas, however, there are so many I have not touched on!

Cardiff Charities

Nation Wide Charities

(click to find out more)

 

Global Charities

 

This list hardly skims the surface of the amazing work being done all over the world. Christmas might not be your thing but charity should be.