How Much Money Is Donated To Africa Each Year

For lots of us, January is a bit of a blah month. Unsurprisingly, that means many of us look for ways to boost our moods over January. One guaranteed way to do that is to give to charity to spread some cheer and help others at the same time.

According to research by restaurant chain Zizzi's partnership with the Mental Health Foundation, over eight in 10 of us wish we could give something back to society and over a fifth of us say that we would give more to charity if it was easier.

If your finances are feeling the pinch this month, there are lots of other ways to give to charity, other than making a one-off or monthly donation. Here are some alternative ideas…

Donate unwanted items

Not sure about a Christmas present you were given or missed the period to return your sales shopping? Donating to your local charity shop is a great way to get rid of unwanted items and give something back. Most will accept clothes, toys and various household items providing they are in good condition.

Alternatively, if you have old furniture – such as sofas, beds and tables – that you no longer use, some charities will collect these free of charge if you opt to donate them. The British Heart Foundation and Sue Ryder are just two major charities which will collect furniture.

Just note: your donations must be in saleable condition and have a fire label attached, where applicable.

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Raise money while you work

Returning to work post-Christmas may not fill you and your colleagues with joy. But what better way to put a smile on people's faces than by organising a fun event for charity?

Hosting a bake sale and asking colleagues to buy or make cakes to sell is a great way to get started. Macmillan's Coffee Morning campaign has some great tips to get you started.

Alternatively, if you fancy something a little more adventurous, you could try and organise an office pub-quiz and donate any entry fees to charity. You could host this in the office itself, or see if any local pubs are prepared to waive the cost or hiring a room if you're hosting a charity event.

Find a volunteering opportunity

If you can't spare any money in January for charity, you could try sparing your time to help out at a local charity. Some ideas include:

Serve meals at a soup kitchen. With research from Shelter estimating there are 320,000 homeless people in the UK, volunteering at a soup kitchen can help ensure vulnerable people get a nutritious meal. The Pavement gives further information on soup kitchens in different areas of the UK.
Help a child learn to read. The Bookmark Reading Charity offers a six-week volunteering programme where you can help children improve their reading skills and confidence.
Become a volunteer driver. The Red Cross needs drivers to transport elderly and disabled people, to collect deliveries for their shops and to help out at their event first aid service and the RSPCA needs volunteer drivers to transport animals to foster homes, the vet and between rescue centres.

Top Tip: For more volunteering options, visit Do-It to search for volunteering opportunities near you.

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Give as you have fun

There are several chains of restaurants currently running schemes that allow you to give to charity while enjoying a meal out. Zizzi is running a new rewards programme - 'Donate a Discount' - which will give diners the choice of getting 25% off their meal or donating the value to the Mental Health Foundation.

Or look out for restaurants that opt into Action Against Hunger's Love Food Give Food campaign. Often, these restaurants will add a small donation to their best-selling dish, with the amount collected from this going to charity. Use the charity's restaurant directory to find a participating restaurant near you.

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