How To Give Back This Festive Season

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It’s the season of giving. And this Tuesday 1 December is Giving Tuesday - A day when everyone everywhere can do something to support the good causes that mean so much to us all. So, while the season usually means handing out presents to the people you love, why not take a look at the different things you can do for your community this year to spread the festive joy... 

Search the Co-op Co-operate

Co-op have made giving back super easy, with their online community centre, Co-operate! By simply entering your postcode to their hub, you’ll find issues that are important to people, and need the most support in your community - from the amount of green spaces to promoting equality, mental health to diversity - and connect with groups and activities that make good things happen. So why not enter your postcode today and see what’s important in your area, and what you can do to help.

Join a Local Action Group

As the country starts to get back to a new kind of normal, everyone needs a little extra help. If you’re an NCS Grad, you can take your social action to the next level by joining a Local Action Group, designing and delivering social action projects for your community, on subjects that matter to you. So, whether you’re campaigning for better mental health, designing a strategy to tackle the climate crisis, educating your community on how to champion sustainability or creating partnerships for positive change, you’ll turn your passion into action.

By focusing your project in your community, you’ll help the people around you thrive, get a better understanding of how your community works and what it needs, and create a more positive and sustainable future for everyone. And hey, you’ll also gain a bunch of skills that’ll look great on your CV, from turning ideas into action, to teamwork, creativity, leadership and listening.

Getting involved is simple - just keep an eye on your inbox for an email from us, or, give us a call on 0800 197 8010 and we’ll get you sorted ASAP. And, if you have any other questions, just head on over to our FAQs.

Give a Pint

You may not be at pint-drinking-in-the-pub age, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something cool you can do with a pint. It’s just something...a bit different! Why not make your first pint, a pint of blood?

Each year, around 135,000 donors are needed to replace those who can no longer donate. And about 30,000 new donors with priority blood types (like O-), and 40,000 more Black donors are needed every year, to meet the growing demand for better matched blood.

So, what can you do? Well, you have to be 17 to donate blood in the UK, so this is the perfect opportunity to get yourself on the register and help save lives around the country if you’re able to. All you have to do is go to the NHS Give Blood website, fill in your details and make an appointment to donate. And, if you’re 16 years old, you can still register and make a pledge to donate as soon as you’re able to. 

Donate to the Christmas Present Appeal

For those of you that do celebrate Christmas, The Salvation Army are running their Christmas Present Appeal - where you can donate brand new and unwrapped gifts for children who might not otherwise receive a Christmas present this year. To find out where your nearest Salvation Army is you can use their postcode search, and see where to donate. 

This year, they’re looking for presents for all ages, in particular:

• 0-3 years: Dolls, teddy bears, cot mobiles, baby clothes, bath toys, CDs of suitable music and nursery rhymes, puzzles
• 3-5 years: Dolls and action figures, cars, lorries, DVDs and CDs of suitable music and nursery rhymes, colouring sets, pencils, crayons, books, puzzles
• 5-9 years: Educational games & toys, stationery (colouring sets, pencils, crayons, school sets), CDs & family friendly DVDs, books, puzzles, wordsearch, crosswords
• 9-12 years: Games and toys, stationery, DVDs, books, t-shirts, hair accessories, gloves, scarves, hats
• 13-16 years: books, make-up and toiletries (please try to ensure non-allergic ingredients if possible), gloves, scarves, hats, t-shirts, hair accessories and gift vouchers.

How are you giving back this season? Do you have any good ideas for how people can help their communities? Let us know over @NCS!