People in Lincoln are being urged to donate their time, second-hand goods or money today for Giving Tuesday.
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday over, over 150 countries will be taking part in Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving adopted by the UK from America. It follows these two commercial events each year.
Mind, the mental health charity, say they do more charitable deeds around the festive period, an especially challenging time for some. This means now more than ever, they need people to give their time, money and pre-loved items to charitable causes.
Ben Theaker, Mind Lincoln store assistant manager, said: “We’re always looking for donations, especially in this shop. The things we’re probably looking for most would be handbags, shoes, that sort of thing. Good quality men’s and women’s clothing and any sort of nice Christmassy bits in the run-up to Christmas”.
Starting in the US in 2012, and adopted in the UK two years later, this is now one of the biggest events in the global charity calendar. Last year, £215 million was raised online alone.
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Companies such as Homebase, Argos, Pizza Hut, Stonewall, PayPal, and The Royal Bank of Scotland are fundraising for the event. PayPal will be donating up to £50,000 to smaller charities, including the Epilepsy Society.
Last weekend, November 24th and 25th, Stonewall UK sold rainbow shoelaces to sports teams to raise money for LGBT causes. The laces were to raise awareness and “make sport everyone’s game”. Lincolnshire team, Nettleham Ladies, wore the laces when facing Burton Albion on Sunday.
Thanks to staff signing up to a Payroll Giving Scheme, RBS will be donating up to £350,000 to charities of the employees’ choice, representing £100 for each employee.
The UK’s giving campaign is being led by the Charities Aid Foundation, a registered UK charity that promotes general donation to other charities. George Young, Senior Media Relations Officer, said: “It’s trying to get a lot of individual things to make a huge collective impact”.
Charity shops are advising that members of the public visit them to do some shopping today and in the run-up to Christmas. The shops are also asking for extra donations to be sold on. Alternatively, people can donate to food or clothes banks to do their bit this Giving Tuesday.