With Christmas just around the corner, I’m feeling particularly excited as this will be my first Christmas as a dad.
My daughter may still be tiny, but I’m looking forward to starting those festive family traditions that I have such fond memories of growing up with myself.
As a new dad, I’m utterly thankful that my daughter is healthy and happy. It makes me appreciate just how unbearable it must be to see your child become seriously ill – particularly at Christmas.
I support a wonderful charity called Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity which provides support to families with a seriously ill child. Rainbow Trust matches these families with a dedicated Family Support Worker who helps them emotionally and practically to make life a little easier and enjoy precious time together as a family.
If you have a moment, please visit rainbowtrust.org.uk/the-greatest-gift to find out how this incredible charity will be supporting over 2,000 families this Christmas. There is also a wonderful Christmas animation to enjoy and an opportunity to donate, if you are able to spare some change.
Thank you for your support.
Rupert Young
With Christmas just around the corner, the season of goodwill and generosity is well and truly upon us. But with a seemingly never-ending Christmas shopping list, it can be hard to find the money to donate to a good cause.
This Christmas, however, there’s a way of supporting the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) – a charity close to my heart – that won’t cost you a penny.
All you have to do is collect used stamps from your cards and parcels. Your old stamps will be recycled and transformed into much-needed funds to help even more people with sight loss access the information, support and advice they need.
And with millions of cards and parcels sent in the run-up to Christmas each year why not ask your friends, family or work colleagues to get involved as well?
Simply visit www.rnib.org.uk/stamps or call 01413 289357 to request your pre-paid envelopes. You’ll then be able to send your stamps off to RNIB in the post – it really is that easy!
Every day 250 people will begin to lose their sight and many will face a future without any help or support.
By supporting RNIB this Christmas, you can help change this and give people with sight loss the gift of a brighter future.
Amanda Holden
RNIB Supporter
Dogs Trust is urging the British public to remember the charity’s iconic slogan ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ after a year of bizarre reasons offered by people giving up their dog.
Dogs Trust received a call every five minutes (3,596 calls) from people looking to give up their dogs in the month following Christmas last year with reasons ranging from “he wasn’t a vegetarian” or “didn’t like being dressed up”.
Our iconic slogan is just as meaningful today as it was when first coined nearly 40 years ago as a new survey reveals 20 per cent of dog owners spend less than two weeks researching before buying a dog and 1 in 5 people confessed to buying a dog simply because it was a cute accessory.
Dogs Trust takes in thousands of much loved dogs from heartbroken owners who sadly find themselves unable to continue to care for their dogs due to unavoidable changes in their circumstances so it’s particularly hard for staff when they see the other end of the spectrum.
We really hope this Christmas is the year our nation of animal lovers finally takes heed of our slogan ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ and we don’t see dogs discarded because their owners have not considered the lifetime commitment of dog ownership.
Adrian Burder
Chief Executive, Dogs Trust
