Secret Santa #giftorgive
Oh the joys of Secret Santa, that age old tradition of the work place. Everyone chucks in a fiver and picks out a random name from the pot. I worked in the corporate world until 2015 so took part in maybe 10 different secret santa, and over the years boy I have ended up with some tat.
In preparation for this blog post I have been trying to remember what I have got over the years. I have had £5 note in an envelope, I have had wine, I have had Nando’s dressing and herbs (that was a good pressie), cheap smellies, manicure set and something which I am unable to lose a lucky pebble. I got it 10 years ago at Tesco, not got a clue who it came from but it is my lucky charm of 10 years.
The point I am trying to get across is the potential waste that goes into these secret santa efforts. You might buy tat and you might end up with tat. So why not take part in the UK Money Bloggers campaign this year and chose to give rather than have a gift.
The UK Money Bloggers have teamed up with BT MyDonate to offer you just this alternative where you can gift your present. Instead of your secret santa getting you something random why not get them to donate to charity instead
We are supporting the following charities and would love for you to take part in our #giftorgive campaign.
- The Trussell Trust (food poverty)
- Shelter (housing and homelessness)
- Citizens Advice (money and legal help)
- Children in Need
- Stand up to Cancer
- DEC (humanitarian crisis)
Here are a few handy FAQ’s.
How does #GiveOrGift work?
If you want to run #GiveOrGift at your workplace or with friends and family, download our Secret Santa pack.
Here you’ll find sign up sheets that allow the Secret Santa organiser to list everyone taking part. You then get to tick next to your name if you want your Santa to give to charity on your behalf, or if you’d like to receive a gift.
How do I donate?
If you’ve been allocated someone who wants you to give to charities on their behalf, simply donate the present fund at BT.com/GiveOrGift. You can print out a giving certificate so there’s something to handover on the day everyone exchanges presents.
Can I only donate if I’m taking part in a Secret Santa?
No, if you’d like to ask other people for a donation instead of a gift, that’s fine. Just send them to BT.com/GiveOrGift to make their donation. They can print a #GiveOrGift certificate if they’d like to give you something when you exchange gifts. You can also donate directly yourself – perhaps instead of sending Christmas cards or just because you want to!
What is UK Money Bloggers?
UK Money Bloggers is a community of money saving, money making and personal finance bloggers. We work together through collaborations, events and campaigns to help our readers with their money matters. Check out our blog to learn more about the bloggers involved.
Why have you partnered with BT MyDonate?
BT MyDonate is a charity donation website with more than 4,000 charities listed. Unlike other similar sites, BT MyDonate doesn’t take a cut of your donation or charge charities a fee to be listed, meaning more of your money goes where you want it to go – something really important to us as money bloggers.
BT MyDonate is run by BT, which put its profits into running the website.
To make your donation, head over to BT.com/GiveOrGift
