How To Give Back...

I think it's fair to say that most people want to give back in some form. Whether that be monetary, volunteering or simply giving a helping hand.

I think giving back to worthy causes, local charities and people in need is one of the most wholesome things that humans can do.

Yet so many people want to do it, but so little do.

In today's newsletter, we're going to delve into the creative ways in which you can give back without needing tonnes of money in your back pocket.

The Norm

A lot of people enjoy giving back where they can, and the beauty of this is that there are so many ways in which we can do so.

The most common way to "give back" is to donate to a charity. The most well-known way in which people do this is via the National Lottery, which is the largest charitable giver in the country.

People spend £2 on a lottery ticket to potentially win big, but they're also giving to charitable causes with their donation too.

I know of people that buy lottery tickets purposely for this reason, as it's a win-win for them. They have the ability to perhaps win the jackpot, but they're also giving to the less fortunate in the process.

Aside from the National Lottery, how else do people give back?

It's mainly monetary.

Our TV's have a lot of adverts nowadays to donate to worthwhile causes, and this is told to us so much that people don't really know if there's any alternatives to just giving money.

At the end of the day, you don't actually know where your money is going to. This realisation of not actually fully understanding where your money is headed puts a lot of people off the idea of helping worthy causes.

This is a huge shame.

There are many ways in which you can donate to the charities close to your heart, and it doesn't have to include money.

Let's go over them.

Volunteering

Instead of donating your money, why not donate your time?

As far as I'm aware, charities are always on the look out for volunteers. And the best part of it is, volunteering comes in many forms.

You could be looking after the charity shop and managing the sales. You could be volunteering on an expedition that the charity is looking to do. You could volunteer to be a member of staff for a charity held event.

Volunteering can be really flexible, and more importantly, really rewarding. You don't necessarily have to donate any money towards the cause, you can help them by devoting your time to them.

Joining a members club

There are plenty of clubs across the country that devote a lot of time to charitable causes, and it may be well worth joining one of them.

I know that the Freemasons are the second largest charitable givers in the UK, behind the National Lottery. There are over 200,000 Freemasons in the UK alone, so it gives you the option to build strong relationships with people you may not have crossed paths with.

I became a Freemason at the beginning of this year, and suffice to say it has changed my life. If anyone is looking into it, I highly recommend that you join because you can be generous with your charitable work, as well as meeting like-minded people from all walks of life.

P.S. That's not just for the men. There are ladies Freemason lodges in the UK too!

Fundraisers

Fundraisers for charities is definitely up there with one of my favourites.

I love the idea of bringing people together in a bid to raise money for charities close to our hearts.

In 2014, when I was just 13 years old, I "braved the shave" for MacMillan Cancer and shaved my hair off.

The reason I did this is because my Grandpa passed away in 2008 because of that sickening disease, and MacMillan supported our family throughout.

My way of giving back to them was to participate in their annual "Brave The Shave" campaign.

I managed to raise over £120. It's not a large sum of money by any means, but it was certainly impressive for a 13 year old!

I love fundraising so much because it allows you to raise money in more ways than one. You could host a charity event, take on a sports challenge, or make yourself look silly!

Anything for charity is admirable in my eyes.

Setting up charitable giving in your business

I think this has become a lot more common in recent times.

There are so many companies partnering with charities to give back to the community.

There are certain schemes such as for every sale, a certain percentage goes to charity.

This is a good, creative way of giving back.

Giving blood

Giving blood is something I've always wanted to do, so maybe I should take my own advice. Give blood!

There are plenty of people in life threatening conditions that will need your blood for survival.

For what it's worth, it's definitely something to consider.

Donating food to food banks

Have excess food sitting in the cupboard that you're not going to use?

Why not give it to the food bank!

More people than ever are having to request support from the food bank because of the cost of living crisis that we currently see ourselves in.

Some people simply have no choice, so helping them can go a really long way - especially if it's food that you were never going to eat anyway.

Random acts of kindness

There's not many things that makes me give my admiration and respect more than those who give and expect nothing back.

Going through your day, I'm sure you've seen plenty of people who are in need of something, whether that be 50p for the bus or a helping hand with their shopping.

We've all been there - and at that time we all wish we had someone to rely on!

Why not be that person for someone else?

I'm all for it.

So moving forward with the rest of your week, how do you plan to give back to your community or to those less fortunate?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!