7 Acts of kindness ideas for Christmas

A Christmas feast is a highlight of the day for households across Britain, but sadly many go without. Donating Christmas treats and food means that those less fortunate, including families with small children, will have something to cheer about at Christmas.

The Tressell Trust can direct you to your nearest food bank. You can also donate funds to the Refugee Community Kitchen which serves food to displaced people in the UK and in France, or to the Social Bite who provide meals for the homeless.     

Wildlife need a helping hand and no more so than in winter, when the trees are shorn, the ground hard, and berries thin on the ground. If you have a garden, buy a feeder and fill it with sunflower seeds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds or a birdseed mix.

You can also scatter seeds when you go for a walk at your local park or green space. And don’t forget the ducks!   

Read more: How to attract birds to your garden

On the 25^th December, charities across the land will be hosting meals for carers, for the homeless, and for those who are isolated. Pitching in to help is  a perfect way to generate the Christmas spirit and have fun too.

With the help of an army of volunteers, The Christmas Dinners founded by poet and writer Lemn Sissay, puts on a joyful event for care leavers aged between 18 and 25 in communities across Britain. And Crisis, the charity that supports the homeless, has opportunities for volunteers in its day centres, hotels and call centres across the UK.    

Bernadette Russell, a kindness campaigner and author of How to Be Hopeful (Elliot & Thompson) is a fan of uplifting window displays. "How nice would it be if every time someone passed your house they saw something in the window to cheer them up?’" she says. And she’s right! This is a great one for young and old alike.

Use pieces of card, coloured pens, brightly coloured paints, and think about a heartwarming message you’d like to share with the world. 

It’s hard to be ill and in hospital over the Christmas period. You can help by sending new toys to hospitals like Great Ormond Street for children of all ages: for example, mobiles and musical toys for babies, colouring sets and dolls, board games, lego, card games, arts and crafts, and jewellery-making kits for older children. You can also donate used and new toys to The Toy Project who recycle and gift them to children in need.

For displaced people, Christmas can feel especially bleak. Via the inspiring refugee charity Choose Love you can gift emergency supplies, including bundles of warm clothing, housing, tents and school kits. They also have a walk-in pop-up shop in London’s Carnaby Street.

Through Host Nation, you can become a befriender, and Fences and Frontiers, which takes refugees on walks in the British countryside, and on cultural outings in London, welcomes helping hands. You can also become a volunteer English teacher through Breaking Barriers.

There is a real joy in receiving a hand-written note. This Christmas, why not write to someone you’ve not spoken to in a while? You could send a note to a friend, a relative or a kindly neighbour. You could write to your neighbourhood market seller, the reception team at your gym, or the barista at your favourite café, thanking them for their service.

For more fun, why not write a hand-written note to a stranger using colourful paper, envelope and pen? Wish them a beautiful day and leave it discreetly in a public spot, where it can be found.

Read more: The Christmas Bookshop review

Read more: Lockdown Christmas traditions we’re keeping

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