To help us keep up the good work next year, we've put together five super-simple ways to fundraise for Lily this Christmas. They take almost no effort, and some don't even cost money. Every donation makes a difference, no matter how small. Share this list with your friends, and help give families affected by mitochondrial disease the gift of hope this Christmas.
1. Don’t send cards – donate to Lily instead!
This Christmas, Britons will spend around £19 billion on presents. Much of that will go on Christmas cards that simply get thrown away after a couple of weeks. Imagine how much good work could be done if everyone donated to their favourite charity instead of buying cards! We're asking all our supporters to break the card habit this festive season and donate an equivalent amount to The Lily Foundation instead. If you like, you could email your friends to tell them why they won't be receiving a card from you this year. You never know, it might inspire them to do the same! Please make you donation using our Christmas Campaign JustGiving page.
2. Donate while you shop
This is an ideal way to fundraise for people who like to do their Christmas shopping the easy way – online! When you buy online at over 4,000 top retailers including Amazon, John Lewis, Argos and Asos, a percentage of your spend goes to The Lily Foundation. Visit our partner Give As You Live to see the full list of participating stores. You'll be helping to fight mitochondrial disease with every purchase!
3. Collect stamps
Put all that extra mail from Santa to good use by collecting postage stamps for our Lily Stamp Appeal. Any stamp will do, so you can collect them all year round and get your friends, family and work colleagues to contribute. Simply cut or carefully tear off stamps from used envelopes (being careful not to damage the stamp), and once you have a collection pop them in an envelope to:
The Lily Foundation
PO Box 16992
Sutton Coldfield
B73 9YA
4. Recycle old gadgets
Making space in the guest room, or just having a New Year clear out? That drawer full of old mobile phones, cameras and electronic gadgets can be turned into pounds and pennies for Lily! Costume jewellery, currency and coins are good too. Simply email [email protected] and we'll send you a sturdy recycling sack. Once it's full, just phone 0800 633 5323 to arrange collection free of charge. The minimum weight for collection is 10kg and the maximum is 30kg, so there's plenty of space for friends and neighbours to donate their items too. Why not spread the feel-good vibe and set up a recycling station at your school or place of work?
5. Text donate
Great news for Christmas couch potatoes – you can donate to Lily without moving a muscle (well, maybe just a finger). When you feel that rush of seasonal goodwill but have indulged in too much turkey to move, just text 'Yule70', plus whatever amount you wish to donate, to 70070. You can choose to donate £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10. For example, to donate £5, just text 'Yule70 £5'. These little donations really add up and help make a tangible difference to the lives of people with mitochondrial disease.
Are you getting involved in any fundraising activities for The Lily Foundation this Christmas? Let us know, and we'll help spread the word. Just email [email protected], or find us on Facebook or Twitter.