Five ways to be charitable during lockdown

If you feel like your charitable side is being stifled by staying indoors, we’ve got some good news – the lockdown doesn’t have to put a stop to helping others. It’s all about being creative and finding new ways to lend a hand, and to help get you started we’ve put together five easy ideas on ways to be charitable while staying indoors:

1. Donate your commute…
…or whatever else you’re not spending money on anymore. Many of us aren’t travelling to and from work every day, or have had to give up our morning coffee; why not use the money you’d normally set aside for commuting to donate to your chosen charity instead? You could set up a weekly donation or keep the money aside to donate in one lump sum.

2. Set yourself home challenges
Captain (now Colonel) Tom and his 100 garden laps is the story that’s taken over lockdown with his phenomenal success. It just goes to show that even something simple can help you raise impressive amounts for charity. And it’s a perfect way to get your kids raising money too – pick a challenge together and see how much you can raise!

3. Find items to donate later
With some extra time on your hands, it’s a good time to have a clear out. Unfortunately, many charity shops can’t accept donations at the moment, but they’ll need all your support when they’re allowed to reopen – put aside items you’d like to get rid of to donate when you can. Just remember to keep them out of the way so those clothes don’t end up back in the wardrobe…

4. Be a good neighbour
Being charitable doesn’t have to mean giving money away. If you’re able to, then take care of those neighbours that can’t go out shopping for themselves, or even mow their lawn – small acts of kindness can make a huge difference.

5. Get crafty
Whether it’s making facemasks and other protective equipment or painting pet portraits for charity, use all that extra time you’ve got for your hobby to really make a difference. And if you don’t have a hobby, why not take one up? You might surprise yourself and find a new passion.

If you’ve been inspired to start using your time at home charitably, we’d love to hear all about it…find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!