7 ways to give to charity when you can’t afford to give money

Giving to charity is a great thing to be able to do, but it’s easy to be put off by the idea of endless direct debits and text donations, especially if you don’t have much spare cash yourself.

It’s especially hard when you are trying to clear your own debts and know you have to put your family first – that doesn’t mean you stop wanting to help other people. And if you have children, you may think it’s important for them to grow up thinking giving to charity and volunteering is important.

However, money isn’t the only thing that charities need. Time and skills are important commodities you could donate. You may be surprised by what exactly you could give that would be really valued.

Here are 7 ways you can help a charity without emptying your own pocket.

1) Give blood

Put simply, giving blood can save lives and many people wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for blood donors. According to the NHS, more than 200,000 new donors are needed each year to keep up with demand.

Most people between 17- 65 are able to donate blood.

If you want to do your bit, find out who can give blood and then book an appointment near you.

2) Be an organ donor

Along the same vein, being an organ donor is something quick and easy you can do that could make an enormous difference. At the start of 2018, there were more than 6,500 people in Britain waiting for a transplant.

Join the NHS Organ Donor Register – filling out the form only takes 2 minutes. Make sure you tell your family your wishes so they are aware of your desire to donate.

3) Befriend an older person

200,000 older people say they haven’t had a conversation with friends or family in the past month. Loneliness can also be as harmful to a person’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

There are two ways you can help an older person that might be feeling lonely through Age UK:

• sign up with your local branch for face-to-face meetings, see Age UK’s befriending services for details; or
• become a Telephone Friend for the Silver Liners, who call an older person once a week just to have a chat.

If you are a runner, have a look at GoodGym, a community of runners that gets that extra motivation to run regularily from visiting an older person once a week.

4) Pet sit or volunteer for an animal charity

If you want to do more for our furry friends, then the Blue Cross or RSPCA might hold the right opportunity for you.

The Blue Cross offers plenty of different ways you can help out, from being a pet foster carer, to volunteering at a rehoming centre. Find out more about the ways you can help on the Blue Cross website.

The RSPCA website has dozens of options for those willing to help out. Use their handy geographical finder to see what is available in your area.

5) Volunteer at a charity shop or donate unwanted items

Volunteering in a shop can be a good way to support a number of your favourite charities, with names such as Oxfam, Scope and Cancer UK lining the high street with their charity shops. For example, British Heart Foundation has more than 560 stores around the country, and Barnardo’s has more than 700. Just a quick Google could help you find a charity shop local to you.

If you don’t want to volunteer in a shop, then just donating your unwanted items could help. Charity shops take a lot more than just clothes.

Or look for other places to volunteer. Here is the story of the 100 year old man who help out at his local foodbank!

6) Are you crafty?

If you’ve got the time and some creative flair, then lend your skills by knitting or sewing items for charity.

The charity Loving Hands knits everything from burial items for tiny babies to warm clothing for the homeless, and have a number of groups around the UK which you can join.

7) Get your hair cut!

If you’re getting long hair cut, consider the Little Princess Trust, which provides wigs to girls and boys throughout the UK and Ireland who have lost their own hair through illness or medical treatment.

Find out more about how you can donate your hair.

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