Recently a friend of mine had a car boot sale. She mustered up the energy to clear everything out of her house and garage so that she could, I assumed, just have a good spring clean. She made £300 from unwanted bits and bobs proving one man’s junk really is another’s treasure. Her son made even more! When asked what they had planned with this little windfall, I discovered their local hospice would be benefitting.
So, she now has enough room to swing a cat.( pardon the phrase) Her 12 year old no longer has to endure the mortification of baby toys still knocking around his bedroom and the hospice is over £600 better off! Everyone’s a winner!
When the rewards are all round, surely there’s no excuse not to participate?
Here’s a gentle introduction to help you achieve a little of that feel good factor yourself.
Do a Sponsored Activity
Fancy turning that love for running into a lucrative charity haul? Or perhaps you’re a hiking buff who can take advantage of exploring never before seen countryside. These activities rake in willing donations from friends and family who are delighted to do their bit too. What’s great about any favourite sport or hobby is you enjoy doing it. So why not let someone else benefit from your enjoyment? It’s a win-win situation and the feel good factor is pretty intense.
Do a Charity Clothes Round-Up
Have a look at that overstuffed wardrobe. You know the one, with a door which never shuts properly because of years of impulse buys and sentimental keepsakes. Do you imagine you’ll wear that puffball skirt again? And those MC Hammer pants?! Your more ‘off-the-wall’ items will make great dressing up clothes for kids in the neighbourhood so could be included in any garage or car boot sale. But the more useable items which you simply don’t want will be welcomed at any charity shop. They get good donations and the de-cluttering means you finally get to shut that door.
Do some Volunteering Abroad
Unrivalled feel good factor, surely?! It’s no exaggeration to say that these are life-changing experiences. There are countless projects abroad whose need is for help of any sort, skilled or otherwise. Conservation, teaching, community projects, with voluntary work abroad, you can really exploit your willingness to help. And with getting to explore areas off the beaten track from a perspective not achievable on a normal trip abroad, this surely is the top of the feel good factor list?
Conserve some Energy in the Home
The benefits may not be obvious immediately but you can feel virtuous whilst making the effort long term. How many of us actually have followed through on promises to give our homes a conservation makeover? I’m not talking expensive additions. Although if you can afford solar panels and the like, then why not?! Simple modifications in the home and the way we live can also make a difference to our carbon footprint. Not to mention lowering your family’s bills. What about putting aside money saved, towards a rewarding holiday like family adventure holidays to Antarctica or the Artic? The whole family can see firsthand, the environments we should be working so hard to protect.
Donate a Work Day
You may be in a position to influence work colleagues or bosses to get involved in charity efforts too. A ‘donate a day’ scheme, for example, can work to the advantage of companies, as well as the charities involved. Here, your team can offer a day’s hard grafting for free for a needy organisation or establishment. Homeless shelters, charity children’s farms, areas of rural conservation to suggest a few. The organisation’s benefits are obvious and your company gets a worthwhile team building day.
Biog: Charlie is planning on turning her recent love for running into a lucrative charity money spinner!
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net