Mostly good news for Christmas 2018

Here’s some good news for you. You won’t be receiving a Christmas card from The Wordsmithy to clutter up your desk, nor a festive gif from The Wordsmithy to clutter up your email inbox.

That’s good news for me too, because it saves licking, sticking, writing and buying a whole load of Christmas cards! And my digital marketing skills are frankly not up to creating multimedia content.  (Though I hope you like this picture of The Snowman and The Snowdog – there is a tenuous connection if you read on just a little further!)

It’s good in parts… but not all good. Because if you’re homeless, Christmas is a pretty bad time. Every day sleeping rough must be terrible, but to be on the street surrounded by warmly dressed, prosperous people full of good cheer and indulgent food, bearing generous gifts and luxuries, must make the hardship feel even worse.

It’s a drop in the ocean I know, but as usual, The Wordsmithy will not be sending any Christmas cards this year. Instead I’ve made a donation to Crisis at Christmas to host three guests at Christmas. Every year the Crisis Reserve a Place campaign offers homeless people essential services, support and shelter along with a warm welcome and Christmas dinner.

Here are three things I have learned from Crisis this year that you might find interesting too:

  1. The Crisis at Christmas appeal started in 1967 – over 50 years ago
  2. If you’re stuck for a Christmas gift or stocking filler for a dog-lover, how about a charity gift that will support a homeless person and their dog with shelter, food, health checks and treats? Crisis has gift cards you can personalise and email or post, starting from just £5
  3. Since 1987, Crisis has been a year-round support charity, operating in 12 areas of England, Scotland and Wales – help given at Christmas can lead to a life-changing experience for someone on the streets

Thank you for being in touch with me and The Wordsmithy this year. I appreciate your enquiries, custom, support, service, words of encouragement, feedback and interaction online and in person every day. It’s because of you that I can make this small gesture, which I hope is a tiny piece of good news for people who particularly need it at this time of year.

Best wishes for the festive season. I hope 2019 brings many more good things to you and I look forward to keeping in touch.

Charlie