Make life better

Eat pizza for charity

This Christmas PizzaExpress is supporting the women's charity Dress for Success, by donating 25p from each La Raine pizza sold and 50p from every Christmas set menu sold. Staff will be wearing these very attractive Betty Jackson designed T shirts - get your own for just £10 in Debenhams. 

Dress for Success aims to help disadvantaged women get back into jobs by donating good quality secondhand work wear for interviews, offering career counselling and support.

Sponsor a girl

If you are thinking about helping a child in a developing country, Plan UK urge you to consider sponsoring a girl. The charity has just launched its Christmas campaign Girls Without Voices, focused on raising awareness of the discrimination girls face in the developing world when it comes to their education.

An extra year of education can increase a girls earning capacity by 10 - 20% per annum. Plan has also revealed that in Kenya alone, £2 billion could be added to the economy if the country educated its girls to secondary school level. 

As part of the wider Because I am a Girl initiative, Plan is now calling for a global 10-point action plan which includes providing girls with a full education, better jobs, access to property and leadership opportunities.

To sponsor a girl with Plan and help break the cycle of poverty visit  www.girlswithoutvoices.org

Buy a beautiful Christmas decoration for charity

This Christmas Swarovski is producing a crystal snowflake ornament to help raise funds for UNICEF; 40% of the retail price will go to the charity. The funds will provide families with water containers that allow them to store water safely and save journeys to and from the water pump.

The crystal snowflake costs £95 and is on sale at Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED^TM London, 24 Great Marlborough Street, and in Knightsbridge at Harvey Nichols, www.harveynichols.com, and Harrods, www.harrods.com

Crisis Christmas

Christmas is a time when many people naturally think of volunteering. Crisis Christmas takes place between December 23 and 30, when guests are offered companionship and support to alleviate loneliness and isolation and help them take their first steps out of homelessness. Almost 2,000 guests are catered for in nine centres across London.  And residential centres provide accommodation for rough sleepers, and people with specific needs such as women and those with dependency issues.

The charity relies on thousands of volunteers who give up their holiday season to help others - with over 8000 volunteers, Crisis Christmas is the largest volunteer led event in the UK. Specialists in various areas are particularly in demand, for example catering, podiatry, massage, natural healing, dentistry, advice, legal, befriending (including counsellors & therapists), opticians, hairdressing & manicurists, dog handlers, healthcare, sewing & clothing distribution.

Find out more at the website - www.crisis.org.uk

Good things to do

Sign up for the Prima trek to raise money for breast cancer

Save the planet - how to save energy in the home

Learn how to beat stress - the ultimate guide!