MNHQ Do you do a secretsanta/surprise gift giving for people who need a little extra xmas cheer?

[Tealtowel]

Id love to help out this year, If I can send a gift or something (it wouldnt be alot as Im a SAHM but id love to share some christmas cheer and I dont want to miss out.
When does it normally start if you do anything like this?

Also does anyone know about shoe box gifts? I tried looking last year but couldnt find the right thing.

[SecretSpy]

Marys Meals do a good shoe box gift type scheme.

I don't know if there's a MN secret Santa or not this year.

[SecretSpy]

humanism.org.uk/humanism/humanism-today/humanists-doing/good-causes-and-charities/samaritans-purse/ there's also some suggestions on here, mainly as alternatives to the widely disliked evangelical scheme.

There may also be local schemes, iirc my local radio station does something similar for local children

[Tealtowel]

Great thank you both for the links.

[duckbilled]

I enjoyed taking part in the mn giving scheme last year. If i remember correctly you registered your interest, i.e. gift for a boy under 5. You are then matched with a mumsnetter or a member of their family who had been nominated as needing a little extra cheer. I am pretty sure it all happened mid November?

[SanityClause]

There is such a thing, but if you want MNHQ to see a thread, you need to either post in Site Stuff, or report your OP, to draw it to their attention.

[JeffreysMummyisCross]

John Lewis has had a Christmas present appeal in the past where you can donate something from a gift list to women and children in a refuge.

[Tealtowel]

Thank you duckbilled ill wait until November and keep an eye out.

Thanks sanityclaus i will do that in future.

Will check out John lewis too

[TripTrapTripTrapOverTheBridge]

I loved doing last years, was nice to surprise others :)

I also think it was November it started. You can nominate people and also register to 'donate' and then get matched up. You can buy for both mum and kids if you want to, some say if they have kids and their ages, some don't. You can also register to 'donate' more than once so you can send to more than one family

[Tealtowel]

That sounds good Triptrap I will keep an eye out in November for the posts. Cant wait

[SouthWestmom]

I think the matching was a bit off last year, so you may not necessarily get paired with someone you expected.

[TripTrapTripTrapOverTheBridge]

Is there any expectation in the pairing? I thought they doner and nominated person were randomly match tbh as there isn't really a criteria, donees don't have to give any details about themselves at all and we're all anonymous.

[SouthWestmom]

I suggested the type of person I could send something to, and was matched with something cometely different plus ideas to buy. So I do think it's probably not possible to match exactly.

[TripTrapTripTrapOverTheBridge]

Ah right, I just mentioned things I could buy and send and the two mums I was given didn't give any details/info from them at all. Didn't realise others gave ideas etc

Should add this though, as I think it's important for mums who are nominated to receive - you just receive, not give. I nominated a mumsnetter who is a friend of mine last year and she declined because she thought she would have to buy for someone too and couldn't afford to do so, so she missed out on some much deserved cheer

[Tealtowel]

triptrap you must nominate her again this year

[SouthWestmom]

Oh bless her, that's awful.
I just felt like I'd been sent a shopping list tbh so it did make me feel a bit less festive! Might try again this year

[Davros]

Our local paper does a hamper appeal for lonely old folk.
Have a look at Good Gifts too

[TripTrapTripTrapOverTheBridge]

I definitely will Teal she's had additional clangers dropped on her this year too, so deserves it!

Noueff I'd feel less festive if I was given something pertaining to a list too!

Davros what is Good Gifts?

[Tealtowel]

noueff was it a list like , chocolate , smellies or particular requests as in Mac brown eyeshadow, soap and glory?
Id like a random idea like smellies or something but particular items Id agree with you.

[SouthWestmom]

I feel a bit mean posting anything specific here.

[Tealtowel]

ok no worrie think I get it