It's the Christmas Appeal 2011 LAST DAY to read all about it/sign up

[RebeccaMumsnet]

Welcome to this year's Christmas appeal. Yes we know it's only October but we've done the maths and realised we need to get on

Little bit of history for those who are new to the whole idea: over the past few years, Mumsnetters have offered to donate gifts to other Mumsnetters in need over Christmas. And you have also nominated Mumsnetters to receive these gifts. Each year, a particularly saintly Mumsnetter has volunteered to match up the donors with the nominees and organise a mass posting of presents. Last year we felt that the appeal had grown so big that we would bring it in-house and it went fairly well we feel so we are doing it again and this year KatMumsnet is joining us in the spreadsheet madness

Now for the nitty gritty...

If you would like to donate something to the appeal, could you please email [email protected]. You need to include your MN Talk name and what you are donating. Vouchers are usually the best bet, we've found over the years, but you are also welcome to donate new toys, clothes and books for children or "nice smellies" for adults. Secondhand toys/clothes are fine, too, but do really need to be in very good nick, please.

IMPORTANT: if you have something particular in mind, please specify CLEARLY the details of your donation e.g. Tesco voucher or new toy for a 4 year old boy or a bundle of clothes for a 6 month old girls, nearly new. Or, if you want to donate and are happy to wait to find out what's needed before you donate it, please say: VOUCHER (ANY) or TOYS (ANY) etc.

If you would like to nominate a fellow Mumsnetter (they have to have been a member for at least a year to qualify for nomination) then please send your nominations to [email protected]. You should include the Mumsnetter's ( correctly spelt, pls! ) Talk name and your reason for your nomination. It doesn't matter if they or you change nicknames; we will be able to find you/them.

All nominations and offers of donations must be with us by Monday 24 October.

Once all the names are in, nominees will receive an email by Monday 7 November, telling them they've been nominated, and will need to reply by Monday 14 November with their address, number and ages of children. Nominees need to be aware that their address will be sent to an undisclosed fellow Mumsnetter but no RL or MN names will be exchanged.

Nominees details will then be matched with donor details

Donors will have the addresses of nominees they've been matched with by Friday 25 November so that gifts can be sent well before the final Christmas post. Each Donor and Nominee will be allocated a number eg. Nominee 27 or Donor 63 to maintain anonymity and to allow nominees and donors to post on the boards with messages of thanks etc.

If you have any further questions or any extraordinary nominations, then you can email me directly on [email protected]. But please use the email addresses above for all other enquiries - or your email might well go astray.

Merry Christmas everyone and

[OliviaMumsnet]

Obv self-appointed saints are not allowed to be nominated.

[DoNotPressTheRedButton]

I missed the chance to send last year (am peachy under a new clak) so will mail today.

[ThePosieParker]

I received last year and it made my Christmas, really helped a lot. This year I am glad to be able to donate.

xx

[crazynanna]

Can we send cash?

[DoNotPressTheRedButton]

Crazy i think it's up to you (though I would suggest vouchers purely for postal reasons) but you send direct to the nominee so send what you wish to give to MN and they will match you.

[WinterIsComing]

Oh I love this! Just about to mail, I have something nice which DS has never played with. Hope someone else will like it

[KeepInMind]

Is soapbox still around to see what she started?

[NormaStanleyFletcher]

Don't think soapy is. It seems to be an unwritten rule that if you run the appeal you end up leaving. A rule I only kept for about a year mind.

[DoNotPressTheRedButton]

Yes Norma, sad but true

[RebeccaMumsnet]

[NorksAreMessy]

don't go rebeccaMN, it will be soooooooooooooooooooooooooo chaotic if you abandon us to our own devices.
we will be sending ourselves vouchers and eating selection boxes meant for somebody else

[NorksAreMessy]

mmmmmmmm, selection boxxxxxxxxx :)

[NormaStanleyFletcher]

Oh Rebecca, I didn't mean you! You lot are obviously nuttier harder than us mere mortals :)

[RebeccaMumsnet]

[TheGhostNotMe]

Is there a minimum donation? I only ask as some of the threads I read last year were amazing. I am not in a fab position myself, but would love to do something little for someone.

[NormaStanleyFletcher]

Ghost, people in the past have done stocking fillers or a 5 quid voucher. My view was the more the merrier (this may be why I lost My sanity that year)

[TheGhostNotMe]

Fab, thanks Norma. I have an idea of something I would like to do which isnt much but I know my boys for instance (aged 3 and 5) would love to recieve so have emailed MN HQ with it and asked to be matched to someone if there is someone nominated.

I just didnt want someone to be really disappointed to open something really small when some of the other gifts are so great.

[LaWeasel]

Yes I was just thinking that too - if there is a surpluss of gifts would you give them to someone who has been nominated but is only receiving something small?

Would really like to give to a couple of people having a tough time but can't give very much and don't want to disapoint anyone, iykwim.

[RebeccaMumsnet]

Yes LaWeasel. We match everyone nominated with a donor and then if there are still donations that haven't been matched, we go through the list and look again and allocate what is left.

Last year some people got 1 gift, others had 4. It is a matter of balance, no gift is too small.

hth/ makes sense?

[LaWeasel]

That's fine thank you, will do the noms now.

[LaWeasel]

Oh hang on, can I include what I want to donate in the nomination email or do I have to do two seperate ones?

[LaWeasel]

...and if I want to donate for eg vouchers, do I need to specify what type I would buy or will you ask the nominee what they would like and pass the message on?

(sorry about all the questions!)

[BecauseImWorthIt]

[RebeccaMumsnet]

@BecauseImWorthIt