With 5 weeks to go until the Big Day, we’re incredibly excited to launch our 2018 Christmas Appeal.

This Christmas, we are aiming to raise £500 to buy toys and games for lost, abandoned or neglected former street children staying at the wonderful Nsimbe Transit Home in the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda.

This year we are encouraging you to swap your favourite things for their favourite things!

Whether it’s food, decorations or a tradition you simply wouldn’t be without, perhaps you would like to donate the value of one of your favourite Christmas things to this appeal? Maybe you would prefer to donate one of your favourite things to our charity shops to sell? Or encourage your colleagues to buy your Secret Santa presents from one of our charity shops?

Keep an eye on our website, Facebook and Twitter pages for the next few weeks as we’ll have lots of ideas about what you can donate or buy in our charity shops.

However, here’s a little suggestion to start you thinking!

There are lots of other ways you can get involved this Christmas:

1) Make a donation on to our special Our Favourite Things Christmas Appeal page!

Here are some ideas to help you think about what you might like to donate:

• Instead of dressing down (or up!) at work or school, consider donating £5.

• Instead of holding a Secret Santa event, you could donate £10.

• Instead of sending Christmas cards, why not donate £20?

2) Shop online with Give As You Live.

Did you know that you can raise vital funds for African Children's Fund for FREE when you do your Christmas shopping online via Give as you Live? 

Whether you are buying the perfect present, looking for dazzling decorations or ordering the family's festive feast, remember to shop online via Give as you Live and raise money for us, at no extra cost to you. If you haven't signed up for your Give as you Live account yet, it only takes two minutes and is totally free! 

3) Display one of our Christmas posters.

Our shops will each be hosting a giant Christmas stocking poster for our generous customers to decorate with coins. This year, we’re really excited that several local businesses and schools are also getting involved by displaying posters for their staff and customers to decorate. Our thanks go to Juice Networking members Aston & James, The MGroup, Stacey & Mason and Systems & Solutions, as well as Burford Primary School. If you would like a poster for your school, church or business, please get in touch!

4) Buy a Christmas Porridge recipe.

This year, our team has devised a special, delicious festive porridge recipe which is available for a donation of just £5. You can pick up a recipe card in our shops in Faringdon, Grove or Witney. If you can’t make it to us, email us your address after you have made a minimum donation of £5 on our Christmas Appeal page and we will post a recipe to you. Perhaps Christmas Porridge will become one of your new favourite Christmas things?!

With an estimated 11,000 street children living in Kampala, the beautiful home at Nsimbe represents a haven offering a positive atmosphere and a focus on play and education while staff work on resettling children with family members.

Will you help us raise £500 to buy new favourite things for former street children staying at Nsimbe?

We'd love to hear about how you are getting involved so please get in touch on Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #ourfavouritethings and #ACFXmas18.