A quick word about charities – hospices in particular, which are close to my heart. As I understand it, only around a quarter of their funding comes from the government; the rest has to be raised, and costs like energy and staffing have soared.
If you don’t have money to give, there are other ways to help. Here are three I support:
- Sobell House, Oxford – I contributed recipes to two of their charity cookbooks, and when I downsized I donated my furniture to their warehouse rather than selling it online.
- Katharine House Hospice, near Banbury – they got all 500–600 of my cookbooks. I separated out the valuable ones so they could sell them on eBay.
- Princess Alice Hospice, London – I’ve stopped selling my clothes online, because if we all do that, charity shops suffer. So I’ve had a big clear-out and I’m taking a bag up. Tip: wash and fold anything you donate. (You don’t have to iron it like I do!)
If you feel able to donate in these difficult times, please do. I’m a firm believer in paying it forward.