Charities at Christmas.

I sometimes wish people would choose a charity that is never likely to benefit them. And shouldn't we do our good deeds quietly?

Of course, it's a good idea for your grandchildren. So long as you are sure they will be happy with it.

It's not known how many children have a parent in prison - no-one has ever bothered to count. Many of these children will not be able to enjoy Christmas without charities or care workers to help them. Every year, probation officers try to find a way to help the families they are involved with by providing a Christmas party and a few presents donated by staff and local businesses. I take bags of stuff into my local office.

By the way (don't let on I told you), anyone looking for donations at Christmas will often find that solicitors who deal with criminal cases can be very generous!

I think we all would like to do more, but not many of us are in a position to do so. I support several local charities all year round and volunteer in the shop of a local hospice, I also donate tinned goods to homeless charities through my church.

I think the PDSA gift for your grandchildren is a wonderful idea.

The PDSA gift is a brilliant idea. Opens their eyes to needs and gives them a feeling of belonging to something worthwhile as well as giving money to a good cause.

I give to TextSanta because I usually have money on my phone so it doesn't affect my limited purse...if the makes sense

I shop in and donate to charity shops....again we both benefit...is that being charitable

I put a few coins in collection boxes if I have any money and I always try to do it for the Salvation Army because when something happens, no matter how horrible it is, they always seem to be the first on the scene to give help and support.

On the subject of children with parents in prison, I would like to tell you about the charity Storybook Dads and Mums. We had a speaker at WI who told us how much children appreciate having a CD of a story read to them by their parent. If the parent is unable to read they have ways of dealing with that and they edit the stories and put on music and sound effects.

Jingle What sort of a person would I be to walk into the PDSA, use their services and then not donate to that charity? I bought the gift for my grandchildren a few weeks ago, five years after my dog had a broken leg and the wonderful vets and nurses at the Manchester PDSA did a marvellous job of putting her back together again. Not only this but I had an attack due to my heart problem whilst in their waiting room and they attended to me with kindness and proficiency. I am not always in a position to repay what they did but could do for this Christmas and at the same time teach my grandsons that Christmas is not just about getting lots of presents but about care and love too.

I need to use the service again later today due to my dog getting an ear infection. I intend to donate again, with great pleasure. We are not all in a position to pay the enormous charges from regular vets.

I don't also see why giving should be silent. Many celebrities are on television all the time doing shows where there is an end goal to raise money for charity and they are commended for this. So should Jo Public too.

There is a local Free For All Group on Facebook for my local area which I joined recently to give away household items that I no longer need. The group admin also make up Christmas hampers of food, toiletries and toys, donated by members of the group, for the needy in our local area and I was pleased that I was able to donate to that. The local Pentecostal church does the same for locals in need irrespective of their religious belief.

I always arrange my DGCs Santa letters via the NSPCC and instead of sending Christmas cards I make a donation to the local Autistic Group, as do others in my family, which my great nephew attends.

That's very true rubylady.