It’s all too easy to get caught up in the frantic hustle and bustle of the festive season.  Much of this is generated by others to ‘encourage’ excess!  Sometimes we forget that Christmas should be about putting others first and making those small, simple gestures which truly make a difference.

This festive season, don’t wait until New Year’s Eve to start making  resolutions which often end in failure.  Make this festive season and 2010 a time when you become a positive impact on people and the world around you.

You may wish to consider some or all of the following suggestions or why not add your own?  Be the difference you want to see in the world, we can all do this, regardless of age or circumstance.

Volunteer – Donate an hour a week to a worthy cause, a local charity, club or group.
o    Action: check out the Causeway Volunteer Centre at www.causewayvc.org

Buy less food/waste less – up to 1/3 of the food you buy can end up as waste!  Every adult in Ballymoney wastes up to £420 per year, amounting to over £8 million for the Borough.  If Oxfam Ireland used this for crop kits, they could teach 350,000 families in Africa to grow their way out of poverty and poor health.
o    Action: check out www.lovefoodhatewaste.com for lots of useful tips on how to reduce the amount of food waste.

Buy ethical or fairly traded presents – ensure those who produce your presents this Christmas get a fair wage and are not treated badly.  Oxfam Ireland and Traidcraft are two outlets that provide fair trade goods but there is a range of others.
o    Action: check out www.fairtrade.org.uk for more information.

Charity Presents -If you want something a little different, why not consider the range of gifts offered by charities, which help others.  So, whether you want to buy a goat or some schoolbooks for children in Africa, there is something for everyone. 
o    Action: www.roadofhope.org.uk, www.oxfamirelandunwrapped.com, www.trocaire.org, www.christianaid.org.uk,

Charity shops – The obvious thing is to donate unwanted items but many charity shops also offer quirky gifts not found elsewhere.  Don’t forget, when you’re there why not buy something as well as donating?
o    Action: Visit your local charity shop, especially if you have never been to one.

Adopt an animal – many of the world’s animals are under threat for a variety of reasons.  You can adopt everything from elephants to dolphins to gorillas.  They make great presents for children of all ages and the money goes towards helping to conserve these magnificent animals.
o    Action: visit www.wwf.org.uk website for the World Wide Fund for Nature

Christmas Walk/Cycle – Go for a walk with your family or on your own to enjoy a little tranquillity.  The outdoor environment is there to be appreciated all year round.
o    Action: check out the network of cycle paths in Ballymoney or why not feed the birds on a walk around Riverside Park?

Feathered friends – At this time of year, it’s important to feed birds but once you start, don’t stop!
o    Action: try putting food out, you don’t need a bird table.

Christmas cards – You can recycle these through Tesco, with all money raised going to help the Woodland Trust plant new trees.
o    Action: put old cards in the container at Tesco


For more information on any of these, contact Ballymoney Borough Council on 2766 0257