How to beat the post-festive blues and positively kickstart 2018? Giselle Green of Constructive Voices suggests 21 ways to help yourself while also helping others
1. Become a gig buddy and go to an event you love with someone with a learning disability – www.gigbuddies.org.uk
2. Join a green gym: get fit and help improve the environment – www.tcv.org.uk/greengym
3. Throw a tea party for older people www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk
4. Start up a bra bank to collect old bras to be sent to Africa for recycling and raise money for breast cancer research – www.againstbreastcancer.org.uk/recycling/bra-recycling/ or donate new or gently used underwear – www.smallsforall.org/underwear
5. Stock the kitchen cupboards for someone returning home from hospital – ageconcernluton.org.uk/how-we-help/back-on-your-feet
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6. Use your tech skills to make gadgets for people with disabilities – www.remap.org.uk
7. Donate your old suits, shirts, ties and shoes to help an unemployed man look good for a job interview – www.thesuitworks.co.uk/how-to-get-involved/donate-clothes
8. Plant a tree in Manchester and help reach the goal of three million, one for every man, woman and child across the region – www.cityoftrees.org.uk/about-city-trees
9. Become a ‘food hero’ and help get great surplus food to charities in your community – https://planzheroes.org/#!/howyoucanhelp/transporter
10. Offer a room in your home to a young homeless person – sash-uk.org.uk
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11. Cook an extra portion of casserole for an elderly neighbour – www.casseroleclub.com/cooks_info or join others cooking surplus food for a community meal – www.foodcycle.org.uk/
12. Volunteer alongside other people with physical or mental disabilities – www.leonardcheshire.org/support-and-information/life-and-work-skills-development/can-do
13. Join a befriending project www.dorcas-befriending.org.uk
14. Coach young kids in football – acornfc.co.uk
15. Give blood – www.blood.co.uk
16. Connect with young people by becoming an over-50s volunteer in a school – www.intergen-trafford.org.uk
17. Combine running and doing good – www.goodgym.org
Image: GoodGym
18. Donate your old furniture – www.frn.org.uk/donate
19. Host an overseas student and travel the world without leaving your own home – hostuk.org
20. Join the girl guides and be a role model – www.girlguiding.org.uk
21. Be a good neighbour – www.neighbourly.com
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