It’s just over two weeks to go until Christmas and everyone is frantically running around looking for that last minute gift or seeking out the top selling toy that no one has in stock anymore or buying enough food to last through to next Christmas.

Sadly though, don’t let the crowds fool you, not everyone will be shopping frantically because there are many families and individuals who simply do not have the money to purchase last minute gifts or the latest number one toy or stack their tables high on Christmas Day, for them Christmas Day will be another day just the same as every other.

Reasons will vary why such families and individuals find themselves in this position. For almost every family or individual they haven’t chosen to be in this position, they would love to be out spending too. Many will be reliant on benefits which do not take in to account the extra expenses of Christmas, many will be in low paid work earning barely enough to make ends meet at the best of times and others will simply not be able to work due to their health or having a disability.

I will respectably ask all of you that can, to give what you can, to help others less fortunate than ourselves to enjoy a real Christmas this year.

But in addition to cash, please consider giving some of your time too, for many families and individuals knowing that there is someone there to help or to show an interest is just as important, if not more important, than the material gifts and we can all give time regardless of our personal financial circumstances.

So let’s all give a bit less time to running around frantically and a bit more time to helping those less fortunate through Christmas and the New Year.

In this way we can all do our bit to ensure that Christmas continues to be the season of good will to all above all else. More from Kevin