Have you got a reason to celebrate this year? Whether it’s the birth of a child or a special birthday, why not share your smiles - Celebrate and Give with the NSPCC.

We often receive presents we don’t really need (or want!) and they can end up in the bottom drawer or cluttering up the spare room. Why not invite your friends and family to donate to the NSPCC instead of buying you a gift for your next special occasion? If your family has all the love and possessions you need, then you can use your celebration to help children less fortunate than your own. Whether it’s a naming ceremony, birthday or wedding, the NSPCC has the perfect option for your big day.

How can you do it?

Give our special Celebrate and Give donation cards to friends and family (they can be sent with invitations or handed out on the day) – these explain that you’d like people to consider making a donation instead of buying a present and your guests can return the card directly to the NSPCC with their donation. We’ll write to each person and thank them on your behalf and then let you know how much you’ve raised and who donated.

Alternatively you could hold a collection on the day using our donation boxes and envelopes. This is a great option if people still want to buy you something or as an informal ask on the day.

If the celebration is for a little one, the child or baby will receive a special certificate from the NSPCC and a "helping hand" spoon memento, so that when they grow up they can be proud to know what a difference they’ve made to the lives of other children.

What a difference a day makes

For a child suffering in silence, it can be a very lonely life. Every day 6,000 children call our ChildLine service and it costs just £4 to answer a call. We can reach out to children and give them a voice to speak out against abuse but we need your help.

Sally and James Howard are proud parents to baby Romilly and for her 1st birthday they decided to give something to others:

“We all give and receive gifts that we don't need and are often quickly forgotten. By donating to charity we knew that it would be needed. Our families were thrilled to hear we were doing something that would make a difference to someone else's life”.

The Howard family raised a fantastic £175 which could answer 43 calls to ChildLine. This simple act by them has enabled 43 children to pick up the phone and have someone to turn to.

Helen and Chris Blakemore were overjoyed at the birth of their daughter Lucy and were delighted to share her Christening with the NSPCC:

“When our daughter was born we were very fortunate to be overwhelmed with gifts and cards. This made us think we would probably get the same response for the christening and so it would be a good idea to channel this generosity to a good cause.

We’ve had our certificate framed and it’s up on the wall. It’s a great reminder of the day.”

It’s so simple, visit www.nspcc.org.uk/celebrate for more info or just contact Lucy on 020 7825 2867 or email celebrate@nspcc.org.uk to discuss the best option for you. We’ll send everything you need and do all the leg work for you!