It’s almost that time of year again when we all dress up, bake, and generally have fun to raise money for BBC’s Children in Need. It’s a brilliant cause, and one which we love supporting, yet it feels like its something that’s become more and more commercialised over the years. We are always looking for ways to support BBC’s Children in Need – but in an eco-friendly way.
A carefully thought-out theme.
Spots
Our school, for example, has chosen a ‘spotty’ theme for the last few years. This leaves it quite open for parents and teachers to wear spotty clothes, or get creative with homemade outfits. Clothing that can be worn multiple times is definitely a more eco-friendly choice, over specific merchandise, which however lovely has a very limited life span – most can’t even be worn again the next year as children grow so fast!
Every single year we have taken part, we have had nothing spotty in our wardrobes, and finding something spotty for boys is really hard work! We search ‘spotty’, ‘spot’ and ‘polka dot’ as search terms on clothing websites to help find spotty clothing. This year our outfits are from H&M which we chose with both sustainability and affordability in mind. Especially the girl’s jumpers, which can be worn both with cute dress dungarees and on their own with jeans. A few years ago we choose a shirt from James as it was the only spotty thing we could find, but it was only worn a handful of times as he spends 80% of the week in uniform and the remaining time he prefers comfy clothes. We have passed it on, but we are hoping for more wear out of the polo shirt this year!
I imagine we are not alone in having limited spotty clothing. Lots of parents at my children’s school had opted for spotty merchandise, and I wonder if they would have done so with a different theme.
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PJ day
Another local school has a ‘PJ day’. I think this is a brilliant idea as most people have a few pairs of PJs in their wardrobe already. Even if you feel like new ones are needed, they can be worn again and again, and they don’t need to be Pudsey-specific.
Non-uniform day
Other schools choose non-uniform days – which is definitely the most eco-friendly choice, it’s more inclusive and puts the least pressure on parents and staff!
But what about the money that specific merchandise raises?
Usually, only around 20% of the sale from specific Pudsey merchandise is given to the charity. Most people have a limited budget, and if they need to buy a specific outfit, they simply have less available budget to donate.
Choosing a sustainable theme is a good way to encourage an eco-friendly Children in Need. You could take action by suggesting a more sustainable theme to your school or workplace.
Sustainable Activities
Coffee morning or a bake sale.
Home baking is a brilliant way to raise money, and keep a low footprint. Sell your creations for 50p or £1. Our favorites have been these Pudsey cupcakes we have made for the last few years. This year, all our baking equipment is already packed up and ready for our house move – but we will definitely make something similar next year!
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Themed quiz
Create a themed quiz based on your friends’ interests. What about a sports, game of thrones, or nature-based quiz? Charge per person or per team, and donate the proceeds to Children in Need.
Gaming Tournament
Challenge your friends to a gaming championship. Play in rounds until the winner is crowned. This would work for both video games and board games and is a fun way of getting people involved. You could charge per entry and have a small prize for the winner, donating the rest to charity.
Whilst trying my best not to sound like a miser, I just dread to think of the environmental impact of all the clothing and accessories that end up in landfill in the name of a good cause. Let’s champion good causes while respecting our environment.
What things have you done to make Children in Need a little more sustainable?