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East Midlands business owner calls for kindness over the festive period amid a £2 billion shortfall for charities

East Midlands business owner calls for kindness over the festive period amid a £2 billion shortfall for charities

DID YOU KNOW THE TRUE MEANING BEHIND BOXING DAY? 

The origins of Boxing Day don’t come from sport or boxing up unwanted gifts or used wrapping paper, but instead link to small acts of kindness to the most vulnerable.

A charity platform is encouraging people to revert back to forgotten traditions and support good causes this Christmas. 

Investors in Community has already called for more than £5 billion of additional government support for the charity sector, with many good causes facing collapse.

Charity experts are encouraging people to revive the traditional meaning behind Boxing Day and donate time or money to good causes this Christmas.

Although some sources link the origins of Boxing Day to the sport of boxing or putting used wrapping paper or unwanted presents into boxes, it turns out that its true meaning is found in small acts of kindness to the most vulnerable in society.

Experts from Investors in Community, a charitable giving platform which links individuals and businesses to good causes, have revealed that the name derives from the giving of Christmas “boxes” to those less fortunate. Although the exact roots are unknown, the act of charity to those most in need is widely accepted.

Some argue that 26 December was when aristocrats and lords of the manor distributed “Christmas boxes” filled with small gifts, money and leftovers from Christmas dinner to household servants and employees in recognition of good service throughout the year.

Another theory suggests that Boxing Day arose from alms boxes that were placed in churches during the Advent period for the collection of donations from parishioners. Members of the clergy then distributed the contents of the boxes to the poor on 26 December, which is also the feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr and a figure known for acts of charity.

Investors in Community has already warned that charities will require more than £5 billion of additional government support and Philip Webb, managing director, said that good causes were in desperate need of backing from the public this Christmas.

He comments:

“This year has brought a huge number of challenges for people across the world and we know that Christmas is a difficult time for many people, so we are encouraging the public to rediscover the true origins of Boxing Day and support good causes over the festive period.

“Charities typically generate around £2 billion of their income over Christmas but with a huge number of fundraising events cancelled and many suffering from the economic impact of Covid-19, good causes will be facing challenging times over this period.

“We have already encouraged further support from the government to prevent the collapse of the charity sector, but the public can help as well. We must all find the true meaning of Christmas and give what we can to support the sector which does so much for the most vulnerable in our society.”

For more information about Investors in Community, visit www.investorsincommunity.org.


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