All They Want For Christmas Is You

Charities are feeling the pinch of the cost of living crisis more than most — and it’s those they support who will have to pay.

Originally published by The Drum, December 2023

Regular readers of my articles kind of know what they’re in for. I usually hone in on a campaign or brand that’s done something particularly bad (or occasionally good), then stick the boot in with all the subtlety of a Tesla Cybertruck. I’ll even admit a smattering of cynicism can creep into my copy and yes this has, on occasion, evolved into downright indignation.

It’s fine — I’m old enough to own my frailties and admit that professional jealousy has occasionally crept into my pieces, too. Perhaps even a smidgen of verboseness when I’ve tried to come across as smarter than I actually am (TL;DR — I went to Harrow, alongside Lawrence Fox, which means I’m also as thick as pig shit and have the academic credentials of Little Mix).

But now it’s Christmas — our household is a place of merriment and anticipation. We have five chocolate calendars, two more than actual family members. Gluhwein is back on the menu, I’ve been to four Christmas markets already, and it’s only the first week of December. So I decided to write about something a little more wholesome, uplifting and hopeful — namely, the charity sector.