Released on Monday, the song is a yuletide spoof written by Peter Kaye and Gary Barlow, profits of which will be donated to the NSPCC. For every CD or DVD sold the NSPCC will receive a minimum of 30p, and 10p per download.

Help the NSPCC give vulnerable children a better Christmas. You can buy the single at all good retailers including Amazon, iTunes and Play.com.

How much is this 5p really worth?
It’s a life changing sum for the workers who will be able to feed their families properly; a drop in the ocean for a company who posted 6 monthly profits of £1.45 billion in September 2008.

Help farmers get a fair deal, sign up to take action on Tesco by using the form on the Action Aid website, then download a personalised postcard, tape 5p to it and hand it in at your local Tesco or put it in the post.

Let Action Aid know when you’ve done your action and they will put you on the 5p action virtual map!

The IFAW and WWF work hard to protect gorillas and their environment. However, the battle is ongoing and conservation projects worldwide still require support.

The unlikely collaboration between Terry Wogan and Aled Jones singing Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth to raise money for BBC Children in Need came in at number 3 on Sunday! Visit the Bandaged website to find out where you can download copies of the single or buy copies in shops.

The One Show
Let’s Not Fight This Christmas by Chris Difford and the Decorations. The Decorations include the show’s presenters, Christine Bleakley, Adrian Chiles and the little dancer himself, John Sergeant. This song is available as a download-only single and Children in Need will receive a minimum of 20p for every download purchased.

Let them know on their blog whether you think it will be a hit or a miss! Unfortunately, the song did not make the Top 100 chart this week, so it is extremely unlikely to make it to number one for Christmas.

In recent years there seem to be less charity records at Christmas - could the dominance of the X Factor be to blame? Apart from Terry and Aled, there are no other charity records in the top 100. Will Christmas 2008 see the end of the charity single? Let’s hope not - buy Terry and Aled!

All orders for Christmas delivery must be made by 16th December 2008!

The 2009 RHS Flower Show dates have already been announced and tickets can be bought online through Keith Browse. If you’re a RHS member then you can enjoy privileged entry and reduced rate tickets.

Dates for Your Diary - RHS Flower Shows 2009
Cardiff: 17th – 19th April - Ticket Price: £9,
Chelsea: 19th – 23rd May - Ticket Price: £44
Hampton Court: 7th – 12th July - Ticket Price: £30
Tatton Park: 22nd – 26th July - Ticket Price: £9

The RHS is the UK’s leading gardening charity who aim to advance horticulture and promote gardening across the UK. Their charitable purpose is the encouragement and improvement of the science, art and practice of horticulture in all its branches.

RHS Membership - The Complete Gift for Garden Lovers

Don’t forget that you can also enjoy gardens and other important National Treasures with The National Trust.

For a limited time period Oxfam Unwrapped are offering a free box of chocs worth £10.99 with selected gifts. They’re not just any chocolates either, but a “gorgeous selection of hand-finished Fairtrade chocolates”. According to the blurb we were sent “they’re made using only premium cocoa beans from the Kuapa Kokoo farmers’ co-op in Ghana, whose motto ‘pa pa paa’ means ‘best of the best’ in the local Twi language”. Sounds lovely!

These chocolates normally costs £10.99, but you get them free when you spend £50 or more on gifts purchased from their website. Stocks are limited so this offer is only available whilst stocks last.

Free Fairtrade Chocolates at Oxfam Unwrapped

Fairtrade Chocolate Gift Ideas

"Divine Chocolate Black Fairtrade Cotton T Shirt (Women’s)" “Black t-shirt from Divine featuring the Divine Chocolate logo on the front, and the message &q … "Divine ‘Chocolate Makes The World Go Round’ Fairtrade Tee" “Eat it, Wear it, Support it: Divine Chocolate Makes the World Go Round! Divine’s new … "CASE 20 x Divine Fairtrade Milk Chocolate Coins 80g" “Save money by buying in bulk. Case contains 20 packs.These pennies from heaven are worth their … "Fairtrade Dark Chocolate Bittermint Thins" “Delicate Fairtrade Dark Chocolate Bittermint thins are an excellent after dinner accompaniment …

We have had a look through animal charities for some adoption gift ideas and have listed a few below-

Cats Protection
Sponsor a Cat Cabin for homeless cats waiting to be rehomed from £4 month

Cefn-yr-Erw Primate Sanctuary
Adopt a chimp from £25 a year and aid this charity which rescues and provides a home for many types of unwanted animals, especially primates, from zoos and laboratories. You can pick your chimp online (our favourites are Jason and Jeremy) and the recipient will receive a certificate and entry into the sanctuary to see their chimp!

WSPA
Donate £3 a month and become a member of The WSPA and help save stray dogs and other animals from cruelty.

WWF Green Gifts
You can adopt a dolphin, tiger, panda, orang-utan, black rhino, elephant or polar bear for a year from £19.99! Throughout the year you will be sent updates on your chosen animal’s progress and other projects you are helping.

There are two options available, the first being a monthly payment for a few pounds a month, although not large sums, these regular payments help charities plan for future projects.

The second is the gift adoption package where for a one off payment of around £20 to £30 the recipient receives a years animal adoption with a certificate and other goodies, for example a stuffed toy.

Donkey Adoption Yes, there are a number of donkeys from all over Europe who could do with some loving! Your recipien … Animal Adoption Show that special someone what you really feel about them by adopting an animal in their name. Wheth … Reindeer Adoption Experience Help to look after Rudolph and friends when Santa isn’t using them by adopting one from this W …

Your animal loving chum will surely enjoy an animal related present that is easy to look after (a card or certificate doesn’t need much attention) and won’t leave unmentionables in their slippers!

The items on the World Vision Must Have Gifts have been requested directly by communities the charity is working with to fight poverty, hunger and injustice in both planned projects and emergency situations.

For each gift you buy, you will be helping World Vision help communities to help themselves in both the short and long term.

The Must Have Gift list is regularly updated, so projects will not be flooded with surplus supplies that they cannot use and new items are added as they are needed.

Current Must Haves
1. Seeds for a family farm for food and income - £9
2. Tap to provide safe clean water in schools - £9
3. 10 fruit trees helps a family grow their own produce - £9
4. Meals for 70 children in Cambodia - £12
5. 5 chickens will lay enough eggs to feed a family - £14

To buy gifts at World Vision pick the product and then you’re able to choose from an ecard, one of six gift cards or you can personalise a card. Don’t forget to add gift aid if you’re a UK tax payer as this means 28p in every £1 is reclaimed on donations.

World Vision are not the only charity offering practical Christmas gifts, have a look at our post on Charity Christmas Gift Ideas

Charities such as Oxfam, World Vision, NSPCC, Present Aid and Practical Action, WWF offer a wide range of gifts starting from as little as £5 and that will appeal to all ages!

But what’s on offer?

We took a quick look at the Christmas Charity Gift shops and have come up with a few ideas to help you decide….

World Vision Must Have Gifts
1. 5 chickens will lay enough eggs to feed a family - £14
2. Buy a goat and help farmers in Kenya - £18
3. 10 fruit trees helps a family grow their own produce - £10

Oxfam
1. Health check-ups fund clinics in remote areas - £6
2. School dinners for 100 children in poor communities - £6
3. Build a bog helps prevents the spread of disease - £50

Present Aid
1. Beehive gives poor farmers in Bolivia another income - £21
2. Disaster survival kit to help families in emergencies like floods - £10
3. Basketball to bring people together through sport - £8

Practical Action
1. Fluffy ducks give eggs and income to families in Bangladesh - £10
2. Tiny Trees provide food and raw materials for people in Sudan - £15
3. Cuddly Alpaca help families in the freezing Peruvian Andes - £50

WWF
1. Picture Pocket Diary 2009 printed on recycled paper - £2.95
2. Adopt a wild polar bear; help this endangered animal - £29.99
3. Adopt a wild panda to help protect their habitat in China - £29.99

Don’t forget there’s also the Letters to Santa to help the NSPCC, mosquito nets, chickens, goats, toilets, even providing water for an entire village! You won’t have to deal with livestock turning up on your doorstep either, the charities make all the arrangements and will send a free card and momento to the receiver of your charity gift.

For just a £5 donation you can not only get a letter to Santa for your own child, grandchild, godchild, niece, nephew etc but also help other children as well. The letters are available in English and Welsh and there’s a special version for Baby’s First Christmas letter. You can order as many letters as you like (as well as offer more than £5 in donation).

Your chosen recipient will be sent a personalised and unique Christmas gift and the donation will go to the NSPCC to help fund their continued work to eradicate child cruelty. The letters are designed by Jason Chapman and the site is sponsored by Hotpoint. Letters will be sent after the 1st December.

Other Letters from Santa gifts cost around the same amount of money, but with this option you know your money is helping others this Christmas!