Christmas can be a difficult time of year. If you want to help bring a smile to someone's face this festive season, here are just a few ways you can help someone in Dorset.

We'll be adding to this list over the coming weeks with more ideas.

If you're a charity who needs help with a Christmas campaign, shoebox collection or you want to tell us about an event you're holding for others, email digital@bournemouthecho.co.uk 

1. Donate a gift to our toy appeal

This year the Daily Echo is running its 20th annual Toy Appeal. We've teamed up with Natwest once again to collect toys for sick and disadvantaged children across Dorset. We're also joining up with Amelia’s Rainbow Fund and the Trussell Trust to help support the foodbanks’ Christmas hamper appeal. Gifts will be collected at the Daily Echo offices in Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, and our Swanage office in Commercial Road. There will also be collection bins at NatWest branches in Bournemouth, Westbourne, Poole High Street, Upper Parkstone, Canford Cliffs, Broadstone, Wimborne, Boscombe, Southbourne, Winton, Castlepoint, Christchurch and New Milton. The Toy Appeal will run until Friday, December 16 so we can get all the gifts wrapped and ready for Christmas delivery. Anyone who would like to give a toy to a specific charity, please label your donation.

2. Hold a Christmas Day activity for the elderly 

National charity Friends of the Elderly is calling on people in Dorset to hold Christmas Day activities in their community, so no older person will be alone unless they want to be. Last year, 13 activities in Dorset were registered with Community Christmas, including Christmas Day lunches in Bournemouth, Swanage and Poole. But even more are needed to reach as many older people as possible.  If you’re organising an activity on Christmas Day, or know of one in your area, contact Community Christmas so it can be listed on the website making it easier for older people to know what’s happening in Dorset. Visit http://communitychristmas.org.uk/get-involved/events-and-activities/

3. Pack a shoebox for the homeless 

Bournemouth coach station is running an appeal to help the homeless this festive season. National Express is asking kind-hearted people travelling on its coaches from the Travel Interchange in Holdenhurst Road to donate a shoebox of items for people sleeping rough this Christmas. The company is asking for donations of toiletries, as well as warm clothing and dried and canned food. The boxes will then be distributed via a local charity.

4. Donate your winter fuel allowance

One in 10 households in Dorset is currently in fuel poverty and having to make the difficult choice between heating and eating. Each year, the The Dorset Community Foundation's Surviving Winter Appeal aims to collect donations from older members of the public who receive their winter fuel allowance but do not need it. Could you give up yours? To donate to the Surviving Winter Appeal and help an older person in Dorset, send a cheque made out to Dorset Community Foundation to: Surviving Winter, The Spire, High Street, Poole, BH15 1DF.

5. Donate food to someone in need

Almost 3,000 children received emergency food supplies from Bournemouth Foodbank in one year. The foodbank, which is part of the Trussell Trust Foodbank Network, distributes up to 250 parcels per week at its busiest times. You can find a list of food donation locations and items that are urgently needed at https://bournemouth.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food. They also urgently need warehouse volunteers. To help call 01202 900979.

If you're spending Christmas alone this year

1. Lonely pensioners will be made welcome at a Highcliffe nursing home this Christmas. Kingsley Healthcare’s Highcliffe home in Stuart Road is to open its doors to guests on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. On all three days, pensioners are welcome to visit the home for lunch and share the company of residents and staff during the afternoon.

Operations manager Debbie Preston said: “To ensure we can plan things properly, We unfortunately won’t be able to accommodate people turning up unannounced. Anyone interested in joining us should call the home in advance and reserve a place. Of course, numbers will be limited.”
For more information, call Queen Charlotte manager Val Herring on 01305 773128 or Tracey Millar on 01425 272093.

2. Any single people or couples of any age who will be alone on Christmas Day are invited to attend the Churches Together in Wareham Christmas Day Party. The event runs from midday to 4.30pm and it is free to all who attend, with volunteers from the team giving up their time on Christmas Eve to help with food preparation, decorating the tables and setting out the hall. For more information about attending the event as a guest or volunteer, call the parish office on 01929 550905.

3. Wimborne residents who will be spending Christmas day alone this year are invited to a festive lunch at St John’s Church in Leigh Road. Tickets are priced at £5 and people of all ages are welcome. Transport to the church can be provided. To book a ticket, call 01202 842255 or email office@stjohnswimborne.org.uk

4. Lansdowne Church is putting on Christmas dinner with all the trimmings for those who will be spending Christmas Day alone or unable to have a meal. The event takes place at the Woodbury Avenue site at 12.30pm. If you would like to help on the day or are interested in attending please get in touch with Tom on either 01202 297977 or email tom.davenport@lansdownechurch.uk.