This Christmas promises to be the most unusual ever, and the Oxted Rotary Club, like all other charities, is having to adapt to the way they run their Christmas appeal for funds to help those in need, and will be running a virtual appeal, encouraging people to give a little, and take a little.

Usually there’s a large Christmas tree outside Boots where the volunteers collect loose change, but this year, the Rotary is asking for donations via TEXT and there will be a smaller tree by Elements so as not to break the 50-year old tradition of a Oxted Rotary Christmas tree in Oxted High Street!

To GIVE a little, Make a Wish to Santa and text PLEASE followed by your donation amount to 70085.

•For example, to donate £2.00, send PLEASE 2 and your text will cost the amount of your donation plus one standard rate message. 

To allow those in need to TAKE a little, we the Rotary is extending its Community Grant Scheme in order to help deserving families with children under the age of eighteen and has teamed up with Morrisons to provide Gift Vouchers for turkeys and other seasonal goodies in the immediate run-up to Christmas.

Oxted Rotary Club is inviting applications NOW from those in need, so if you believe that you are likely to meet the eligibility criteria and you live in Oxted or Limpsfield or immediately surrounding areas, please complete an application form and send it to us as soon as possible:

• To obtain an application form, either send an email to grants@oxtedrotary.org.uk with ‘PLEASE’ in the subject line, or, if you need a hard copy, request an Oxted Rotary PLEASE application form by sending your name and address to Tandridge Voluntary Action, email info@tva.org.uk.
• The value of Gift Voucher Grants will depend on the circumstances of the family applying and will be entirely at the discretion of the Oxted Rotary Club. 
• The vouchers will enable the recipient to purchase anything from a Morrisons store with the exception of tobacco or alcohol and applicants are required to affirm their agreement to these conditions.

A little give and take will make Christmas happier for everyone.