A charity is urging the public not to post physical Christmas cards this year but instead to send electronic cards and donate part of the savings to charity.

Making Space, a national health and social care charity which runs Oldham Dementia Service, says as well as vital fundraising, this will help people to spend less money during the cost of living crisis and also benefits the environment.

The charity says that in the UK approximately 150 million cards are mailed each year at a cost of around £1.6 billion. Sending fifty cards could cost around £84 with a further £42 on postage.

Instead, Making Space is asking people to make a one-off charity donation in return for sending its cheeky ‘elf-tronic’ Christmas card as many times as they want.

The charity’s Elf and Social Care Christmas campaign supports carers' services around the UK, including in Oldham, with the promise that 100% of funds raised will be used to directly help unpaid family carers.

One-third of all Christmas cards end up in landfill, and sending just one card emits 140g of carbon dioxide, directly contributing to global warming.

Bob Towers, fundraising manager, Making Space, said: ‘We are supporting vulnerable people through the cost of living crisis including unpaid carers, people with mental health conditions and people living with dementia.

“Many people are at breaking point with energy and food costs rising. Carers and disabled people spend more time at home, have more assistive equipment in their houses and travel more to medical appointments, so they have the least money but are proportionately spending more. This campaign helps you to spend less, whilst supporting a charity at the same time.

“Making Space is in a fortunate position that our fundraising team is paid for by management costs, so all of the donations will go directly to frontline services.”

Keri Smith, the charity’s head of development and fundraising said: ‘The cost of living crisis is also a mental health crisis due to the anxiety created when people are unable to have their basic needs met and can’t see a way out of the situation they are in.

“We now need more funding than before to offer additional help to the people we support in Oldham and beyond, whether that be food vouchers, money for energy bills, household goods or extra mental health support.”

You can help vulnerable people this Christmas and save money and the environment by sending Making Space ‘elf-tronic’ cards- https://fundraising.makingspace.co.uk/elftroniccards