• Christmas Jumper Day: Blogging Kit

Christmas Jumper Day: Blogging Kit

Make the World Better with a Sweater

After years in style exile the Christmas jumper is back, and it’s helping to change the world.

On 14th December, more than 250,000 people (and counting!) will be wearing a festive woolly to school, offices and workplaces all across the UK, with everyone taking part donating £1 to Save the Children.

Think fluffy nosed reindeer and cross-stitched snowmen! Anyone can take part – you can decorate an everyday jumper with tinsel and baubles, rescue an old one bought in a moment of festive joy, or even knit one if you've got the skills – it's completely up to you.

Money raised from Christmas Jumper Day will help bring life-saving care to some of the world’s most vulnerable children. In the world's poorest countries almost 7 million children die every year from easily preventable causes like diarrhoea and malnutrition. Simple solutions, like vaccines and mosquito nets, save lives – so your knitted jolly jumper could make a real difference.

We want to spread the word far and wide to get as many people as possible involved in a day of jumper joy on 14th December.  

How you can help

We know that bloggers have a huge impact on our campaigns. Helping us spread the word about Christmas Jumper Day can be as simple as tweeting about it, sharing a link to the webpage, or liking our Christmas Jumper Day page Facebook. Here are the basics:

If you want to write a blog post about it, even better! Our Christmas Jumper Day blogging kit below has lots more info, craft ideas, celebrity images and links to free materials.

We’re really keen to feature any blog posts on our Twitter feed and Christmas Jumper Day Facebook page so do let us know if you’ve written about it.

Blogging kit

Registration and resources

People can find out more and sign up to take part in Christmas Jumper day at: http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/christmas-jumper-day

Once they’ve registered, they’ll have access to heaps of downloadable resources, including organisers’ kits and teacher’s packs for people who want to get their school, friends or workplace involved too. There are also posters, tips and template emails to help spread the word, as well as the all-important paying-in form so all donations are safely sent to Save the Children.

Celebrity quotes and pictures

We’ve got lots brilliant pictures of celebrity supporters wearing novelty knits, as well as some great quotes. So far, Alison Steadman, Ashley Jensen, Lauren Laverne, Jon Snow, Myleene Klass, Mark Wright, Erin O’Connor, Lisa Snowdon, Ben Forster, Vicky McClure and VV Brown have all pledged their support.

Knitters! Share the jumper joy

We’re thrilled that knitting supremo Debbie Bliss has given her support to the cause. With heaps of fans worldwide, dozens of books and an eponymously named magazine she’s quite possibly the knittiest of all knitters! Debbie had this to say about the day:

“I can’t wait to make the world better with a sweater! Knitting is my passion, and using it to help change children’s lives is extremely rewarding. The wool has been spun, the needles are ready and the pattern designed, so I’m looking forward to getting into the Christmas spirit with fellow knitting enthusiasts!”

You can download and share exclusive knitting patterns here:

And photos here:

The ‘knitterati’

We held a special knitting session with Debbie Bliss and special guest Trisha Malcolm, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Knitting, at the Save the Children Living & Giving shop in Primrose Hill. Fifteen top craft bloggers joined them, armed with their needles, to knit miniature knitting patterns designed exclusively by Debbie. You can download photos of the event here.

Bake or hold a crafternoon

We have heaps of craft ideas on our website, including ideas for decorating your own Christmas sweater, jumper bunting and a recipe for gingerbread snowmen to ice jumpers onto. Find out more at: http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/jumperkit

Where’s Woolly?

Our #whereswoolly online campaign features photos of Christmas jumpers popping up in the most unlikely places. We’ve got images of people from Ethiopia to Vietnam sporting novelty knits as well as woolly poses in front of landmarks including the Angel of the North and the Eiffel Tower.

Tweet your images of Christmas Jumpers in unusual places with the hashtag #whereswoolly.

How your money helps

If you want to show people how the money they raise through Christmas Jumper Day will transform children’s lives, you could use baby James' story. He arrived at our clinic in Liberia so weak from malnutrition that he could barely open his eyes. Today, he’s on the road to recovery thanks to our help.

You can also download our cost examples. From a £3 mosquito net to a £150 safe play area, these figures will help bring people’s fundraising efforts to life.

More information

If you need any more info, please get in touch via @savechildrenuk or email Kathleen Prior: k.prior@savethechildren.org.uk

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