Every year as a family we have enjoyed making, writing and sending Christmas cards. We have also loved receiving them, and using them to decorate our house. They have been for us a good way of keeping in touch with friends, particularly distant ones, and of swapping news.

However, we would also like to cut down on our consumption, particularly at Christmas. Doing this means making some sacrifices. This year, we have decided that we will stop sending out cards and give the money that we would have spent on that activity to charity instead. This is not an act of laziness: we are finding it very hard not to be busy writing cards - but if it was easy it would not be fair to ask you for sponsorship.

We have chosen to support Crisis, which is a UK-based charity helping the homeless. It probably sounds a bit obvious but Christmas is a miserable time for people who have nothing, particularly if they have nowhere to live. We would like to contribute a little bit of money to help feed and shelter those people at one of the coldest times of year.

We would be delighted if you would support us in our endeavour, not only by accepting that we will not send you a card this year, but by agreeing to donate a small amount of money to Crisis instead of sending us one. Our target is a small one because the cost of cards is in itself small - we would be delighted if you would help us to exceed it.

Thank you!

Emily, Paul, Bea and Rozzy.