A new survey by Christian Aid reveals that the average British household overspends on food at Christmas by around £83.72.

That’s a whopping £1,109,290,000 collectively, on food that goes in the bin! This includes:

• 70 million mince pies
• 17 million Brussels Sprouts
• 12 million carrots
• 11 million roast potatoes
• 10 million parsnips
• 9 million boats of gravy
• 4 million Christmas puddings
•  2 million turkeys

 (see here for the source of the statistics)

Christian Aid have created a lighthearted film, Oh What A Waste, based on the 12 Days of Christmas to illustrate the point.

So, I am challenging myself (and you) to not buy something this year (or at least be more realistic about amount we buy) and donating some of the money I save to Christian Aid’s Christmas Appeal - raising money to feed families in South Sudan and Burkina Faso now, and give  them the additional resources to feed themselves going forward.

Additionally,for every pound the public give to the appeal to support people living in poverty, the UK Government will also give a pound. That’s double the support for families struggling to feed themselves in South Sudan, meaning even more mothers and infants under-five in South Sudan will be saved from the life-threatening effects of malnutrition.