Islanders are being encouraged to donate as little as £30 this Christmas rather than spending their money on 'stuff'.

It is estimated if at least half of the population donates 10% of the money they spend on Christmas presents, around £1.5 million could be raised for Jersey's third sector this festive season.

The Association of Jersey Charities believes it is a better way of gifting than buying people things they may not want or need.

Marcus Liddiard, Chair of the AJC urges islanders to ‘give differently’ by thinking about the need for more gifts and discussing with family and friends the idea of donating to charity instead.

"They will also be doing their bit for the environment by reducing the accumulation of yet more "stuff" that ultimately needs to be disposed of.

"There are so many ways islanders can support charities and our hope is that, through our campaign this advent and through our online donation tool, people will be inspired to support our charities and give them the best gift possible."

This year has proved tough for many charities with a number closing and 96% expecting costs to rise.

The third sector also believes it will see a reduction in donations, an increase in demand and the need to use reserves as a means to survive the increased costs.

Moneysupermarket.com found the average UK household spent £1,811 on Christmas last year.

Of that, just under £300 was spent on gifts.

The AJC says ff just 10% of the money spent on gifts by Jersey households was donated to local charities, it would total almost £1.5 million, making a significant difference to their work.