FOLLOWING close on the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday is the fast-growing altruistic antidote to the material excesses of Christmas. Taking place on Tuesday, December 1, it is supported by many individuals, businesses and charities, including Phyllis Tuckwell.

The idea of the day is a simple one to encourage both individuals and businesses to do something selfless for a good cause. Be it making a financial donation, volunteering their time or just spreading the word, #GivingTuesday is the day to do it.

#GivingTuesday originated in the United Sates in 2012 as the philanthropists’ reply to the start of the festive shopping season, which is kicked off by Black Friday’s sales and Cyber Monday’s online shopping.

Phyllis Tuckwell will be promoting the #GivingTuesday initiative again this year. This promotion will be predominantly through social media sites such as Facebook and especially Twitter, where the campaign originated.

The charity has created downloadable ‘Unselfie’ templates which supporters can print out and write on with a short description of what they’re doing to support Phyllis Tuckwell for #GivingTuesday. They can then take a selfie of themselves holding this sign and post it on social media.