Brought 100 school dinners for children for £5 (total: £37.82)

Sounds amazing when you think about it doesn't it - 100 school dinners, for £5. Damn. Imagine if every time you brought sandwiches in you did that - imagine if everytime anyone brought sandwiches in they did that... The world may be a better fed place... I did it through Oxfam Unwrapped, which I love... Here is what they say on the site about the school dinners: 'In pastoralist areas in West Africa, the presence of a functioning canteen is probably the single most important factor in a parent's decision to keep his or her child in school during acute food shortages. Having school meals available often determines whether a child learns to read or write'... which leads me on to my next point...

Gave £1 to a homeless man begging in a pub (total £32.85)

It smacks of really needing money when you get to the point of being homeless and stepping in to a pub to ask for change... This chap ticked all my usual boxes; namely - he was clean. He was also dressed in yellow, which seems to say he's trying to cheer himself up and he didn't then rock straight up to the bar with the pound in his pocket and a plea for a pint...

Brought a sick boy some soup £4.99 (total: £31.85)

There's a guy that sells the big issue down Carnaby Street, we chatted every day I walked past him for the two years I worked there. He remembers my name, but I can't remember his - he told me at midnight once when I was hammered handing him over a £10 because I felt bad. Anyway... he was sick the other day, all pallid and pinched round the edges with a grim gone glow around him - poor lamb. I brought him soup, bread, an apple and some orange juice. He still didn't seem that happy about it - a stiff glass of whisky would probably have been better, but Pret doesn't sell that - yet... Two hours later, and he'd perked up. He was shouting at some lady who'd trod on his toe.

Gave £5 to Water Aid (total: £26.86p)

I never drink enough water. Never. In fact, in Amsterdam once, a Reiki Master took one look at me turning up for an appointment, asked me what was wrong (headaches, aches and pains) and said 'You don't drink enough water. Come back in 3 months when you've started to get in to a routine and your bodies better' (sock it to me gently dear).

And it made me think, as I was getting all pious about having a glass of water with my breakfast this morning, that - for so many people - it's a luxury, not a chore... Water Aid is an international charity dedicated to helping people escape the stranglehold of poverty and disease caused by living without safe water and sanitation. Aren't they good? I copied that from the website. If you want to donate - do so here.

Gave $2 and 50 cents to British Airways 'Change for Good' Appeal (total: um, £21.86p?!)

I'd been in Seattle, staring at the inside of conference rooms and out at the world from taxi windows and was flying back with The Lovely BA (sorry, but they were terribly nice, must have been that ridiculous amount of money the tickets cost). I put the remaining cash from the US in to their envelopes for the Change for Good campaign. I think everyone should get in the habit of passing on their little bits of foreign currency, it just sits in drawers and pots and in corners when you're back home anyway and you never remember to take those random euros etc with you when you travel next - so get in to the habit. Drop your change somewhere. Most airports (like Schipol in Amsterdam for example) have collection points, if you travel with BA they'll give you an envelope, and most banks have something on the counter for this kind of collection too. Perhaps you could go and rustle through some drawers and stuff now and make a point of dropping off all that old, foreign currency.
I dare you.
Do it this weekend.
Do it tonight.

Now doesn't that feel nice?

Gave £1.20 to a man in a Santa Hat (total: £20.41)

This is a dolpin in a Santa hat weirdly and apparently...

There was a long, tall chap in Piccadilly (I'm always there aren't I?) before Christmas who was wearing a Santa's hat and the biggest smile ever. I was in a rush, laden with bags and bits but as I walked past him (hurry, hurry, quick, quick) he stuck his tongue out at me and grinned. I laughed and kept walking and then thought - 'he's the first person that's made me smile in the last three hours' - so I went back to give him change and he gave me an even bigger smile.

He was a nice man. I liked him.

Gave £0.40p to man dancing to house music with a banjo (total: £19.21)

It was a strange sight - some old smiling man, complete with banjo, sort of dancing around in a circle to house music. I thought they had to pass some sort of talent test to be a busker?... He was making everyone smile though and - in London - that's a talent in itself. It was rush hour too...

Gave £0.40p to the chap sitting outside the theatre (total: £18.81)

Actually, I'm not sure it was 40p (see previous post) but hey.
And I don't remember anything much about giving money to the man, except he was clean... Which seems to be a running theme when it comes to trying to give people change that might help.
So yea, perhaps I gave change to a man that was definitely clean.

Gave £3 to the lady in Piccadilly Toilets (total: £18.41)

I have been slack recently when it comes to posting although seemingly pretty generous with giving money away - thing is, can't entirely remember all the little bits and pieces I've done... Dammit, that defeats the object of this doesn't it? Have also been away - so it's not that I didn't wish to post. Perhaps the ones I forget can count towards the interest I thought I might try and pay back... Anyway...

The toilets in Piccadilly tube station are amazing. I know it sounds silly, but they're on my line and I never cease to be amazed that they're kept so clean when so many people pass through (have that statistic somewhere too, but hey)... So when I finally saw the little cleaning elf that keeps them so clean I gave her all the change in my bag, which turned out to be exactly £3. She looked a little surprised but in one of those pleasant - 'ah, most people normally ignore me' kind of ways - so I was happy.

Post Script however - check the sound of the hand dryers - it's hilarious. They're like a jet taking off - I've seen so many tourists nearly jump out of their skins - poor lambs.

Right - what else have I been handing out?...