Why not Cancel Secret Santa?
Research conducted by Movember Ireland has suggested that 44% of the country’s workers don’t enjoy their yearly work Secret Santa.
The charity commissioned a poll as part of its ‘Cancel Secret Santa’ fundraising initiative which it asks people to forgo the divisive tradition and reroute the money they would’ve spent on meaningless gifts, into donations to Movember Ireland. Where, instead of gifts that will end up in a landfill, their money will support men’s health in Ireland.
The campaign, seen on Adshel Live sites across Ireland, kindly donated by Clear Channel, comes amidst the busy period for men’s mental health services. Movember Ireland is hoping to make a positive impact this December at a particular time when many people struggle, and this may be heightened more so than ever with the nation still in the midst of a cost of living crisis.
" instead of gifts that will end up in a landfill, their money will support men’s health in Ireland. "
The poll made some revealing discoveries relating to office gift buying with 35% admitting to buying their gifts at the last minute, while 41% believe it to be a waste of money.
It would also appear that many gifts are never used, with 40% of those polled admitting to leaving their gifts in the office. Similarly, a shocking 49% of participants have feigned interest in a gift that they received to avoid any awkwardness.
Tracy Herd, Director of Global Program Implementation for Mental Health at Movember says, ‘Whilst we know there are often many reasons why people struggle with poor mental health, difficult and stressful experiences at Christmas could have a negative effect on your mental health. If you need support during this time please head to movember.ie or if you can please consider making a donation to help fund our vital mental health projects that support men year-round to build strong social connections and mental resilience.’
Johnny Owens, Country Director at Movember Ireland said, “It’s fair to say that the novelty has worn off novelty presents, so instead of filling a landfill with novelty mugs and Bieber t-shirts, you could donate to Movember Ireland that will help us to support men’s health programmes here. The Irish Secret Santa market is astonishingly large and if we could convince a small percentage of Irish businesses to ditch something that has become a chore we could make a big difference.”
If you would like to cancel Secret Santa this year, why not make your donation to support men’s health instead. Visit movember.com/santa
Of course you don’t want to come across as a total scrooge – so, we’ve got you covered. Download your e-card here and let someone know you’ve made a donation to Movember in their name!
*500 workers across 32 counties were surveyed via pollsters Bounce Insights in December 2022.