Tired of the usual glut-fest, this year my family and I are taking a different approach to Christmas. We've pledged to go easy on the presents and spend our time helping with worthy causes instead

If you find yourself visited by similar philanthropic urges, or don't want to spend the day suffering from indigestion and watching repeats of Only Fools and Horses, the first thing to do is start your search soon. Many charities close their offices over Christmas and given the short-term nature of Christmas volunteering, are unwilling to invest their limited resources in training people who won't stick around. All of which means that most voluntary work over Christmas tends to be limited to only a handful of charities. Don't be discouraged however, because these are the charities that will need your help the most.

Which charities to choose
Unsurprisingly, most opportunities lie within the homeless sectors. Charities often badly need people to help out at their homeless centres. Denton Brown took part in the Open House Quaker in 2002 in a church in Southwark, London, over Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Duties included cleaning, serving breakfast and generally helping the full-time staff.

'We spent a lot of time talking to people, as a lot of the people just want to chat,' said Brown. 'I'm not a big fan of Christmas at home, so it was nice to be meeting interesting people.' He continued, 'if you have any preconceived ideas about homeless people, it gives you the chance to see them just as people. Christmas Day was fun and it was a good contrast for them from being on the streets.'

Crisis (0870 011 3335) run a similar project called the Crisis Open House Christmas where they draft in a whole range of skilled and unskilled workers including hairdressers, doctors, dentists, chiropodists and complementary therapists to work at five homeless shelters in London. Unskilled tasks include serving meals, staffing an internet cafe and an arts and crafts centre, and spending time talking and listening to homeless people.

You can also contact the big charities and ask them if they are recruiting seasonal volunteers. Age Concern (0800 099766) is always looking for seasonal volunteers to take part in befriending schemes, for example helping elderly people out with their shopping. Meanwhile, The Salvation Army needs people to help in its 800 centres around the country. Work includes helping out at their centres for people on Christmas Day who might otherwise be alone, wrapping presents, and driving mini-buses.

Something for everyone?
For those in search of something a little more unusual, you need to be prepared to scout around. First stop should be Timebank who can put you in touch with local volunteering opportunities, and it's also a good idea to browse the local paper. Another option is to sign up for one of the 500 volunteer bureaux nationwide. These can reveal a whole range of worthy causes right on your doorstep, from helping out at a woman's refuge to throwing a party at your local hospital.

A good resource for the over-50s is the organisation Experience Corps. A quick search on their website www.experiencecorps.co.uk revealed tasks ranging from wrapping presents for children hospices, to delivering meals on wheels for elderly people, writing Christmas cards for infirm people, to entertaining weary shoppers with carol singing.

At the other extreme, students should check out the highly commendable Student Volunteering. Some of their tales are positively heart-warming. Take the example of one volunteer team at Sheffield Hallam University who hosted a party for 150 primary school children, complete with face painting, parachuting games, skittles, tug of war, a Santa's Grotto, a disco and, of course, the obligatory bouncy castle. The team managed to drum up £1,000 by throwing fund-raising events and persuading local businesses to donate gifts and cash.

Go solo
If you're feeling similarly entrepreneurial, one of the most satisfying ways to give your time is to set up a scheme yourself. The organisation Timebank boasts the proud tale of one 16-year-old girl who canvassed the local council and raised the funds to have the Christmas lights in her town put back on. Maybe there is a local scheme you could think of setting in place yourself. Whether it's organising a kid's party or putting on a pantomime, initiating your own project can give you a fuzzy glow and add an extra dimension to your Christmas.

Joyce Thompson, secretary of the Summerseat Cheer Fund in Bury, Greater Manchester, says there is nothing like the feeling she gets when, come January, the 'Thank You' cards start pouring in. 'We all like the sense of collective effort we have of working towards a worthwhile goal' says Thompson. 'It gives us a warm buzz.'

Together with a committee of 11 other locals. Joyce Thompson works year-round to raise fund to deliver luxury parcels to old and vulnerable villagers in the area, holding raffles, car boot sales, coffee mornings and pub quizzes. According to Thompson the key is to build up slowly. 'Don't be over-ambitious,' Thompson advises. 'Have limited aims at first. That way you can achieve something in the short-run and start to attract more people to get involved.'

Whatever you choose, Christmas volunteering is a great way to test the waters and see whether you enjoy it enough to volunteer year-round. If this is your plan, make sure you work out how much time you can reasonably give, and don't overstretch yourself. Like puppies, volunteering isn't just for Christmas. And once you've got the bug, you might feel compelled to build it more permanently into your life.

Tempted by volunteering? Why not find out more from iVillage's comprehensive Volunteering guide.