Time to give something back?

As compers, we get more than our fair share of good news. We never  know when the next "Congratulations you have won" message will pop up in an email, a letter, a tweet, a text message or a phone call. Yet recently we've all been aware of the terrible bad news that has been affecting people all over the world, and especially in Japan where the earthquake and tsunami have caused such terrible devastation.

If, like me, you have watched the news feeling shocked and  horrified, and thought "I wish there was something I could  do to help", read on! We haven't all got the skills and time needed to be able to go over there and help to search for survivors, or to help people to rebuild their homes and their lives. We can't all afford to make donations as big as we would like  to be able to,  to the charities  set up to support the bereaved and assist the survivors.

But as compers, one thing we can do  is WIN STUFF! So Superlucky Di has had a brilliant idea - how about auctioning unwanted  prizes on Ebay, in aid of the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami fund. You can donate between 10% and 100% of the closing price to the appeal. Di has described how it works, and given a link to the listings so far, on her blog.

Please support Di's brilliant idea, either by offering unwanted prizes of your own or by bidding on the goodies that other people  sell. Think of it as  a way of using some of  your GOOD news to set off a little of  somebody else's BAD news.

The late Joy Thorpe, one of the must successful compers and biggest winners of all time,   firmly believed that one of the reasons for her amazing success was  that she donated, in cash or in kind,the equivalent of 10% of all her winnings to charity. Maybe now is the time to test that theory. Even if it doesn't work  for you, you will still have made a difference to somebody's life.