Your Christmas Shakedown!

Well, here we are. The UX Strategy and Leadership course has wrapped up, and I am officially putting down my digital pen until January 8th.I know. Try not to weep. 😭Before I disappear into a haze of mince pies and questionable Christmas jumpers, I wanted to take a moment to say thank you. Genuinely. You read what I write, you tolerate my rambling, and some of you have been doing this for years. That means more to me than I usually let on.I hope your Christmas is wonderful. I hope you get some proper time off. And I really hope the next few days of "urgent" requests, last-minute deadlines, and "can we just squeeze this in before the holidays?" meetings don't completely crush your soul before you get there.You deserve a break. Go take one.Now, About That Gift...Traditionally, this is the part where I'd offer you some sort of Christmas freebie. A template, a checklist, maybe a festive PDF with snowflakes on it.But I'm not going to do that.Instead, I have a favor to ask. I know, I know. The audacity!You've followed my work, read my articles, listened to my podcast, and taken my advice on UX and conversion optimization. Hopefully it has helped. Well, now the bill has come due! After all, I have never asked for anything in return. Well, except for buying my books, attending my workshops, and hiring me for projects. BUT, other than that I have never asked for anything! 😜If you have appreciated what I've shared over the years, I'm hoping you might support something that matters deeply to my wife, Catherine, and me.Why This Charity Is Personal to UsMy wife and I both work with a small UK charity called Hope of Bethesda, which supports a school doing education work in rural Tamil Nadu, India. A few years ago, we traveled out to visit the school ourselves.It's amazing what they're doing with nearly nothing. They are giving quality education in one of the poorest parts of India. Education that helps everybody, but especially the girls.Girls often don't get the same level of education as boys in rural India, and without that education they often end up getting married very young and facing a life of domestic work.But this community-led school changes all of that, allowing girls to go on to further education and successful careers.What Your Donation Makes PossibleThe school has grown to around 400 students who travel from miles around because it provides the best education available in the region.Donations support:Education from early childhood through college. Many students are supported from age 4 through 19+. Right now, 10 girls are in college.Safe accommodation during term time. For many girls, this provides not just education but a stable place to live so they can attend and thrive.Holistic support. Academic learning, extracurricular activities, and well-being support that other schools don't provide.And it goes beyond immediate education. A child born to a mother who can read (which is not as common as you might think in rural India) is 50% more likely to live beyond age five. Education doesn't just change one life. It changes entire communities for generations.Why I'm Asking YouHope of Bethesda is tiny. There's no fundraising team, no advertising budget, no government support, and no major donors. The charity is completely reliant on individual supporters like you.Your donation isn't a drop in the ocean. For a charity this size, one person's giving genuinely makes all the difference.Look, you've been generous with your time and attention over the years, reading what I write and listening to what I say. If my work has helped you in any way, and if you have room in your Christmas giving, I'd be grateful if you'd consider supporting Hope of Bethesda.Give What Feels RightThere's no minimum. Give what feels right to you.Whether that's £10 or £100, your support will help provide education, safety, and opportunity to girls who would otherwise have none of these things.Donate Now Via Stripeor learn more about Hope of BethesdaThank YouThank you for even considering this.Your willingness to support something that matters to my family means more than I can say. Whether you're able to give this Christmas or not, I'm grateful for your continued support of my work and for being part of this community.Have a wonderful Christmas. Rest up. Eat too much. And I'll see you on January 8th, ready to dive back in.