Our annual appeal is nigh – and I love it

It’s beginning to look a lot like the Telegraph Christmas Appeal. Just two more sleeps to go before the festive season well and truly begins for me, and for my colleagues.

On Sunday, everyone who’s anyone will be manning – and indeed womanning – our scrupulously non-gender-specific phones to speak to you, dear readers, and accept your munificent contributions.

I love it. I love it even more when someone specifically requests me. Sometimes this does actually happen, although admittedly it tends to be

when cartoonist Matt has popped off for a restorative mince pie.

There is a real ebb and flow to the day; by the volume of calls, I can tell when you’ve been to church, settled down to read the papers, or just finished lunch.

Then there’s the geography lesson. Glorious place names – from Swan Bottom to Great Snoring, Shepton Beauchamp to Gweek – that conjure up visions of frosted hedgerows glittering in crisp winter sunshine.

The more the merrier; calls and donations alike. Every so often a cheer goes up when a particularly generous reader gifts a four-figure sum.

But in truth, every last tenner is hugely welcome. Telegraph readers

need no reminder that Christmas is a time for helping others.

This year, as always, our chosen charities are hugely worthwhile. Changing Faces gives practical help to people with a visible difference in their appearance. The Fire Fighters Charity offers support after major incidents to the brave souls in that emergency service, and Youngminds provides a lifeline to parents and carers to prevent young people coming to harm.

So please give us a ring on Sunday and begin December as we would all wish to go on; with gratitude for what we have and graciousness towards those who have less.

And if I pick up the phone, I will be delighted to take your donation and share the goodwill glow of Christmas.