Body Happy Organisation Launches Advent Fundraising Campaign to Promote Body Respect During Festive Season
Thursday 27 November, 2025 – As the holiday season approaches, the Body Happy Organisation has announced a new tradition for families, schools, sports groups, and community organisations to participate in. The organisation’s Advent fundraising campaign, set to launch this December, aims to shift the focus from body shame to joy, gratitude, and celebration.
According to research by YouGov, more than two in five people experience stress during the festive period, with body image concerns playing a significant role. The pressure to meet societal beauty standards, influenced by generational attitudes, social pressures, and unrealistic online ideals, can intensify during Christmas gatherings, endless photos, and food-focused conversations.
To combat this, the Body Happy Organisation has created a new kind of Advent calendar. Throughout the 24 days leading up to Christmas, the organisation will share a daily “body respect challenge” to encourage positive conversations, gentle movement, and kindness towards ourselves and others.
Founder of the Body Happy Organisation, Molly Forbes, explains, “Christmas should be a time of joy and connection, not comparison and criticism. Our Advent challenge gives families, schools, and communities simple, uplifting ways to celebrate what their bodies can do – not what they look like. Small shifts in perspective can have a huge impact on wellbeing, especially for young people.”
Funds raised through this campaign will support the Body Happy Schools Programme, which aims to create classroom cultures of body respect and empower children to grow up free from body shame.
Individuals and groups can participate in the challenge for fun or as a sponsored activity. It can be as simple as a morning walk or as adventurous as a daily dip in the sea, rivers, lakes, or pools. Two enthusiastic supporters, Terri and Allie, are leading the “Seas the Season” coastal Advent challenge, encouraging daily dips in the water that correspond with the date. The organisation also provides alternative ideas for those who prefer to stay dry.
Forbes highlights the importance of promoting body respect during the festive season, stating, “Beneath the festive sparkle, many people face harmful body-related pressures, such as comments about appearance from relatives, stress over festive food and outfits, and ‘new year, new me’ messages that promote guilt and restriction. Young people absorb everything adults say about bodies, food, and appearance – even when we think they aren’t listening. By changing our conversations, especially at this time of year, we can break the cycle of shame and create a kinder environment for future generations.”
The Body Happy Organisation invites everyone to join in on the Advent challenge and help build a future where every child grows up free from body shame. To get involved, individuals can participate in the Body Respect Advent challenge, start a sponsored activity, or contribute to the cause. Let’s work together to change the narrative and celebrate connection instead of comparison this holiday season.
