Digital campaign #GivingTuesday began in the US in 2012 to encourage people to donate to charity in December, now it is launching in the UK

A new international movement asking people to give their time, money or voice to charity on 2 December this year is seeking charities to get behind the campaign.

The team behind#GivingTuesday is encouraging local charities, groups and businesses to start planning for the day now.

Based on a campaign that has already proved successful in the United States, #GivingTuesday aims to encourage people to give to charity in the run up to Christmas.

It falls directly after big shopping days Black Friday and Cyber Monday and asks people to do one simple charitable act on the day.

A road show to promote #GivingTuesday this summer aims to add to the 120 partners already signed up to the campaign. These include Cancer Research UK and RNIB.

#GivingTuesday is an opportunity to get people thinking and engaging with charities and their local communities – not just on the day itself, but for years to come - John Low, CAF

The campaign in the UK is being led by the Charities Aid Foundation(CAF) and Blackbaud.

John Low, chief executive of the Charities Aid Foundation, said: "We're thrilled that #GivingTuesday is beginning to gather momentum, and we’ve already been met with a lot of enthusiasm, in the charity sector and beyond.

“In the US we’ve seen some cities really take the campaign up for themselves – Baltimore alone raising millions of dollars – and we hope to inspire the same spirit of competition among cities over here.

“#GivingTuesday is an opportunity to get people thinking and engaging with charities and their local communities – not just on the day itself, but for years to come.”

The idea was launched in the US in 2012 by 92nd Street Y in partnership with the United Nations Foundation and has since become a global movement with Canada, Mexico, Israel, Australia, Singapore and Latin America all getting on board in 2013.

Last year the campaign had 10,000 partners worldwide, with support from the White House, Kevin Bacon and Heidi Klum, among others, and saw a huge spike in donations on the day.

To follow the campaign and find out more information please email [email protected] or follow on Twitter @givingtuesdayuk

Charities canf ind out more about #GivingTuesday by attending its roadshow events in Edinburgh on 15 September or Glasgow on 6 Ocotober.