Last year, Lance Armstrong's yellow 'LiveStrong' charity wristbands were such a great hit that they were almost impossible to come buy and sold on eBay for three times their $1 value.

Since then, other charities have adopted the wristband approach to charity by creating their own versions. Oxfam introduced the Make Poverty History white canvas bands with black clasps, available online for GBP1 each (or 100 for GBP10), via mobiles with a 50 pence addition for text cost an in Oxfam shops. A portion of the blue rubber Fear Nothing bracelet's proceeds go to The Cancer Society and pink Breast Cancer Foundation bracelets with the text 'Share Beauty Spread Hope' are available on iwantcheaper.com and amazon.com respectively. Nike has even come up with its own anti-racist versions.

A warning to all buyers: beware where you buy the bracelets from and ensure that your money does indeed go to a real charity. Many of the proceeds from bracelets offered on eBay have reputedly not gone to charities at all.