Christmas Charity Gifts (and ways to do good)

georgetherunner

As far as I am aware, they don't do gifts, but The Kitchen Table Charities Trust, set up by John Humphrys, advertises itself as not spending a penny on administration in the UK. That gets my vote.

driftwood19

I have downloaded the new charity single from Isle of Wight Unite - We are the World 2011. This supports the local hospice and was produced by 25 singers giving their time to release this single. Instead of buying Christmas cards / stamps etc, I have sent a link to the YouTube video and the Amazon download link with an e-mail. For close family I have purchased the CD.

Available on Amazon and iTunes - search Isle of Wight Unite

CD's can be purchased from isleofwightunite dot com

Full video can be viewed on YouTube by searching Isle of Wight Unite.

:grouphug:

peterkillen

I have used this for a number of years for both Giving AND Receiving and found World Gifts via the CAFOD site to be an excellent option with a variety of gifts. This year they have 12 gifts under £100 and 3 over £100. Far better than buying / receiving something you do not want or will not use.

Melusine

The Charity World In Need also has an Alternative Christmas Gift list. You can buy chickens for Kenya or hygiene kits for Ethiopia, stationery and school desks for Pakistan and warm blankets for Afghanistan, among many other things.

Details on https://www.worldinneed.co.uk or on their blog (http://worldinneedwinners.blogspot.com)

Muckleflugga

Mary's Meals is a brilliant charity with very low running costs (93p per pound goes on charitable activities), now feeding over 600,000 children daily. Mary’s Meals provides daily meals to chronically hungry children in their local school. In this way the hungry child is encouraged to attend school and, through education, gain a better future for himself and his community.
Go to their website - just Google "Mary's Meals" and follow the links to "What you can do" and then "Alternative giving".

supersaverem

Following on from a hedgehog forum post in the summer, I would like to recommend gifts from the same charity People's Trust for Endangered Species.

Their 'Gifts of Nature' are essentially a donation to a certain animal or conservation project and in return you get a lovely card explaining where the money has gone with pics of the animals.

£5- buys a stag beetle home
£12- buys a hedgehog survey tunnel or a honeymmon hamper for dormice!!
£20- buys conservation lessons for locals in Kenya
£30- can track a giraffe
etc etc

Take a look at ptes.org/shop or search ptes gifts of nature
(can also add gift aid )

decleyn

Dear Martin

Please could you add this fund raising site for UNICEF to your charity gift page.

OwnAColour.com

The site aims to sell all 16.7 million colours that a computer, smartphone or tablet can generate for just £1 each.

You can also give your friends a COLOUR FOR CHRISTMAS with our new facebook app facebook.com/ownacolour - what colour will they choose?

Merry Christmas to you all.

Best,

Rob DeCleyn

axelariat

I would like to suggest the RNLI's lifesaving gifts, as a charity gift. These guys do a lot of good work at sea. You can buy their crew members some supplies and clothing on behalf of someone, it all goes to a good cause.

Google 'RNLI Shop', visit the website, and under 'Gifts and Games' click on 'Lifesaving Gifts'.

Best wishes to all.

mbell

I know this was already mentioned, but I just wanted to provide the website for the CAFOD World Gifts page. Last orders are today to arrive by Christmas!

worldgifts. cafod. org. uk

For £15 you can buy an emergency kit, really important right now, especially with the East Africa crisis. My favourite though is the pair of piglets for £25.

london_lass

Each Xmas I don't send cards - instead I save the money up that I would've spent on them and donate to Charity! This year I chose Cats Protection (through their 'cats charity gifts' website) and they're doing a lovely Xmas promotion for "virtual gifts"

£5 buys an unwanted/abandoned cat a toy for Christmas
£10 buys a flea treatment for a rescued cat
£12 buys an unwanted/abandoned kitten enough food for over the holiday period
£15 buys a "vet kit" to help sick and injured cats and kittens

There are other, more expensive ones, but these are so sweet. And you can choose to get a card sent to you to confirm your support :-)