Charity christmas gifts: how to give to Salvation Army, Refuge, Oxfam, Great Ormond Street, Unicef and more
We take a look at the Christmas gifts you can buy for charities, to spread a little festive cheer to those most in need.
Christmas is a time for giving, and if you can spare a few pounds you could look at helping out those most in need by donating to a charity. Here’s our round up of just some of the charities and groups you can help by buying a Christmas gift and how to get your present to them.
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Charity
Brand new toys for children or babies should be delivered unwrapped to the hospital in Liverpool.
It says ideal gifts include Christmas selection boxes along with musical toys, rattles and soft books for young children or games, jigsaws and arts and craft sets for older ones. You can also support the charity by buying a hat through its ‘Beanie vs Bobble’ campaign with Matalan. It costs £4 for kids and £8 for adults, with all profits going to the charity.
Centrepoint
Buy a homeless person a hot meal for £5, a set of toiletries for £15, or cover the cost of a bed for the night for £35. The donation you give goes directly towards the cost of providing the support and equipment in its hostels over the Christmas period, which it estimates will cost £395,000.
As with some of the other charities, you can buy a ‘gift’ on behalf of a friend or relative and send them a gift card explaining what you’ve done or donate yourself.
Christian Aid
Buy a gift from Present Aid, its ethical gift shop, and you’ll be supporting the charity’s work across 50 countries.
Choose from ‘virtual’ gifts like a chicken (£4), a school bag and biros (£9), a sheep (£10), or nanny goat (£22). While the ‘gift’ itself won’t be handed over, all money given goes directly to the relevant gift fund.
So if you buy a ‘chicken’, your money goes towards livestock and agricultural projects and if you buy biros and school bag, you’re helping with the cost of training and education. Gifts should be bought by 15 December.
Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity
Buy a child’s toy and you can deliver or send to the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity in London. This is a separate address to the main hospital but details are on the website.
Toys or books should be brand new and unwrapped, so they can be matched with a child of the right age. Items on the ‘wish list’ include board games, computer games, jigsaws and musical toys or mobiles for babies.
Oxfam
‘Oxfam Unwrapped’ is the name of its Christmas campaign and with this one you’re buying a ‘virtual’ gift which includes chickens, mosquito nets, school supplies and even a toilet.
While the actual item itself isn’t handed over, the money you spend goes towards projects in the relevant area. So by buying a £20 toilet, you’re supporting its ‘Water For All’ project providing access to safe water and sanitation facilities.
Local hospices
Hospices across the country often run their own Christmas present appeals for both toys and gifts. Find your nearest one and how you can help at Hospice UK.
Refuge
Buy a gift for women and children escaping domestic violence from the Refuge Christmas gift list which is linked with John Lewis. Click on the ‘gift list’ link, put in the list number and choose from a range of items costing anything from £5 to £75, which include socks, toys, teddies, books, clothes and a Moses basket.
Its gift list closes on Christmas Eve.
The Salvation Army
Buy a brand new toy or gift to support the Salvation Army's annual ‘Christmas Present Appeal’ which distributes gifts to children, families, older people and the homeless.
All gifts should be unwrapped, and if you’re not sure what to buy there’s a list of suggestions on the website including dolls, teddy bears, hats, gloves and books. Find your nearest drop off centre by putting in your postcode online and your gift will then be wrapped and passed on.
Gifts need to be in by 14 December in theory, but do check as some centres may be able to accept gifts beyond this date.
The Trussell Trust
The Trust provides emergency food and support with food banks across the country. If you want to give a food parcel, all items should be non-perishable. Alternatively you can drop off individual items or make a Christmas hamper with things like mince pies, chocolate selection boxes for children and small presents. Other basic items like toothpaste, shampoo and nappies are also needed.
Find your nearest centre using the map along with a list of what’s needed in your area.
Unicef
Unicef runs an ‘Inspired Gifts’ range which includes everything from lifesaving vaccines and vitamins to food and toys. For £8 you can buy pencils for 400 children, a children’s gift parcel for £10, enough mosquito nets to protect seven families for £19.50 or blankets for five babies for £25.
Unicef say it uses local suppliers to deliver gifts bought, although if local needs change, a similar item will be provided such as malaria tablets in place of mosquito nets.
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