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Refuge donate . refuge . org . uk / page / 86579 / donate / 1
Refuge opened the world ’ s first safe house for women and children escaping domestic violence in Chiswick , west London , back in 1971 , and has led the campaign against domestic violence ever since , growing to become the country ’ s largest single provider of specialist domestic violence services . They help more than 4,600 women , children and men daily ( at a daily cost of around £ 10,000 ), and you can help them by gifting a £ 50 safety and independence parcel in a friend or family member ’ s name . The safety parcel includes all sorts of useful help such as support with understanding and navigating housing , welfare and legal rights , and help finding work , training or education for women who have experienced domestic violence but wish to remain safe and independent in their own home .
Centrepoint centrepoint . org . uk / christmas-gifts
Christmas must be an unbearable time for the homeless , who no doubt feel more isolated and lonely than ever over the festive period , and Centrepoint ’ s ongoing ‘ Xmas Gifts ’ campaign is the ideal way to make a difference to the life of a homeless youth on behalf of your friend or family member . Just £ 10 can provide a hot Christmas dinner for a homeless young person to share with others in their hostel ; £ 18 will buy a Christmas jumper , which are far from a novelty for the homeless and are essential in providing warmth , comfort and protection from harsh winter weather ; and £ 50 will cover the cost of a Christmas hamper containing enough food to last a few weeks and a few festive treats too .
Christian Aid want2donate . org / charity-gifts / present-aidfrom-christian-aid
Present Aid is Christian Aid ’ s online charity gift shop , so when you purchase an ethical gift from there , not only will you be helping to fund the charity ’ s vital work to end poverty all around the world , but you can do so according to what and where matters most to you . Whether you want to buy school bags , books and biros for young kids in Bangladesh (£ 9 ), donate a sheep to a woman in Ethiopia , so she can earn enough money to start a savings group (£ 10 ), help stranded families to cook , eat and find strength together by installing a community kitchen in a refugee camp (£ 40 ), or support a rural Columbian family by providing time with a lawyer to help prevent their land from being sold off to palm oil companies (£ 52 ) – the options are endless and each is as worthy as the next .
The National Trust shop . nationaltrust . org . uk
Founded in 1895 by three people who thankfully understood the importance of our nation ’ s heritage and open spaces and wanted to preserve them , The National Trust is completely independent of government funding , so relies on membership fees , donations and legacies for its continued survival . £ 20 will help guard two feet of coastline for an entire year and you can help save the red squirrel from extinction for just £ 10 , both of which you ’ ll receive a customisable gift certificate for . If you ’ d rather give someone a tangible present , buy four jars of National Trust honey and they can then buy a 320g bag of wildflower seeds to enrich pollinator
habitat , or purchase three cosy polka-dot throws and you ’ ll enable them to build one metre of protective drystone wall .
GIVE YOUR TIME
If you ’ d rather not donate money and are passionate about supporting causes more local to you , don ’ t forget that your time is as valuable as any financial offering . FareShare is the UK ’ s largest charity fighting hunger and food waste across the UK and they have a centre in Ashford , Kent , that redistributes surplus food to charities and community organisations working with disadvantaged people across the region . You can sign up to volunteer at fareshare . org . uk / apply-to-volunteer-kent .
At home , a reverse advent calendar is also a great way to give at Christmas and makes for a gentle introduction to children of the notion that some people are less fortunate than others . Every day from 1 to 24 December , put a non-perishable food product ( tins , gravy granules , grains , chocolate , noodles etc .) into a box , then when you have all 24 products collected on Christmas Eve , donate the parcel to your local food bank . Sadly , there are lots of families that will benefit from your thoughtfulness , but that will thankfully have a better Christmas as a result .
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