Alternatives to Physical Gifts

Looking for something that will let someone know you’re thinking of them … and help other people at the same time? Here’s a list of charities and organisations that provide alternative gifts with great positive impacts.

Your gift can help a person who has had to flee their home begin to rebuild their life in a new place.

Asylum Welcome

Donate to Asylum Welcome and help them “offer information, advice and practical support to asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants living in Oxfordshire … [and] help adults, young people and families to feel safe, respected and understood as members of our diverse community.” Whether it’s offering advice, supporting refugee groups locally, or coordinating help for people arriving from Afghanistan, they’re inspiring leaders.

Boaz Trust

Donate to Boaz Trust and help them “provide safe accommodation and holistic support to refused asylum seekers and refugees who find themselves homeless. ”

CCOW

Donate to CCOW and help us work with churches around the Thames Valley to support refugees through projects like international cafes, drop-in centres, and programmes to find housing.

NACCOM

Donate to NACCOM, the national umbrella network of over 140 UK organisations and charities working together to end destitution amongst people seeking asylum, refugees and other migrants without access to public funds and help them “campaign collectively for a fairer, more humane immigration system that doesn’t leave people destitute, and share…learning, innovation, and resources” to be able better to provide for people’s needs.

Refugee Support Group

Donate to RSG and you can help them support refugees currently located in Berkshire through programmes like their Drop In Service that provides a safe space, social interaction, English lessons, and access to a Caseworker.

Refugee Council

Donate to the Refugee Council as it celebrates 70 years of working alongside refugees, providing practical support and acting as a chamption for refugees’ rights. Refugee Council offers phone helplines, mental health support for unaccompanied children, assistance for health professionals in finding employment in the UK, help with resettlement, powerful advocacy and much more.

Refugee Resource

Donate to Refugee Resource and help “relieve distress, improve well-being and facilitate the integration of refugees and asylum seekers in Oxfordshire, by providing psychological, social and practical support.” Refugee Resource offers counseling, mentoring, specialist support for women, help with access to work and education, football groups and more.

Welcome Churches

Donate to Welcome Churches and help realise their vision of every refugee who arrives in the UK finding a welcome from a local church. Welcome Churches offers training for churches in how to provide a good welcome, helps them prepare ‘welcome boxes’ of small gifts and local information, puts out materials for worship, and helps to raise awareness of our Christian calling to welcome those who come to our area.

Fairtrade Foundation

Donate to the Fairtrade Foundation and help to forward Fairtrade in the UK. Your donation “will not only support projects to bring Fairtrade to more farmers and workers, but also help them improve their farms, build demand for their produce and help strengthen their voices to negotiate a fairer deal – so they can truly trade their way out of poverty.”

Transform Trade
Donate to Transform Trade and help them partner with people around the world to make trade policies and practices fairer. (Transform Trade is the former Traidcraft Exchange)

CCOW

Donate to CCOW and help us promote Fairtrade in the churches and communities in the Thames Valley, across the UK, and beyond. Your donation could pay for a webinar with a producer, resources for a talk to a church or community group, or the costs of our working with artisan and importers to increase the markets for their products.

With governments’ aid budgets decreasing, sometimes drastically, the work of relief and development agencies has never been more vital. Donate to any of the programmes below and you give twice: the recipient of your gift gets a lovely card, and people in difficult situations get the assistance they need.

All We Can Extraordinary Gifts 

CAFOD World Gifts (Gift Cards)

Christian Aid Charity Gifts (Gift Cards)

Embrace the Middle East Alternative Gifts (Gift Cards)

Oxfam Unwrapped (Gift Cards)

A Rocha UK encourages church action through its Eco Church programme, inspires individuals and communities through its wide range of resources, and manages land for people and nature.

Green Christian offers a wide range of resources as well as an inspiring and supportive Christian community. Join by donating.

The Just Money Movement (formerly ECCR) helps Christians think about money and how they use their own economic resources to create a fairer, greener world.

Operation Noah inspires the church to take action through theological resources and campaigning, especially around divestment and the way the church uses its economic resources.

Worldwide, the Bible Society undertakes translation work to make the Bible available in spoken and signed languages, produces Bibles in a variety of formats, distributes Bibles, and improves literacy. In the UK, it focuses on making the Bible accessible and on showing its relevance to individuals and contemporary society.

Scripture Union provides Bible-related resources and has a particular strength in reaching children and young people.

Wycliffe Bible Translators helps partners worldwide bring Bibles to communities in the languages that they know best.