Archive for the ‘Oxfam’ Category

With Easter just around the corner, now is a great time to pick up something unusual and innovative for your loved ones from the Oxfam Fair Trade Shop. They have just expanded their range of goodies and have some great gift ideas to surprise young and old (it’s not all about chocolate you know!). There is a huge selection to choose from, including -

• Paper Mache Eggs
• Wooden Easter Puzzles
• Handwoven Baby Bunnies
• Embroidered Cards
• Bunny boxes

Plus of course, for all you chocolate lovers out there, there is a wide range of milk and dark chocolate treats available in the all sorts of shapes and sizes (there’s even some shaped like chocolate bars!). There’s even a selection of chocolate hampers available for those that really want to indulge this Easter. So why not treat someone special to something a bit different this Easter with a charity gift from Oxfam Australia‘s Fair Trade shop, and help make a big difference to the lives of people around the world at the same time.

> > Click here to order from the Fair Trade Shop

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If you currently live in a marginal constituency, you have a unique opportunity to be a major influence at the next general election. WWF UK would like to use your influence to help preserve some of the world’s most incredible animals and create a better future for everyone in the country.

You may be wondering what links tigers, the general election and your future, and the answer is climate change. Rising temperatures are putting up to 30% of the world’s species at risk. Tackling climate change not only offers the opportunity to safeguard the wildlife at risk from a warming world, but also to help create a green economy right here in the UK. This could also open up the door for thousands of new green jobs during a time of high unemployment.

This years general election is the perfect opportunity to let your local politicians know that there is public support for action on a greener Britain. WWF UK has teamed up with CAFOD, Christian Aid, Tearfund, Greenpeace, Oxfam UK, RSPB and many other charities to encourage all of their supporters to ‘Ask the Climate Question’. This can be done by

1. Every time a member of a political party asks whatís important to you, list climate change in your top three issues.
2. Attend a candidates political meeting with family and friends to quiz them on climate change.
3. Get involved locally help with this campaign by writing letters to candidates

Marginal constituencies will be closely fought in the country, with political parties taking far greater interest in the views of voters in your area. With the ear of the politicians, now is a great time for you, your family, friends and neighbours to tell them that you are concerned about the future of not just humans, but also the countries wildlife and their habitats due to climate change.

> > Click here to visit the WWF campaign site

Help WWF UK with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF UK

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Oxfam UK will dispatching a six strong team of emergency specialists to Haiti to help bolster the charity’s response to the devastating earthquake that struck the country on Tuesday. Below is a blow by blow account at frontline from Cedric Perus, Oxfam’s humanitarian coordinator in Port au Prince -

> > Click here to donate to Oxfam Haiti Appeal

I have seen wounded people flooding into the hospitals and buildings of several stories high that are now totally flat. Several thousands have probably died in the quake, but it will it will take time to get a full picture.  Bodies may stay under the rubble for a long time because it is difficult to access some sites and heavy lifting equipment is in limited supply.

There are bodies all over the city. People have nowhere to put them so they wrap them in sheets and cardboards in the hope that the authorities will pick them. People have also piled bodies in front of the city’s main hospitals.

Oxfam’s teams have now started to assess the scale of the disaster, across the different parts of Port au Prince, as some have been more severely affected than others.  The epicentre was near the slum of Carrefour, where people were living in flimsy shacks. There are reports that over 90% of its buildings are in ruins.

Our immediate priorities will be providing safe water and shelter material for the people who have lost their homes. Many people have lost their homes and were sleeping out in the open last night.

There has been no rain yet, but there was rain earlier in the week and if it comes again it will make the situation much worse for all those made homeless by this quake. It is dangerous at night. Lootings were widespread and some markets were ransacked.

Oxfam UK is now preparing stocks to send to Haiti to help provide adequate materials such as plastic sheeting and water purification to aid the lives of those caught up in the devastation. With communications down and roads, schools and hospitals collapsed, millions of people’s lives have been destroyed since the 7.0 magnitude quake.

> > Click here to donate to Oxfam Haiti Appeal online

Now is obviously a great time to buy a gift from Oxfam Unwrapped, but if you purchase a a gift now you will also receive a delicious box of Fair Trade chocolates for half price!

That’s right, simply select your virtual charity gift for your friend, collegue or loved one, then at the checkout add the chocolates to your basket for only an extra £3 and they will be delivered to your friend along with your personalised card.

This great offer is only available when ordering online and cannot be redeemed in any Oxfam stores. Also this half price offer is only available while stocks last, so you’ll have to get a wriggle on to catch this excellent bargain as last year they sold out with 5 days!

> > Click here to shop online with Oxfam Unwrapped

Other top charity gifts

‘Cornerstone’, The Arctic Monkeys latest release, went on sale on this week at Oxfam charity shops throughout the UK. This is following on from the recent success of their ‘Crying Lightning’ 7inch single which sold 10,000 copies nationwide, making it one of the biggest selling vinyl singles of the Noughties.

‘Cornerstone’ has been released as a limited edition 10inch vinyl and is available in Oxfam’s top 50 music shops across the UK. Costing just £4.99 and featuring 2 exclusive B-sides, ‘Sketchead’ and ‘Fright Lined Dining Room’, the single also comes with a special code to download the single as an MP3 for free. Oxfam will also be giving away sets of ‘golden tickets’ to the band’s sold out UK tour in each area.

To help Oxfam turn yesterday’s hits into vital funds, The Arctic Monkeys record company Domino, are calling on all music fans to drop off any unwanted albums or CD’s when they pick up their copy of the single.

Founder of Domino, Laurence Bell, said -

Our co-operation with Oxfam around the ‘Crying Lightning’ single was a great success for all parties and did plenty of good. We are extending the partnership for the release of ‘Cornerstone’, which will hopefully drive many more punters to both shop in and donate to Oxfam stores.

Oxfam has more than 600 Oxfam shops selling over 1.8 million CDs and records every year in the UK, raising enough funds to run its entire Indonesian programme for a year and provide safe water for 8 million people. Plus with Oxjam festivals across the country raising more than £1 million through 3,000 events, your music if a great way to help fund Oxfam’s tireless work across the globe.

Oxfam’s director of trading, David McCullough, said -

Oxfam shops have always been one of the best places on the high street to find great music, as the success of ‘Crying Lightning’ proves. The partnership with Domino has broken new ground for us, and we’re delighted to be continuing it. Arctic Monkeys fans can pick up an exclusive from the band at the same time as helping us to fight poverty around the world.

Help Oxfam UK with a Charity Gift

You can help raise funds with Oxfam Unwrapped, where you can purchase virtual charity presents which make ideal and unusual gift for a loved one.

From as little as £6 you could provide 100 school dinners for children in Brazil, or for £95 you can purchase a camel for a village in the Sudan! A charity gift is a great way to put something back into the world whilst also giving your friends and family a real conversation starter.

> > Click here purchase a gift from Oxfam Unwrapped

View other top charity gifts

The Oxfam Unwrapped store is currently offering free delivery on all customer goods which are order online.  There is a great selection of gifts to choose from, including a special edition of the Ricky Gervias’ children’s book, Flanimals. These gifts will help people living in poverty to change their lifes, and help fund Oxfam’s work such as HIV/AIDS education.

There are over 70 virtual charity gift ideas that would make great christmas presents, plus loads of festive cards, books, clothing and accessories available from the Oxfam Ethical Collection. Postage savings range from £1.50-3.50, though if you want to you can cover the cost of your delivery, which in turn will ensure more funds to aid Oxfam’s tireless work around the globe.

An ethical gift from Oxfam Unwrapped is a great way to show someone you care this Christmas…

it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

> > Click here to order online with Oxfam Unwrapped

Other great charity gifts

Fatboy Slim’s record label ‘Skint’ will be headlining next month’s Brighton Oxjam in a series of events across the city, aiming to help raise money for the Oxfam charity ‘Here and Now’ climate change appeal.

The Skint records jam kicks off proceedings on Wednesday October 7th 2009 and will feature music compiled by Skint label stalwarts Kidda and Midfield General. The festival will continue around the city until October 29th, with all events helping to raise money to aid Oxfam’s work in developing countries as they come to terms with climate change.

Oxjam started in 2006 as a great way to raise money and awareness for Oxfam’s campaigns through live music. Other cities hosting events this October include Bristol, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and London.

The London event, Cool to be Kind is one that is close to my heart as it will be held at Matter Nightclub at the O2 Arena in Docklands. I was fortunate enough to attend the VIP launch of this amazing venue (big thanks to Mr. Dan Coshan), and as usual they have a fantastic line up for this event, featuring the likes of Mylo, Kissy Sell Out, and headlining, the uber cool eighties supergroup ABC.

So why not go down (and get down) at one of Oxjam’s many events across the country? Not only will you be raising funds and awareness to help people less fortunate than ourselves, but you’ll also get the chance to listen to some great music from artist old and new.

Help Oxfam UK with a Charity Gift

You can help raise funds with Oxfam Unwrapped, where you can purchase virtual charity presents which make ideal and unusual gift for a loved one.

From as little as £6 you could provide 100 school dinners for children in Brazil, or for £95 you can purchase a camel for a village in the Sudan! These fantastic charity gifts are a great way put something back into the world whilst also giving your friends and family a real conversation starter.

> > click here purchase an ‘Oxfam Unwrapped’ present from Oxfam UK

View other top charity gifts

The Oxfam charity shops are now the largest retailer of second hand books in Europe, selling over 10 million books a year! With many of the 700 Oxfam shops across the UK selling selling books, Oxfam bookshops now have 130 stores that specialise in the sale of just literature and music.

Many of the books that are donated by the public are handed in directly to certain stores, though there are many Oxfam book banks in convenient locations around the country. Due to the huge amount of books received, Oxfam now stock a wide selection of good quality paperback and hardback novels alongside CDs, DVDs and vinyl records.

Staff are even trained to spot potentially valuable books which then go off to be sold through auctions. Some high street retailers have claimed that due to Oxfam’s lower pricing scheme and lower rates, that they have an unfair advantage on the competition.

Oxfam books project manager, Suzy Smith, said -

For some individual shops, a high street business has become unviable. While it is true that our shops get a reduction in rates on the high street, we pay the same as everyone else for rent, electricity, heating, which are bigger costs than rates. Of course, all the money raised goes to help our lifesaving work around the world.

Help Oxfam UK with a Charity Gift

You can help raise funds with Oxfam Unwrapped, where you can purchase virtual charity presents which make ideal and unusual gift for a loved one.

From as little as £6 you could provide 100 school dinners for children in Brazil, or for £95 you can purchase a camel for a village in the Sudan!

These fantastic charity gifts are a great way put something back into the world whilst also giving your friends and family a real conversation starter.

> > click here purchase an ‘Oxfam Unwrapped’ present from Oxfam UK

View other top charity gifts

The first single from Arctic Monkeys’ new album Humbug, ‘Crying Lightening’ is available to purchase from one of Oxfam UK‘s 700 shops around the country,  Each single comes with a download code allowing fans to get an MP3 version of the songs for free, with two lucky fans having the chance to win free tickets to the Leeds or Reading Festivals when they claim their free download before 24th August.

There are 15 signed singles on the Oxfam online shop, and over 50 signed copies randomly placed in Oxfam shops across the UK, so you could be the lucky person to pick one up for the same price of £2.99. This release also marks the first time Oxfam have sold a new release single in 25 years!

Oxfam are also having a massive summer sale, with up to 50% off a wide selection of goods for a limited time. You can find fantastic discounts on -

• clothes & accessories
• music & movies
• homewares & collectables
• books

There’s also up to 70% off Fair Trade fashion items and Ethical gifts. Plus with prices starting at just 99p, there’s bound to be something to suit any occasion or budget. So why not grab a bargain at the Oxfam second hand store summer sale, because whatever you buy will help to change lives around the world.

> > Click here to shop online with Oxfam UK

This Saturday see’s ‘Stop Climate Chaos’ group members Oxfam UK, WDM, RSPB UK, People & Planet, NUS, Christian Aid UK & the WI get together to put on the first ‘Mili-band’ event of the summer at the Kingsnorth summer fête in Kent. The event is being held at the proposed site of a new coal power station at Kingsnorth, with the aim to show government minister in charge of UK climate change policy, Ed Miliband, that the UK must show true global leadership on tackling climate change.

The plan for the day is to form a giant human band around Kingsnorth and send an unmissable message that a clean, low-carbon future can be the only way forward at UN climate meeting in Copenhagen this December. It promises to be a family friendly fête atmosphere, with music from Get Cape Wear Cape Fly alongside internationally renowned Ugandan musician Geoffrey Oryema, plus loads of fun activities such as dancing, face-painting and lots of interesting and informative eco stalls.

Ed Miliband has already pushed through a Climate Change Act which commits the UK to an impressive 80% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, but still needs to invest in low carbon solutions not a coal power station. This day of solidarity will hopefully convince the UK government to ditch its plans to build the power station in Kingsnorth and think more towards a cleaner future.

> > Click here to find out more about the ‘Stop Climate Chaos’ Summer Fete