Oxfam Unwrapped – gifts that you’ll just love to give this Christmas

The tree is up, the letters to Santa sent and the mince pies are in the oven, now it’s just those presents to sort out…

This Saturday marks the traditional Christmas shopping day of December 8th and whether you like to join the crowds in town, shop online or by telephone, it’s never been easier to pick up an Oxfam Unwrapped gift this festive season –simply call into one of our 51 shops across the island, visit our online store www.oxfamireland.org or phone 1850 30 40 55 (Republic of Ireland) or 0800 0 30 40 55 (Northern Ireland).

It only takes a moment to buy an Oxfam Unwrapped gift, but it can change a life forever.

We’ve asked some of our furry friends to explain why they should be picked as Oxfam Unwrapped gifts this Christmas (warning: this video may contain cute animals).

All our Oxfam Unwrapped animals are locally sourced in the countries where they’re needed to ensure they don’t travel long distances to get to those who receive them. They are also vaccinated and given to families who get training on how to best care for them. In fact, we source every gift locally wherever possible to help boost the economy in communities affected by poverty.

Along with our incredible animals including A Clutch of Chicks (€13/£10), A Donkey (€47/£38) or a Piglet (€35/£28), we have lots of other gifts to suit everyone this Christmas, from DIY fanatics (they can Fix a Well €28/£23 or set up a Solar Panel €32/£26) to teachers (School Books €18/£15 and Educate a Girl €30/£24) and foodies (Feed a Family €29/£23).

Whether you’re looking for a Kris Kindle present for under €10/£10 (Mosquito Net €5/£4 and Drought-resistant Seeds €7/£6) or are raising money together with your school, group, company or club to buy a large-scale gift like Water for a Community (€1,000/£809), the result is the same – lives transformed for the better.

You can also help the youngest member of the family when emergency strikes by providing Breakfast for a Child (€10/£8) for orphans in South Africa, or support the training of nurses and midwives in Ghana with the Care for Mums (€20/£16) gift to ensure thousands of mums and mums-to-be get the help, expertise and support they deserve.

Some of the brand new presents this Christmas include the Girl Power (€14/£11) gift funding projects empowering women to stand up for their rights and tackle domestic violence (also part our Ending Poverty Starts with Women campaign), Literacy Classes (€49/£40) that unlock life-changing opportunities by training adult literacy teachers and A Small Loan (€70/£57) that help start-up businesses get the investment they need to create new job opportunities.

TOP: Volunteers and customers gather in our Navan shop to celebrate the launch of the Oxfam Unwrapped Christmas gift range https://www.oxfamireland.org/unwrapped. Photo: Ciarán Maguire. ABOVE LEFT: Amber Henderson (8) from Bangor showcases our Donkey https://www.oxfamireland.org/unwrapped/donkey and Clutch of Chicks gifts https://www.oxfamireland.org/unwrapped/chicks at Belfast City Hall. Photo: PressEye Photography. ABOVE RIGHT: Dublin mum Rosemary Lafferty with her children Declan (10) and Ailbhe (12), all Oxfam Unwrapped supporters. Rosemary says: “When a friend or relative opens an Unwrapped gift, you’re guaranteed a smile and often a big hug too.”

When you purchase an Oxfam Unwrapped gift, your donation will fund projects that your gift represents in countries like Malawi, Zimbabwe, the Democratic of Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa, helping communities to build a brighter future. Find out more about Oxfam Unwrapped here.

And you’ll also receive a beautiful 2013 Oxfam Ireland calendar with every purchase to remind you every day of how you’re making a difference.

Our 51 shops across the island of Ireland are busy hosting events to spread some festive cheer and showcase our Oxfam Unwrapped gift range, which is available in every store. Drop in, we’d love to see you!

For gift card delivery before Christmas, order by Monday December 17th if buying gifts using the form attached to the Oxfam Unwrapped catalogue or by Wednesday December 19th if you’re buying online www.oxfamireland.org/unwrapped or by phone (RoI: 1850 30 40 55 / NI: 0800 0 30 40 55).

And if you find yourself stuck at the last minute on Christmas Eve or receive an unexpected present during the festive season, you can buy an Oxfam Unwrapped ecard in a super fast time at our easy-to-use online store www.oxfamireland.org/unwrapped.

Since we launched Oxfam Unwrapped nine years ago, people north and south have truly embraced the spirit of Christmas by giving more than 140,000 life-changing gifts and raising over €4 million/£3 million. This has helped to improve the lives of more than 500,000 people affected by poverty and injustice around the world.

Change a life this Christmas. Thank you.