What To Do With Unwanted Gifts

Barnardo’s invites those who don’t get the presents they were hoping for this Christmas to consider donating them to raise funds for their work with children.

A YouGov poll of 2,000 people surveyed in 2018, showed that 60 million unwanted presents are given every year at a cost of £380 million. Barnardo's gift amnesty aims to turn those into a positive impact for those in need.

In other words, don’t throw unwanted gifts away or chuck them in the back of a cupboard, donate them so that someone else can use them. Why not get together with your colleagues and arrange for an amnesty in your workplace?

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What unwanted presents could buy

Barnardo's have listed some examples of the impact that typical unwanted presents could help achieve:

An £18 cookbook could pay for three young carers to enjoy an afternoon of respite from their caring duties, giving them the chance to relax and meet other children.
A £20 DVD box set you’ve already got could help to pay for an outreach worker for a vulnerable child.
The £50 too-big jumper could help pay for a senior specialist to spend an hour working one-to-one with a child to help them recover from sexual exploitation.
£180 worth of unsuitable console games could help cover monthly travel card costs for nine children, so they can afford to come to Barnardo’s to see their child sexual exploitation specialist.
The £250 television that doesn’t fit on your television stand could help buy clothing and baby essentials for a careleaver with a newborn baby.

“It can be difficult to buy the perfect present for a family member or friend.
So, if you unwrap something that doesn’t quite fit or just isn’t right for you, do something special and donate the gift to your nearest Barnardo’s shop. This will help raise vital funds so we can continue to support hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable children across the UK.
On behalf of everyone at Barnardo’s, thank you for your support and we wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year"
Barnardo’s Chief Executive

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Give as you Live Online is a FREE online fundraising platform that has raised over £35 million for UK charities just through online shopping. There are over 6,000 stores listed and over 200,000 charities available to support. Sign up, click through Give as you Live Online and raise free donations whenever you shop!

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Offers, donation rates and participating stores are correct at the time of writing and are subject to change. Please visit the Give as you Live Online website for the most up to date information.