During this year’s unusual festive season, most of us will be doing our Christmas shopping online. To find ethical, handmade, creative gifts from businesses run by or supporting refugees, check out our alternative shopping guide!
Anqa Collective
An online marketplace developed by TERN, one of our wonderful partner charities that supports refugee entrepreneurs to set up their own independent businesses. Anqa features products like handmade lingerie, beauty treatments, coffee, homemade baklava, meditation courses and more. Their festive shop range includes themed boxes like ‘The Lockdown Box’ full of luxurious treats to spoil your loved ones.
What's your favourite morning coffee? ☕
This festive season you can enjoy your caffeine fix AND support refugee businesses, by treating yourself (or the coffee lover in your life!) to a Haven Coffee gift box, with 2 coffee bags & a tote bag!
Shop: https://t.co/SReFvgIY2B pic.twitter.com/yqMiiubR3U
— Anqa Collective (@AnqaCollective) November 21, 2020
Breadwinners
London-based charity, Breadwinners, helps asylum seekers and refugees into employment, providing work experience and training on their market stalls and online bread delivery. Order a box of delicious artisan treats, a sourdough bread subscription, or a gift voucher via their online shop.
Love Welcomes
Beautiful rugs, cushions and other homeware goods are handwoven by refugee women, from reclaimed life jackets and blankets that wash up on European shores. Love Welcomes have partnered with the infamous Banksy to design an iconic welcome mat made from life-vests. The mat is so popular it has its own waiting list!
We make #beautiful things, but there’s so much more to it. Every piece is part of a much bigger story.
A story of laughter, with friends working together. Of pride & strength that comes from creativity & improving the lives of your #community #LOVE WELCOMES
MORE THAN BEAUTIFUL pic.twitter.com/SCAKTXWkGD— Love Welcomes (@LoveWelcomes) November 17, 2020
Migrateful
Social Enterprise, Migrateful, offers incredible cooking classes run by their resident refugee chefs. They are offering virtual festive cooking classes, complete with a box of ingredients (and optional wine and an apron) that is delivered beforehand. A perfect alternative to the office Christmas party, or a lovely way to celebrate the holidays with family and friends from a distance.
Proof Bakery
Coventry-based bakery, Proof, trains and employs refugee women and sell delicious bread, baklava, and other baked goods. They also donate thousands of loaves to their local food bank. If you are a Coventry local, order one of their boxes, or learn to bake your own sourdough with their DIY kit. Wherever you are you can join in their online Syrian Biscuit Making classes and learn to bake traditional Syrian ma’amoul.
How about gifting a Zoom baking class this Christmas? ?? We send out a box of kit and ingredients beforehand, it's taught by a refugee baker, is kid-friendly, and will make your house smell AMAZING. No brainer. https://t.co/lvLus6C1US #winterbaking #thisisProof pic.twitter.com/D6gWlPTkFI
— Proof Bakery (@proofbakeryuk) November 11, 2020
Hope Projects
Residents of Hope Projects, a charity that supports destitute asylum seekers, have designed beautiful t-shirts, tote bags and prints. Ethically made using organic materials and renewable electricity, the designs make excellent gifts that directly support homeless asylum seekers.
Mosaik Education:
Mosaik Education are collaborating with 17 small businesses to launch the Mosaik Christmas Shop, raising money to supports refugees accessing university. Each small business owner has chosen an item from their collection which will be featured in the shop, ranging from handmade jewellery to candles and crockery. With each item sold, the small business makes a donation to Mosaik, taking a refugee student closer to their dreams.
? THE MOSAIK CHRISTMAS SHOP IS HERE! ?
Just 3% of refugees make it to university, buying these items will help us to give the gift of education this holiday season ❤️️
Browse the collection: https://t.co/DeL3lYL8Mo#WithRefugees #SupportTheirDreams #ShopSmall pic.twitter.com/4Nei2Icg6e
— Mosaik Education (@MosaikEducation) November 15, 2020
Happy shopping everyone! Don’t forget to pass on any brilliant shopping tips you have to support refugees @IMIX_UK.
