Guilt free Christmas gifts… new website for ethical buys

Consumers wanting their money go further this Christmas can buy presents for their family and friends from social enterprises – businesses that give back. A new website showcasing a range of goodies from social enterprises, from laptop cases made from recycled cement bags to upcycled bespoke furniture pieces, is for those who want their purchases to make a difference.

Social enterprises support good causes both in Britain and overseas. In the UK alone, there are 70,000 social enterprises, contributing £24 billion to the economy and employing almost a million people.

There are social enterprise products to suit all budgets, from fashionwear and furniture to baby clothes and beer.

For Him

– Sales of Fikay’s laptop cases, bags and other fashion items made from recycled cement bags help provide people in the developing world with fashion manufacturing technology – from £15

– Two Fingers Brewing Co. is the only beer brand that gives back to the men that drink it, by giving its profits to Prostate Cancer UK – £1.79 per bottle

– Up-cycled vibrant furniture from RECOVER which creates routes into work for vulnerable people through training and apprenticeships – from £60

– Buy Tea People’s Christmas gift pack and help fund the education of children in tea growing regions in India – from £2

For Her

– Sales of Fikay’s laptop cases, bags and other fashion items made from recycled cement bags help provide people in the developing world with fashion manufacturing technology – from £15

– Luxury soaps and creams from The Soap Co. which employs people who are blind or otherwise disabled – from £5

– Clothing, jewellery and bags from Global Seesaw which uses its profits to support women exploited through human trafficking – from £3

– Buy Tea People’s Christmas gift pack and help fund the education of children in tea growing regions in India – from £2

For Babies

– Organic baby clothes made by From Babies With Love – sales are donated to help orphaned children around the world – from £12

The website has been launched as part of Social Enterprise UK’s Buy Social campaign which encourages people to buy from social enterprises. Watch this short animation, narrated by Big Issue Founder John Bird, to find out more.

Social enterprise facts

Research from Social Enterprise UK shows that:

– 40% of social enterprises are led by women, compared to 5% of FTSE 100 companies

– 41% of social enterprises created jobs in the past 12 months, compared to 22% of SMEs

– The average pay ratio between social enterprise CEO pay and the lowest paid is just 4:1 – for FTSE 100 companies this stands at 150:1

Peter Holbrook CBE, Chief Executive of Social Enterprise UK said: “Consumers with a conscience are choosing to buy from social enterprises. These businesses, free of shareholders, choose to use their profits to put right the wrongs in the world. Through a simple purchase, consumers can use their spending power this Christmas to make a real difference.”

See more here: www.buysocialchristmas.org.uk