Charity christmas cards and charity card alternatives

Charity Christmas cards are one of the best ways to make Christmas really special, and there are now a large number of selections to choose from.

1. The web site Catalink has a wide selection of free christmas card catalogues that you can order online, including charities such as Macmillan Cancer Relief, Traidcraft and Guide Dogs for the Blind.

2. The search engine High Street Web also has links to dozens of charity Christmas cards which can be ordered online (click here for a list and links)

3. If you have old Christmas cards lying around and have ever wondered what to do with them, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth may have an answer. The organisations have created special labels which enable Christmas cards to be reused. All you have to do is stick them over your old cards. They are available in packs of 50 from Natural Collection.com

4. If you would rather buy new Christmas cards, then recycling is still an option. There are now a wide range of Christmas cards made out of recycled cardboard. Natural Collection.com have produced six different designs, each made out of 100% recycled materials.

5. For those who want a more simple solution, there are recycled cards that fit the bill too. Greenpeace have produced some that are also self-sealing so do not require envelopes. You simply write your message, seal and post!

6. But charity Christmas cards may never be the same again, following an innovative and creative card solution from charity World Vision.

Those looking for charity Christmas cards to give friends and family that raise money for charity, but are also a break with the same boring designs, need look no further.

The charity cards though are not the run-of-the-mill gifts you would expect.

Those finding themselves stuck for that great card idea, have been considering - wait for it - sending a goat, an apple tree, some chickens, a flock sheep of even a bog as well!

The charity cards - part of an initiative by Oxfam - are proving to be a huge christmas card hit.

The charity says that people love their charity cards because they really value the unique presents they can buy for their friends and family, while changing the lives of some of the world's poorest children and families. They can also be purchased quickly and easily online and the charity takes care of the rest.

Instead of simply giving more unwanted clutter to friends and family, the aid agency has come up with a range of innovative cards which are accompanied by a gift for those in the developing communities.

From a ox to an HIV education system, a wheelchair to a bicycle, you can do it all online too. All you have to do is visit the web site, choose a price range and select a christmas card and a gift with the details of the friend on whose behalf you are sending the present. The charity them sends the special christmas card to your friend or family member, telling them what has been given on their behalf.

The charity has something for every budget too, from a water filter or a fruit tree for a fiver, through to complete furnishings for a school.

The alternative gift selection is part of Oxfam's ethical initiatives to help some of the world's poorest communities make their way out of poverty.

The charity gifts arrive in the context of the charities long-term development programmes. Community leaders and local committees helped by Oxfam staff identify their needs and priorities, including the gifts featured in their alternative catalogue. This, the charity says, means the gifts that are bought are really needed- and will be treasured when they arrive.

Oxfam is one of the world's leading relief, development and justice agencies. It is also one of the largest- presently helping more than 100 million people in nearly 100 countries in their struggle against poverty, hunger and injustice, irrespective of their religious beliefs.

World Vision's Alternative Gift selection is now five years old. The results are admirable as well as ethical. Over 5,000 children have been immunised against six childhood killer diseases. Over 12,000 fruit trees have been planted, growing produce both to eat and sell. Almost 3,000 children have had their sight restored through cataract operations.

To find out more about charity christmas cards and gifts visit the Oxfam gift selection.

Alternatively, you can click through to see individual charity gifts here:

Mosquito Net | Warm Blanket | School Books | Fruit Tree | Cooking Set | HIV/AIDS info | Goat | Child's clothing | Vitamin Tablets | Plastic Sheets | Immunise a child | School chair | Footballs | PE Kit | School uniform | Desk | Clean Water | Basketball | Buddy Desk | Disability Help | Emergency Help | Hygiene Kit | Child Care Kit | A Bog! | Family Blankets | Food for Patients | Football Goals | Carpentry Kits | Water Action | School Equipment | Bicycle | Enterprise Action | Books for a class | Seeds | Sewing Machine | Birth Kits | A Well | Flock of Sheep | Herd of Goats | Wheelchair