The 14 best Christmas gifts from brands that give back
The best gifts to receive are the ones that tell a unique story; the hidden gems from brands you may not have heard of, yet offer something extra-special and different. But these gifts are a little harder to come by. You may not find them lining the shelves of department stores when you do your Christmas shopping, and so we’re here to help with our Christmas Gift Guide.
Here at Nursem, we give a month’s supply of free hand cream to a nurse, midwife, or other healthcare professional for every product sold. So in the spirit of giving back, all the brands in our gift guide also give back to charitable causes – from environmental organisations to humanitarian projects.
Discover these amazing brands below for a Christmas gift they won’t forget.
Bohemia Design
Empowering artisans around the world through fairtrade goods
Discover Bohemia Design – a platform dedicated to elevating the status of artisanal craft and those who produce it all around the world. Their pieces are fairtrade, sustainably produced and authentic, making for unique gifts that contribute to a better planet with people at the centre. We love their best-selling Babouche Slippers – ethically made in Morocco in a range of amazing designs and fabrics.
Heiko Clothing
Supporting environmental charities through donations
Heiko is a sustainable, eco-conscious clothing company which donates to various high-impact environmental charities and organisations with every purchase. From contemporary slogan t-shirts to eco-friendly gift boxes, this affordable UK brand is a great destination to tick loved ones off your gift list with apparel that’s kind to the earth and supports important eco causes.
Sop
Protecting Norfolk Wildlife through sustainability
Sop is a cruelty-free and vegan fragrance and body care brand based in Norfolk. Their platform champions sustainability, slow-creation, and empowering the local landscapes and community. On their site, Sop showcases a careful selection of homeware, apparel and gifts worth slowing down for. As ‘Investors in Wildlife’, the brand helps preserve local wildlife through donations as well as conscious business practices such as ethical sourcing and manufacturing.
ARTHOUSE Unlimited
100% of proceeds go to supporting adults with learning difficulties
From original art prints to candles, confectionery and more. ARTHOUSE Unlimited offers a selection of authentic, beautifully designed gifts crafted by a collective of artists living with complex neuro-diverse and physical support needs. The artists work alongside instructors to make designer products which are endlessly unique and perfect for gifting. On their website you can meet all of the artists and browse their amazing creations – there’s lots of fantastic picks to choose from!
Pebble toys
Empowering women in Bangladesh through craft
Pebbletoys was founded by a husband and wife team with the mission to empower women residing in rural communities in Bangladesh using craft – specifically crochet and knitting. In teaching these women a trade that could fit around childcare and village life, Samantha and her husband were able to create an ethical business that offered sustainable working and living conditions to the makers. Choose from a range of beautifully crafted characters and designs on their website. Our favourite is their woodland animal collection – a fantastic selection of foxes, owls and deer, the perfect gift for little ones.
Pott Candles
For every candle sold, £5 is donated to Young Minds charity
Ailis, creator and maker of Pott Candles, tells visitors ‘Here at Pott, we believe that if you are in a position to make a difference, you should.’ With an ethos grounded in kindness, the brand strives to support both local artisans and vulnerable people in the community through various practices and initiatives, such as their Pott For Change promise where for each candle sold, Pott donate £5 directly to Young Minds. Their beautifully scented candles are designed with the planet in mind and make for gorgeous gifts for friends and family. You can even subscribe to a candle refill subscription and receive a surprise scent every month!
Stand 4 Socks
They donate socks to vulnerable and homeless people
Lots of us still have socks at the top of our Christmas list, so if you’re going to get socks for Christmas this year, get them from a brand that gives back. Stand 4 Socks donates a thick pair of antibacterial socks to a homeless person for every pair of socks sold. From cycling socks, to novelty socks, to LGBTQ+ socks, discover their vast range of designs for a classic Christmas gift you can’t go wrong with.
From Babies with Love
Every penny of profit goes to helping orphaned and abandoned children around the world
Need a unique, ethically-sourced and made gift for little ones or new parents? From Babies with Love is a truly special brand that donates all their profits to helping children in poverty around the world. Working with charities that provide family homes, education, healthcare and support to overcome trauma, From Babies with Love is the affordable way to give back to children in need around the world, whilst also giving a quality present they’ll love.
Madlug
They donate luggage to children in care
Madlug was founded in 2015 by Dave Linton – a Youth Worker who wanted to restore dignity and offer support to children in care through durable luggage that children can keep for years. After discovering that most children in care transport their belongings in a bin bag, Dave created the ‘Buy one Give one’ model for Madlug, meaning that through each purchase a child in care is supported with a bag. Duffles, Shoulder Bags, Totes and more, choose from an assortment of designs, or design your own for a stylish gift that gives back to those who need some extra care.
Battle Green
Zero waste gifts that give back to charitable causes
Battle Green is an online boutique filled with zero waste gifts that give back to charitable causes. From natural soaps to ceramics, each piece contributes to causes such as Surfers Against Sewage, Ecologi – a charity who plant trees to help combat climate change, Freshfields – a community focused non-profit organisation who care for abandoned and unwanted animals, along with sick and injured wildlife, and more! Discover their careful curation of gifts, you’ll be sure to find something for everyone on your gift list.
The Teaspoon Club
They plant a tree for every order to offset their carbon footprint
Talk about a unique concept – The Teaspoon Club is the perfect brand for all culinary enthusiasts and foodies this festive season. Founded by siblings Rosie and Matthew, the two noticed that ethically-sourced fresh spices were difficult to come by and often came in excessive quantities that were wasted and lost their flavour on the shelf. They created The Teaspoon Club as a means of using spices sustainably, providing culinary gifts and recipe boxes all in compostable and recyclable packaging. Plus, much like many other socially and environmentally conscious brands, The Teaspoon Club plants a tree for every order to offset their carbon footprint.
Vent for change
Stationary that’s kind to the planet and supports children’s education worldwide
Stationary is always a welcome gift, but with the huge amount of stationary brands out there, we’re certainly spoilt for choice. Vent for Change offers quality and sustainably-made stationary, from journals to pens – all made from recycled materials. But the best part about this brand? 10% of their profits go towards educational projects around the world. Their current under-taking is The Bright Futures Campaign which aims to raise money for PLAN International UK – an organisation that helps communities with emergency and famine relief, health and sanitation, economic empowerment and education.
Wedgie
Empowering rural communities with woodcraft
For a fun, quirky and bold gift, take a look at Wedgie. Wedgie sells colourfully designed door stops, handmade and painted by makers in rural communities of Sri Lanka. The brand is part of an incentive scheme based in Sri Lanka aimed at the empowerment of remote communities. Here, unpainted door stops are delivered directly to employees’ houses, along with paints, brushes and tools. Once painted and completed, the Wedgies are paid for on collection allowing the makers the convenience of earning an income whilst going about their daily routines. From Greta Thunburg to Britney Spears, you can select some iconic doorstops to spruce up your friend’s and family’s interiors whilst supporting a sustainable cause.
Origin Africa
The 100% not for profit fashion brand funding social impact initiatives in Africa
With a mission to combat poverty and help communities flourish, Origin Africa uses 100% of their profits to establish businesses with a targeted social purpose in Africa (from child health through sanitation to female empowerment). With a range of apparel and accessories, from loungewear to jewellery, their eco-friendly and ethical gifts are not only sustainable, but also contribute to a wider cause worth talking about. Their Classic Tee Gift Set is the perfect pick to tick a few socially-conscious shoppers off your gift list.
We also have a selection of unique Nominate A Nurse Gift Sets which include the opportunity to give free hand care to a healthcare professional. Discover these and our other Gift Sets below.
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