Give the gift that gives back this Christmas with The Big Issue Shop

Shopping for Christmas gifts for the women in your life can fall into a bit of a routine. Perfume, beauty gift set, gym gear, jewellery… not that those aren’t often great, thoughtful and welcome gifts, but this year why not be a little more savvy and social with your spending?

The Big Issue Shop Christmas collection of gifts for her brings together wonderful makers across the country whose products put people and planet first, boasting an effect that ripples across the world. It’s what we at The Big Issue Shop like to call a social echo – for every purchase made, a disadvantaged person benefits somewhere across the world.

This collection brings together some of our top festive picks but don’t stop here! There are hundreds more incredible gift ideas throughout The Big Issue Shop.

Just Trade

Just Trade creates gorgeous jewellery using a combination of traditional craft skills and expert knowledge of contemporary jewellery and accessories. Everything is handmade using locally-sourced materials where possible by eight groups of artisans based in Peru, Ecuador, India and Vietnam who all receive training opportunities and a fair living wage for their work.

This ‘Naty’ pendant is handmade by Patty, Naty, Lizet, Diana and Lucie from the Hope Jewellery fair trade project in Lima, Peru. The brass elements are hand cut, textured and finished using traditional techniques. Working with Just Trade allows these makers to educate their children and secure a better future for their families.

ARTHOUSE Unlimited

ARTHOUSE Unlimited is a collective of artists living with complex epilepsy and learning disabilities. Working alongside instructors they create artworks which are developed into designer products.

This Reed Diffuser had been made for ARTHOUSE Unlimited using natural, vegan and paraben-free ingredients. It’s presented in a stunning abstract box and ornate aquatic glass design boasting an uplifting black pomegranate infusion, inspired by the invigoration of the ocean.

House of Gharats

House Of Gharats brings together style, substance and sustainability to empower women and girls and help break the cycle of poverty through stylish scarves.

Designed in London and crafted in Italy from the finest silk twill, 21 per cent of the profits from each scarf purchased go to Food for Life Vrindavan, a programme that educates and empowers girls and women to create a sustainable future, free from poverty.

Give Hope

For 27 years The Big Issue has been giving people a hand-up by providing a magazine for anyone experiencing homelessness, living on the margins or in poverty to sell.

ALL of our vendors buy their copies of the magazine from us for £1.25 and sell them for £2.50, making them micro-entrepreneurs and meaning every transaction and sale that Big Issue vendors make is an important step in helping them regain confidence, build their skills in sales and build towards getting their life back on track.

Last year, we launched a new drive called Exit from the Streets – a campaign that aims to give meaningful employment to our vendors, on top of selling the magazine.

It was kick started with vendors in The Big Issue Cymru’s Cardiff office employed to fulfil the despatch of our subscription sales of the magazine each week – which means that every time someone receives a subscription copy of the magazine, they also get a personalised message from the vendor who packaged it and posted it to them

£10 from every sale from our Give Hope collection goes towards the Exit from the Streets campaign to help our vendors move on and explore new opportunities utilising the skills they’ve gained from selling the magazine.

There’s plenty more wonders to be found in our Gifts for Her collection in The Big Issue Shop – stocked full of unusual gifts, and even some of the usual suspects, but all packed with a social echo.

Shop Christmas gifts for her at The Big Issue Shop and give the gift of a social echo this year