By Bernie Bell

I was thinking of an Orkney shopping guide I did last year….. https://theorkneynews.scot/2020/12/03/the-orkney-news-christmas-shopping-guide/  – wondering what I could do this year which would be different, and I thought I’d list some of the on-line charities which provide ‘practical presents’.

I’m not agin’ giving presents – if we see something we think someone might like we get it and give it to them, not necessarily at birthday/Christmas time, otherwise we go for ‘practical presents’.

Here’s the idea……some charities provide a method whereby you can ‘buy’ something for someone but, instead of buying something for someone who probably has all they need, you get them something which is for someone who has little or nothing.

A toilet for a village, a goat for a village (or an individual), a fish cage, some seeds, some bales of hay for livestock. The list goes on and on. The people who need things are helped in their lives, the people you want to give to, receive presents for Christmas/birthdays, but….no silly gadgets, no wasteful unwanted ‘gifts’.

It’s all very easy too – you look at the catalogue or go on-line, and either post your order or place it there and then, on-line. You then get sent a card, showing and telling of what you have ‘bought’, which you can then give to the recipient as their ‘present’.

Some might huff about this, but, if they do, well – if they have what they need, and the people getting the toilet/chickens/seeds etc., don’t, and  the comfortably-off ones complain that they haven’t been given yet more STUFF ……where has the true Christmas spirit gone?

My favourite practical presents charity, is Practical Action 

There’s Hillside Animal Sanctuary, who are very much at the mercy of the weather for their animal fodder and accommodation – sheds have been known to blow down…. http://www.hillside.org.uk/

And a new one on me…..  https://www.shelterbox.org/ , which is particularly relevant to what’s happening right now. ShelterBox Success

In fact if you like the idea, here’s a whole list of places to get ‘practical presents’….

Just an idea – solves a dilemma for some about what to get folk, and solves a problem for others about how to make a living.  Everyone’s a winner.