Stuck for an original Christmas gift? Try this for everyone

[SecondhandRose]

Thanks to another Mumsnetter I was given the details of www.himalayan-learning.co.uk

Just £7 a year sponsors a child in the Himalayas to go to school for a whole year. Just go on the website and print off one of their forms and send it in with a cheque and details of the person you would like to sponsor a child. I was assured that I will receive details about the child sponsored so for Christmas pressies to friends and family we have sponsored 8 children and I've also filled in a standing order.

So why not give something a bit different this year? Merry Christmas.
SHR

THat's a great idea - but do try to make sure that the person you are setting up to sponsor a child is able/willing to continue doing so each year (or if you're willing to 'renew' the same gift next year). It would be a real shame for these children to 'lose' their sponsors because it's not something they person being set up to do so wanted to do.

I've been thinking about this a lot this year too, there seem to be quite a lot about with the same idea....
and after thinking about it for a while I've decided not to but still donate for 'myself'......would the person recieving the gift be grateful or would they have rathered something for 'them' ( please don't take this as being negavitve about your post, I dont' mean to - it's been something that I've given a lot of thought to the past couple of weeks and I guess I'm just spilling my thoughts down. I have bought a couple of 'school dinners for a week' ( from Christian Aid) as a stocking stuffers for my husband
am rambling now, sorry

I don't think most people would mind these sorts of gifts - but I think with child sponsorship you have to be careful that it's something they are willing to continue with - to develop a relationship with the child........althoug having said that - it doesn't seem that you actually get letters from these children so I guess it's slightly different.

Who knows, but we all seem to have too much material stuff. My husband's millionaire aunt and uncle I'm sure don't need another M&S bouquet from us and all the kids will have their fill of chocolate and plastic toys. If they don't keep it going, so what, maybe it will be a talking point round the Christmas table and at least 8 more children got some help.

I agree with the material stuff
Last year there seemed to be sooo many children that we were buying presents for, this year, I decided to speak to the mums and see if they would mind dropping it - was really nervous about how to bring it up, -we decided to keep birthdays which is more of a special day for the child and christmas is just cards now, I think some of them were relieved, it can all get a bit ott

I often feel a bit wary about giving a charitable donation as a gift to someone else. As Hana implies, it's one thing doing it for yourself, but what if the charity you feel strongly about offends the person who's gift is being replaced by the donation? Or if they would have chosen a different charity - so how is it a gift for them?

as I said - with this child sponsorship scheme I don't think it would matter if they decide not to continue - as there doesn't seem to be a lot of 'contact' (in the form of letters) between sponsor and child. But with most sponsorship programmes a relationship is built up between the two parties.

Have to say having done a lot of research into many different child sponsorship schemes I personally wouldn't use this one - the amount of stuff they seem to reckon they can provide for £7 a YEAR seems quite a lot - the majority of schemes require at least £15 a MONTH to carry out their jobs effectively.

It's also a very new charity - and I can't find much online about it at all - apart from a BBC Leeeds News Story - and although it's registered on the Charties Commision Register - the fact that he (the Leeds Student who set it up) and the person I presume to be his wife (they have the same pretty unique double barrellled surname) are the only trustees.

Sorry but I actually wouldn't touch this one with a barge pole....

Bloody hell, I'll get my coat.