52 Lives

#365 Secret Santa

Request: Christmas Presents / Christmas Cards / Donations

Help us spread kindness this Christmas

Each year, 52 Lives helps to buy Christmas presents for more than 1500 people going through difficult times. The people we're helping have been nominated by our partner charities and schools - this means we can directly reach those who need kindness the most.

We have set up Amazon wishlists, so you can choose a gift and it will be sent directly to the organisations to give to the people who need them. Wherever possible - particularly for the children's gifts - we have chosen things that they have specifically asked their parents / carers for. We are also accepting financial donations, which we will use to buy gifts from high street stores and small businesses.

How to Buy a Gift

1. Choose an Organisation to Help from the list below and click 'Buy a Gift'.
2. Select a Gift from their Amazon wishlist. Most of the gifts are priced between £10 and £20 but there are some cheaper options as well.
3. Checkout ... when you checkout, choose the 'gift registry' address. This will mean your gift will be sent straight to the organisation. Please don't choose the 'gift wrap' option, but you can include a gift message if you wish.
4. Feel Good :) When we're kind, it doesn't just help the person we're kind to, it also improves our own physical and mental health.

Want to donate instead? If you would rather give a financial donation, you can donate online or by text. We will use 100% of your donations to buy gifts from high street stores and small businesses.
Donate by text: Text 'Gifts' and the amount you wish to donate to 70450 (maximum donation by text is £20).

DONATE ONLINE NOW

Can't afford a gift?
You can send a Christmas card or kind message for someone instead. Your cards and messages will be given to the people we're helping, along with the gifts. Email your message to admin@52-lives.org (your contact details will not shared) or post a Christmas card to: 52 Lives (Christmas), PO Box 3154, Reading, RG1 9AT.

Buying a gift on behalf of someone else?
Use our Christmas gift note to let them know you have bought a gift in their name - there's a printable and an email version.
Click here to email or download a gift note

Buy a Gift

If you are unsure how to buy from an Amazon wishlist, we have produced this handy guide! (Please note: If you can't add an item to your basket, try clicking on the item, and then adding it to your basket.)

Berkshire Women's Aid
Berkshire Women’s Aid has refuges across Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell providing emergency accommodation for women and children in crisis. The people they support are escaping abusive relationships and are often faced with starting over again with nothing. This Christmas there will be 47 children in their refuges and we would love to send a gift to each of them.
BUY A GIFT

Emmeline's Pantry, Manchester
A food bank and support service, helping woman and children in need. They have seen a dramatic increase in people needing help and will be providing food for hundreds of families at Christmas. We would love to give all of them a Christmas present, along with their food parcels.
BUY A GIFT

Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group
GDWG is a charity that provides support to asylum seekers and migrants being detained at Gatwick, and their families. It’s a scary and very lonely time for those being detained - and they often only have the clothes they are wearing. We’d like to provide some warm essentials this Christmas for those being detained - socks, underwear and tracksuit bottoms.
BUY A GIFT

Home Start Ceredigion, Wales
The team at Home Start in Ceredigion work with vulnerable families who have children living in poverty, are affected by ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) such as living in a household affected by domestic violence, substance misuse or mental illness. In their words, they would love to be able to “give these children a little bit of hope and happiness this Christmas, as Covid has made this year even more difficult.” We want to provide Christmas presents to the families most in need.
BUY A GIFT

Stirling Women's Aid, Scotland
Stirling & District Women’s Aid operates 13 refuges for women and children, and also supports families in need through their outreach services. They feel that gift cards would be the most helpful thing for the families at the moment, so we will be using your donations to buy gift cards, so they can choose their own food and presents.

MAKE A DONATION

St Richard's School, London
This is a school based on the edge of London with a high number of children from deprived families. We will be aiming to provide the school with 90 gifts for children. The school will set up a free 'shop' with the gifts and invite parents in need to help to come and choose a gift for their child.
BUY A GIFT

Shropshire Domestic Abuse Service
This organisation provides outreach and services to families whose lives are affected by domestic abuse. They also provide refuge accommodation for those that have had to flee their homes. They need gifts for 50 children and 30 adults.
BUY A GIFT

The Cowshed, Berkshire
The Cowshed charity supports thousands of vulnerable individuals and families. They will be providing gifts to a range of people in need - including refugees, care leavers (who have little or no family support), people who are homeless, and families living in extreme poverty. The gifts you buy will be wrapped and delivered by their volunteer elves!
BUY A GIFT

Offer support

Offer help or send a message

(if you are sending a message of support for the person we’re helping, there is no need to fill in your email address or telephone number)

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