Stressing about what to buy your loved ones for Christmas this year? Don’t want to engage in the annual commercial tat-fest?
There’s charity gifts, but also ethical financial gifts, which truly keep on giving.
Here are our annual top five ethical Christmas money gift ideas:
- Got a craft gin fan in the family? Why not buy them a share in a gin distillery? The Oxford Artisan Distillery crafts gin, vodka and rye whiskey in bespoke stills in Oxford – it offers total provenance from grain to glass, which is very rare among distillers. It is the only distillery in the world using populations of ancient heritage grain, grown sustainably in biodiverse fields close to Oxford and promoting a return to ‘real green’ farming by making it commercially viable for the farmer. You can buy a share for as little as £10 on Crowdcube.
- Loathe to buy your grandchildren or Godchildren more brightly coloured plastic that lasts mere days beyond the turkey? Why not help their parents set them up with a sustainable Junior ISA instead? Banks like Triodos and Charity Bank offer cash Junior ISAs, which in turn help fund real economy businesses, sustainable and charitable organisations across the UK.
- Or, if you/ the parents are willing to take a little more risk (which is appropriate for anyone under 18, who has longer to make gains), open a Junior ISA investment account with an investment platform such as EQ Investors, Selftrade, or AJ Bell YouInvest, in a sustainability-focused fund, such as the WHEB Sustainability Fund, for example (read our Good Investment Review for more impact fund ideas).
- Gift with Abundance. Literally. Create a voucher to help your gift recipient invest in an IFISA with an investment platform such as Abundance Investment, which is about to launch a new biomass project to invest in. Or, you could buy shares in Thrive Renewables, a fund dedicated entirely to renewable energy development in the UK – you can even go and visit their turbine sites.
- Fancy Africa? At the moment, positive investment platform Ethex is offering a bond supporting solar in Africa which is targeting a return of 5% gross/ AER with a minimum investment of £50.
- Support your local artisans. Trouva is a GREAT site for finding bespoke and handcrafted homewares, jewellery, stationery, etc. It acts as an online platform for all the best little artisan boutiques to help you discover what’s on trend in Totnes, what’s hot in Hull, or what’s cool in Cleveden. (My own personal favourite – Midgeley Green.)
