When you think of Oxfam, charity shops and second-hand clothes springs to mind but they're only part of the picture. Oxfam is a vibrant global movement of passionate, dedicated people fighting poverty together and doing amazing work! From saving lives and developing projects that put poor people in charge of their lives and livelihoods, to campaigning for change that lasts.
To have the biggest possible impact on
the lives of poor people worldwide, Oxfam concentrates on three
interlinked areas of work:
Emergency response.
People need help in an emergency – fast. Oxfam save lives,
swiftly delivering aid, support and protection; and helps
communities develop the capacity to cope with future crises.
Poor people can take control, solve their own problems, and
rely on themselves – with the right support. Oxfam funds
long-term work to fight poverty in thousands of communities
worldwide.
Poverty isn’t just about lack of resources. In a wealthy
world it’s about bad decisions made by powerful people. Oxfam
campaigns hard, putting pressure on leaders for real lasting
change.
Fighting poverty. That's what Oxfam is
about. Make no mistake, it's a massive challenge. But they are
winning the battle, right now, in all sorts of ways – big and
small. Supporting Oxfam can, and does, make a difference!
Oxfam opened one of the world’s first charity shop chains starting with a shop in Oxford in 1947. This innovative fundraising idea attracted donations ranging from false teeth, various stuffed animals, up to a houseboat. Today Oxfam shop network raises millions, and there's even an online version too!
How Can Knitters Help?
knitted
(and crocheted) items can be sold in Oxfam High street shops to raise
much needed
funds
for Oxfam’s work around the World. It would be best to speak to the
manager of your local shop first. The shop manager would need to
ensure that there is a local market for the product and that the
price would reflect the fact that these are handmade items and that
every one is unique. To sell in the shop the items will need to be
well made and well finished. In this way Oxfam can make the most from
every donation that they are given.
Oxfam
have a selection of patterns, which can be given free to supporters
who wish to knit items
for Oxfam to sell but you can use your own too, as the more
different patterns they have the more items they will be able to
sell. Your local shop
manager will be able to tell you what they can sell and roughly how
much money they’ll be able to make.
Legwarmers Hat with earflaps Corsage Elemental jacket
Peaked hat Handwarmers and hat Fingerless gloves
scarves,
doll’s clothes, baby clothes, jumpers, tank tops and Christmas
decorations are also very welcome. They are unable to accept knitted
toys as all toys sold in Oxfam shops have to have the CE mark; the
same would apply to handmade toys, and when knitters are providing
their own materials – including stuffing – they cannot take
responsibility for this.
Knittted
Blankets.
Oxfam
are asking all supporters interested in offering their services if
they would be prepared
to knit blankets. The ‘iconic’ Oxfam blankets are extremely
popular and raise
significant funds for their work around the world. They are sold
predominantly at the Music
festivals held across the UK each summer but are also sold in their high street shops. These can be handed into any Oxfam shop selling
clothing who will pass the blankets to Oxfam’s own recycling
centre, Wastesaverin Huddersfield. They will then be sorted and
passed to Oxfam’s festival shop team.
The
measurements for the blankets are 6ft x 4ft and these can be made up
of squares or strips
sewn firmly together.
Oxfam
try to maximise the amount they can sell each one for and they are
individually priced, ranging
from £20 to £35 each, depending on size and quality.
£35
is enough for Oxfam to provide safe water to over 58 people in an
emergency or to buy fertilizer for 12 Farmer’s crops.
Oxfam
is
very grateful to supporters who have taken the time to knit blankets
and other
garments for them. Knitting items that they can sell is a valuable
contribution to Oxfam, one
that really does make a huge difference to the lives of people living
in poverty around
the world.
If
you wish to donate items that you have knitted, you
can find your local shop through Oxfam website http:// www.oxfam.org.uk or http://www.oxfam.org
Oxfam believes that in a wealthy world poverty is unjustifiable, and can be prevented. Believes that injustice must be challenged, and that with the right help, poor people themselves can change their lives for the better, for good.
Everyone has the right to a life worth living – and to the basic things that make one possible. This belief shapes everything Oxfam do.
Donate
to Oxfam and join thousands of others providing the vital ongoing
support people need to escape poverty once and for all.Donate to
Oxfam and join thousands of others providing the vital ongoing
support people need to escape poverty once and for all!
For more information the website is : International - http://www.oxfam.org
