Trocaire marks ten years of Christmas gifts from the people of N. Ireland
Trocaire launched its Christmas gift campaign today (05 November) marking ten years of ethical Christmas gifts from people in N. Ireland to people in the developing world.
Since the campaign began people in Ireland, north and south, have bought over 600,000 gifts that have changed the lives of over a million people living in the world’s poorest countries.
“Trocaire’s Christmas gifts, called Global Gifts, bring smiles to faces here at home and in communities thousands of miles away,” said Eithne McNulty, head of Trócaire's Belfast office. “These are real gifts for real people. People like Burmese fishermen whose lives were devastated by a cyclone last year. Thousands of fishermen and their families were left without an income. One of the gifts this year will replace boats and nets for these fishermen and enable them to rebuild their lives, earn a living and feed their families.”
The campaign was launched by Trocaire supporter Christina Rodgers from Carnlough, County Antrim and children from St. John's Primary School in the town . Christina has been selling Trocaire's Global Gifts since the early days of the campaign and has raised £25,000 for communities all over the developing world by selling the gifts to parishioners in her home parish of Carnlough. “I love selling Global Gifts every year as they really do change lives,” said Ms. Rodgers. “These people have nothing and need us to give them hope.”
Eithne McNulty thanked Ms. Rogers for the support she has given Trocaire each Christmas. “Each and every gift bought here in N. Ireland finds a very special home with a poor family overseas that is struggling to survive. These gifts give families a helping hand out of chronic poverty and thanks to Christina and the people of N. Ireland thousands of families will have a better future next year.”
Global gifts ranging in price from £9 to £180 offer something for everyone and make the perfect stocking filler or a meaningful one-off present. Each Global Gift is sold with a decorative certificate enclosed in a Christmas card, showing how the selected gift will be used. The person who buys the gift can send this card to a friend, family member or client as a gift to them. The recipient of the card can read about how their gift will benefit a family overseas.
To purchase a Trocaire Global Gift this Christmas log onto www.trocaire.org/globalgift or call Freephone 0800 912 1200 (1850 408 408 in ROI).
Trocaire’s Global Gifts are also on sale in the Trocaire centre in 50 King Street, Belfast, Avoca, Arthur Street, Belfast and Veritas, Shipquay Street, Derry.
