At this time of the year, many of us are looking for that special gift for friends and family. The obvious option is to visit local shops, town centre malls or increasingly to look on-line.
But there is an alternative which will save you money and may provide a unique gift, at the same time reducing waste and protecting our environment. Pre-owned goods are available in local charity shops at a fraction of the cost of new items and are often as good as new. Clothes, sports gear and toys can all be found alongside household items and tools.
Some shops specialise in specific items, such as books, music and DVDs. In Reading, Oxfam have a bookshop in the High Street and on Dukes Street a music shop, which sells records, CDs, DVDs and printed music, as well as musical instruments.
A wide range of goods are available on-line from sites like eBay and Amazon, but consider buying online directly from a charity. For example, you might find a bargain or a unique treasure in Oxfam’s Online Shop and help to fight poverty and injustice around the world at the same time. Their site has 100,000+ donated and new products, including books, clothes and musical stock – https://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop