Gifts that make a world of difference

Our alternative gifts are great ideas to buy for your family and friends and each gift that you choose will be given directly to the children in our care that most need your gift. 

Simply choose your items and make a difference in our kids’ lives!

Gifts that make a world of difference

Our alternative gifts are great ideas to buy for your family and friends and each gift that you choose will be given directly to the children in our care that most need your gift. 

Simply choose your items and make a difference in our kids’ lives!

Gift Categories

How does it work?

1) Choose a gift

Browse our alternative gifts, choose a life-changing gift for a Stand by Me child and place your order.

2) Receive your order

We post you a gift card for each item you have chosen, to give to a friend (FREE postage).

3) Your friend receives their gift card

The card details their gift and how it will help to transform the life of a Stand by Me child.

4) A child in our care receives the gift

You and your friend are happy to know that you have helped enhance the life of a child.

"Receiving a gift from a student is always lovely, but this alternative gift is one that I will always remember! It was such a meaningful gift that I knew was going to make a difference to a child.”

Mrs Buchanan, from Newtownabbey

Why buy a gift?

When a child receives a gift that they needed, they are delighted and proud to know that someone across the world cares for them. We have a range of gifts starting from as little as £4 that will mean so much to the children in our care. 

When you buy a gift from our alternative gift catalogue, you receive a beautiful card explaining the gift, you can send this to your friends, family or whoever you have bought the gift for. You can choose this to be a birthday card, a Christmas card, or leave it blank so you can write your own message.

FAQs

  • How does the process work?

    1) Choose a gift - Browse the gifts on our website, choose a life-changing gift for a Stand by Me child and checkout.

    2) Receive your order - We will post you a gift card for each item you have chosen (FREE postage).

    3) Give your gift - You can give the card to a friend, the card will explain how the gift you chose will help to transform the life of a Stand by Me child.

    4) A child in our care receives your gift - You and your friend are happy to know that you have brought joy to a Stand by Me child.

  • Can I order a card with more than one gift?

    When you order a gift online, you will receive one card per gift ordered. However, if you would like a card with more than one gift, please call us on 01708 442271 to make your order over the phone as we would love to help you with your bespoke order.

  • Is there a space to write a message in the card?

    When you buy an item, you receive a gift card detailing the gift to send to your friends or family. The gift card also includes space to write to your friends or family, they learn how you have chosen the gift on their behalf to be given to a child in our care.

  • How do I order?

    Simply click on the gift items and add them to your cart, you will then have the option to pay by paypal or by card.

  • Do you purchase the specific gifts for the children?

    Yes, we do. We carefully choose alternative gifts that our children want or need, this way we can ensure that the specific gift you buy goes directly to one of our Stand by Me kids! However, in the rare and unlikely event that requests for a particular gift exceed the requirements for that item, Stand by Me reserves the right to allocate the same value to an alternative item of which there is a great need.

  • Do you have a catalogue of your alternative gifts?

    Yes, Stand by Me have an Alternative Gift Catalogue for you to browse all of the same gifts you can find online. If you would like to receive Stand by Me's Alternative Gift Catalogue in the post, please email us on hi@standby.me or call us on 01708 442271 and we will send you one as soon as possible!

  • Why should I buy a gift through Stand by Me?

    We care for 4,000 children around the world. Truly caring for each child begins with considering each of their individual needs. Buying a gift for one of our children means you will directly impact a child's life, bringing them joy and helping them know they are loved.

  • How do you decide which children to help?

    We have an intake policy for each of our projects, this takes into full consideration the child’s family status, living conditions and individual needs as well as the resources we have to help them. We also work with local authorities to identify the most vulnerable children. We make sure that the gift you purchase is given to the child with the most need of that item.

  • Does your work benefit the wider communities you work in?

    Even though our care is child focused, we always carry out our work with the local community in mind. Our long term investment in our children means that we are developing the communities’ future builders, nurses, plumbers, church leaders, doctors, engineers, farmers, business owners and teachers. We invest in the short term by employing local people and supporting our children’s families through small business grants, which helps them become self-sufficient and benefits the local economy.

  • Why support Stand by Me?

    We’ve been rescuing and caring for kids based on our core principles for 25 years. Our years of experience have helped us develop a child centred approach to care that’s unique. We do whatever it takes to provide the care, love and attention each child needs to thrive. We provide local solutions to local problems and we’re all about quality over quantity. We’re personal - from sponsoring a child, to the ways you can get involved, to us just being there to answer any questions you may have. We hope you agree that we’re a little different, but in a good way!

  • How will I know that my money is well spent?

    When we spend money, it’s because it’s the best way to make a difference in our kids’ lives. Our trusted staff use the money to provide the best care possible for our children. Through our annual budgets, audits and frequent monitoring visit, we make sure that the money is spent wisely.

    Thanks to gift aid and supporters who donate towards our running costs, we’re able to use 92% of your donation on caring for our children. The remaining 8% allows us to run the charity and raise support for more children.

How to buy a gift for your sponsored child

We make sure that the alternative gift you purchase is given to the child with the most need of that item. Therefore, if you want to buy a gift for your sponsored child, click the button below to make a donation of £10-25. Our overseas staff will use this donation to purchase a gift that your sponsored child needs or wants.

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