National Close the Gap Day will be held on Thursday 22nd March 2012, and Oxfam Australia is asking for your help to put in place a genuine partnership between Government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people. The campaign towards achieving Indigenous health equality by 2030 still has a long way to go, so we still need to send a message to the government that they need to keep their promises to keep this issue at the top of their agenda.

Since it’s launch five years ago, the Close the Gap campaign remains one of our nation’s greatest challenges. Though there has been some improvement, there is still a 10-17 year life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

You can join the cause by hosting an event with your friends or work colleagues and join thousands of other Australians to send a message to political leaders to maintain their focus on closing the gap.

So why not help Oxfam Australia make Close the Gap 2012 the biggest so far, and make the government see that a long term plan is required for this health crisis. Simply click on the link below to register your interest, and join thousands of other Australian’s who want to ‘Close The Gap’.

> > Click here to register for Close The Gap

Help Support Oxfam Australia at the Fair Trade Store

You can help raise funds for Oxfam Australia with a Fair Trade Gift. Items start at just $1, and there’s loads to choose from. They are the perfect present for a loved one, and ensure that the producers are given a fair price for their goods and not exploited.

> > Click here to purchase from Oxfam Fair Trade Store

Other great charity gifts

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

Help UNICEF Australia celebrate the World Education Games between 6-8th March 2012, where students from around the world will participate against each other in maths, science and spelling games. NO cheating on your computers! This amazing initiative will feature some 5.5 million students from over 200 countries, and you can take part too!

The games will be spread out over 3 days, featuring -

• 6th March – World Spelling Day
• 7th March – World Maths Day
• 8th March – World Science Day

This amazing set of educational games will see participating schools unite together through competition and help support UNICEF’s ‘School-In-A-Box’ program. These fantastic bits of kit feature all the essentials a teacher needs to provide an education to supplement a school with minimal resources or after a disaster.

If you would like to take part in the World Education Games, simply click on the link below to register your interest in what is sure to be an amazing fundraising day for schools across the world.

> > Click here to register with UNICEF Australia

Help Support UNICEF Australia with a Charity Gift

You can help raise funds with UNICEF Inspired Gifts. Presents start at just $10, and for a little as $32 you could buy a virtual charity gift like a football and pump for children in refugee camps to free their minds and experience the ‘beautiful game’.

There are so many to choose from, and these thoughtful gifts would make an ideal present for a loved one…

it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

> > Click here to purchase a UNICEF Australia Inspired Gift

Other great charity gifts

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

Love is in the air, everywhere I look around…

Well not quite, but the ‘day of love’ is only just around the corner, so why not show that special someone in your life that you care about more than chocolates and roses with a unique virtual gift from Oxfam Unwrapped?

Yes chocolates taste nice, yet so does the satisfaction of ordering a charity gift that is not only a unique present for the recipient, but also helps out the less fortunate in the world. By giving a virtual present via Oxfam Unwrapped, you will be helping families across the globe to a better life by providing much needed funds to help them back on their feet.

To mark the season of goodwill to all wife’s and husband’s, Oxfam Australia has released a selection of Valentine’s themed cards to accompany their virtual gifts. There’s a whole host to choose from, and offer the male species a chance to show off their caring side! The limited edition cards allow people to give gifts which will provide poor families with a source of income to help escape the cycle of poverty.

Oxfam Australia Fundraising Manager, Leigh Steward, said -

In past years, Australians have spent over $800 million dollars on gifts on Valentine’s Day – an Oxfam Unwrapped gift is one that you can be sure will not go to waste. Around 79 per cent of Oxfam Unwrapped customers are female, so buying an Oxfam Valentine’s Card is a great way for men to reverse that trend. Being sensitive to the needs of others is a feature people love in their partners and there’s no better way to show that than with an Oxfam Unwrapped Valentine’s card that also gives to poor communities.

These special edition cards will be available up until February 14th 2012, so if you’re looking for something a little different this year, simply click on the link below to order you’re special Valentine’s treat. It’s better than a heart shaped bucket!

> > Click here to order with Oxfam Unwrapped

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

Tragic news from the frontline in Somalia, where two Médecins Sans Frontières staff members have been killed in the Hadan District. The deaths will see the poverty charity end all activities in the area due to fears for the safety of it’s staff, including the closure of two separate 120-bed medical facilities.

Philippe Havet and Dr. Karel Keiluhu were caring for malnourished children and treating measles and cholera, were killed by gunmen in Mogadishu. Médecins Sans Frontières now see the risks of further attacks too high, so are removing their staff for the safety and security reasons. This awful tragedy follows on from the kidnapping of two colleagues in December 2011.

Médecins Sans Frontières General Director, Christopher Stokes, said -

It is hard to close health services in a location where the presence of our medical teams is genuinely life-saving every day, but the brutal assassination of our colleagues in Hodan makes it impossible for us to continue working in this district of Mogadishu.

Médecins Sans Frontières has been almost 200,000 Somaliains in Hadan, vaccinating 67,228 children against measles in the process. Having worked in Somalia continuously since 1991, it is a real tragedy that their work will no longer continue in this district due to these unnecessary killings.

> > Click here to make a donation to Médecins Sans Frontières

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

WWF Australia is asking for your support as they launch their Great Barrier Reef Appeal to try and stop the pollution of one of the world’s seven wonders. Marine parks cover 345,000km square across the Great Barrier Reef, yet still 14 million tonnes of mud, pesticides and harmful chemicals run into the reef waterways every year.

50% of all the coral in the reef has been lost due to pollution, with much of the area now rubble and algae. By reducing harmful fertiliser and pesticide use in farming, the critical habitats of such vulnerable species like Turtles, Dugongs and Dolphins will be allowed a better chance of survival.

The Great Barrier Reef is alive, just like you and me, and needs help to stop OUR pollution from killing it’s fragile existence. The Great Barrier Reef is an underwater world like nowhere else on the planet. Let’s join forces to protect this magical kingdom, before it’s too late. Simply click on the link below to make a donation to WWF Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Appeal, and help protect this magnificent wonder from destruction.

> > Click here to make a donation to Great Barrier Reef Appeal

Help WWF Australia with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as $70 you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF Australia

View other top charity gifts

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

New Year’s Eve for most people is a time for drinks and merriment with friend and loved ones, but for Tom Denniss, it was something completely different! 31st December 2011 signaled the start of the first leg of his a 29,000km run around the world in aid of Oxfam Australia…

the equivalent of 700 marathons in 700 days!

Tom’s amazing journey will see him pass through every continent of the globe, (except Antarctica of course, that would just be mental!) and if he manages to finish he will enter the Guinness Book of Record’s for circumnavigating the world on foot. He will also be trying to raise an incredible $100,000 for Oxfam Australia, and we are right behind him.

Just the two years of running a marathon a day then!

To make a donation to Tom’s superhuman effort, simply click on the link below to help try and break the $100,000 barrier. It’s going to take some doing, but if Tom manages to finish this arduous journey, I think I can safely say it’s the most amazing achievement I’ve ever heard of…

> > Click here to make a donation

Help Support Oxfam Australia at the Fair Trade Store

You can help raise funds for Oxfam Australia with a Fair Trade Gift. Items start at just $1, and there’s loads to choose from. They are the perfect present for a loved one, and ensure that the producers are given a fair price for their goods and not exploited.

> > Click here to purchase from Oxfam Fair Trade Store

Other great charity gifts

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

Check out this amazing video, as Greenpeace Australia look through a fantastic archive of the things that they, and you, achieved in 2011. With the world ever changing, last year saw some of the worst weather disasters ever recorded across the globe. Yet in times of adversity, the human spirit burns brighter to stand up for what they believe in and to help others who are less fortunate than themselves.

Greenpeace aim to ensure the earth can nurture life in all its diversity…

Founded in 1971, Greenpeace has come a long way from just a small team of activists in a fishing boat in Canada! With nearly 2.8 million supporters and offices in 41 countries worldwide, Greenpeace is dedicated to allow the planet, and ALL it’s occupants, the chance to live together in harmony.

Let’s hope that 2012 sees more of a Greenpeace ‘state of mind’ from not just world leaders, but also everyone on the planet to live together with each other, and nature.

> > Click here to shop online at the Greenpeace Giftshop

Other top charity gifts

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

Oxfam Australia are voicing their concern for the world’s newest nation, as South Sudan continues to struggle with it’s major refugee crisis. It’s now six months since their independence, yet tens of thousands of people have had to flee the Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan regions due to violence, with another 60,000 people now affected through more fighting in the South Sudan state of Jonglei.

With more than 55,000 refugees arriving in South Sudan in recent months, more people are expected to arrive requiring food and shelter, which are already in short supply. Oxfam charity officials are working hard on the front line to offer clean water, sanitation and food, but with the conflict worsening, a major crisis is on the cards.

Oxfam’s Regional Director, Fran Equiza, said -

It is six months since South Sudan’s independence and there is much we should be celebrating. But the growing crisis along the border threatens to derail any progress. South Sudan is one of the poorest and least developed nations in the world, and the influx of refugees is placing enormous strain on already scarce resources.

Due to the troubles, local agriculture has been restricted, with limited aid and market supplies so low that famine levels could soon be reached. Oxfam Australia is calling for all parties to immediately cease hostilities and to allow aid to reach the people most in need before it’s too late. With more refugees expected to enter South Sudan, this could become a full blown humanitarian crisis, sooner rather than later.

Help Support Oxfam Australia at the Fair Trade Store

You can help raise funds for Oxfam Australia with a Fair Trade Gift. Items start at just $1, and there’s loads to choose from. They are the perfect present for a loved one, and ensure that the producers are given a fair price for their goods and not exploited.

> > Click here to purchase from Oxfam Fair Trade Store

Other great charity gifts

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

UNICEF Australia is asking for your help to deliver clean water and sanitation to the 15,000 families that have been affected by the floods in Southern Philippines. The children’s charity are hoping to raise US$4.2 million to help the local people who experienced the equivalent of one month’s rainfall in just one day. Due to the resulting floods, at least 957 people were killed with another 49 still missing.

Chief Executive of UNICEF Australia, Norman Gillespie, said -

A lack of clean water and sanitation facilities is of great concern at the present time, as we know children are highly vulnerable to diarrhoeal disease and dehydration. UNICEF is on the ground to support the government’s efforts, and is working round the clock to provide for the many children and families affected. We are also carefully monitoring the safety of children in the very overcrowded evacuation centres. UNICEF and its partners will stay as long as needed to get these families and communities back on their feet. Whilst our current focus is immediate needs, we will soon be turning our attention to how communities can be better prepared and warned to reduce the risk of disasters, and prevent such a massive loss of life.

There are estimated to be some 200,000 children affected by the floods, and they are in desperate need of clean water, food, medicine and sanitation. The water systems of the two main affected areas have been totally destroyed, so UNICEF charity officials have been working hard to dispatch emergency water solutions.

Simply click on the link below if you would like to make a donation and help support UNICEF’s response to the terrible tragedy that has devastated a huge part of the Southern Philippines. Every little helps, please give generously if you can. Thank you.

> > Click here to make a donation

Help Support UNICEF Australia with a Charity Gift

You can help raise funds with UNICEF Inspired Gifts. Presents start at just $10, and for a little as $32 you could buy a virtual charity gift like a football and pump for children in refugee camps to free their minds and experience the ‘beautiful game’.

There are so many to choose from, and these thoughtful gifts would make an ideal present for a loved one…

it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

> > Click here to purchase a UNICEF Australia Inspired Gift

Other great charity gifts

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

We all know January is the best time of year to pick up a bargain, and that rule of thumb is spot on at the Oxfam Fair Trade Shop! There’s loads of popular items available at rock bottom prices, so you can still grab a charity gift whilst saving some of your hard earned bucks.

There’s an absolutely huge amount of top quality items to choose from, including -

• Games
• Candles
• Toiletries
• Cushions
• Bedding
• Rugs
• Kitchen
• and loads more!

I could be all day writing down a list of what’s available, so why don’t you just find out for yourself by clicking on the link below and starting saving big today. Remember, a Fair Trade gift from Oxfam Australia helps support poor communities to build a better life for themselves and their families…

it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Help Support Oxfam Australia at the Fair Trade Store

You can help raise funds for Oxfam Australia with a Fair Trade Gift. Items start at just $1, and there’s loads to choose from. They are the perfect present for a loved one, and ensure that the producers are given a fair price for their goods and not exploited.

> > Click here to purchase from Oxfam Fair Trade Store

Other great charity gifts

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."