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Giving Back at Christmas: A Spotlight on The Shirt Company’s Partner Charities
It might be a little cheesy, but there’s no denying that the true spirit of Christmas is giving. Any Christmas movie worth watching focuses on feelgood themes of generosity, compassion and community, and it’s hard to put it better than the Muppet Christmas Carol when the ghost of Christmas Present belts out “it’s all the ways that we show love which feel like Christmas.” Whether it’s beautifully wrapping thoughtfully selected gifts for your loved ones, volunteering at a local shelter or donating to a worthy cause, Christmas is a time to deepen our sense of gratitude and strengthen bonds of common humanity.
In honour of this selfless sparkle, this article is all about shining a spotlight on the wonderful work of the charities which The Shirt Company partners with all year round.
Royal Trinity Hospice
Hospice care is as much about living as it is about dying, and Royal Trinity Hospice have made it their mission to help their patients and their families make the most of every moment they have left.
Based in Clapham and serving South West and Central London, Royal Trinity Hospital provides free, specialist end of life care which is person-centred, compassionate and dignified.
Anyone who has ever had a loved one pass away with the care of a hospice team will always remember the kindness and humanity of the staff, who often help people fulfil their wish of passing away at home.
This holistic and individualised care does not come cheap, though and the Royal Trinity Hospice requires a staggering £13,000,000 each year to supplement the funds they receive from the NHS.
As well as making a straightforward cash donation to help the Royal Trinity Hospice continue it’s wonderful work, you can also support them through their top notch charity shops. There are 22 Royal Trinity Hospice shops all over London for your sustainable shopping pleasure and last year, they helped save over 300 tonnes of goods from landfill, including reselling over 350,000 preloved items. What better place to donate any of those unwanted Christmas gifts!
Classically British & Co
Classically British & Co was founded over 20 years ago to raise the profile of black and mixed race dancers and to help bring the joy of dance to low income families through affordable tuition.
Founder Mark Elie was born and raised in a Westminster Children's Home before going on to enjoy a stellar career while working for some of the world’s most prestigious ballet companies. During his career, Elie noticed that representation of black dancers was particularly lacking in the UK. He explained:
“The reason I set it up Classically British & Co was I still thought there was a lack of Diversity in Classical Ballet in the UK, and felt that there weren’t enough of black/mixed ethnic backgrounds present here in the British Classical dance world… So having listened to feedback from the voices of the young students at my school, saying I went to the ballet and I didn’t see any black ballerina dancers like me got me thinking to see if we could get something going that could represent role models to aspire and look up too, I knew I had to do something.”
Now, over 20 years later, Elie’s Classically British & Co continues to give young black dancers the pedestal they deserve and campaigns for representation in the arts.
You can go and see the dancers in action in fundraising showcases a few times a year — follow them on Instagram HERE.
Wellbeing of Women
Every year, The Shirt Company participates in the City Christmas Fair for Wellbeing of Women — a charity focused on the often under researched area of women’s gynaecological and reproductive health.
At this magical fair, all proceeds help support Wellbeing of Women’s groundbreaking scientific research, which included discovering a link between HPV and cervical cancer which helped to launch the preventative school vaccination program.
Read the Wellbeing of Women 2023 report HERE to learn more about some of the important scientific discoveries and areas of research.
Even better, if you’re in London, attend next year’s fair, which normally takes place at the beginning of December. Read details of the most recent fair HERE.
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