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Charity goats are 'this year's must-have present' says Guardian

Oxfam's goat
Oxfam’s goat

The Guardian today gives front page coverage to Oxfam Unwrapped’s goat, which it says is “this year’s must-have present’ for Christmas.

The goat is one of the items on sale in Oxfam Unwrapped, the charity’s ‘alternative’ gift catalogue, launched a few months ago. Supporters can buy a friend or family member a practical gift such as a goat which then gets delivered to a family in a developing country. The present’s original ‘recipient’ gets a thank-you card from Oxfam and, presumably, a warm feeling.

The Guardian reports that Oxfam has sold over 30,000 goat gifts this year. Other charities who have set up similar catalogues have also enjoyed success: Cafod, for example, has sold 13,000 of the £25 goats. Overall the charity has raised nearly £800,000 from its Christmas gifts this year.

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Why your supporters are wealthier than you think... Course by Catherine Miles. Background photo of two sides of a terraced street of houses.

In its leader today, The Guardian welcomes this more traditional approach to giving at Christmas, although it does note that the other top-selling gift this year is the less selfless Apple iPod. “While the gift of an iPod allows its wearers to solipsistically cut themselves off, the gift of a goat to Africa is the precise opposite: its entire utility lies in giving something to the rest of the world: less of the Christmas “bah, humbug,” more of the “baa”.

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