Sharing Joy Through Giving - with Hinckley 'Churches Together'
About Hinckley AlterNativity
Alternative Christmas Gift Event
What is AlterNativity about? .....doing Christmas shopping differently - ‘Life Gifts’ for your friends and family to help the poorest and neediest people at home and abroad.
This year's event will be held on Saturday xxth November 2026 10am-2pm at the Mary Forryan Centre, St Peter's Church, Leicester Road, Hinckley LE10 1LW. AlterNativity is an annual event held on a Saturday in November with the aim of promoting a different view of Christmas giving.
It ‘aids’ those in need or difficulty at Christmas by offering ‘living gifts’ for you to give your family and friends as an alternative Christmas gift to help the poor, hungry, sick and homeless. National and local charities have a stand at the event and tell you about the gifts they are offering and who they will help.
Local and international charities that have proved popular in past years have been invited to partake again and we are currently waiting for the full set of responses. In most cases the gifts you chose will make a real difference in the lives of the beneficiaries – and hopefully bring a smile to the faces of all those involved in this ‘giving triangle’ The plight of the thousands of refugees worldwide having had to run away from violence and cruelty in their own countries is still a regular feature on our news bulletins and is not going to go away. Their fate in the long term has yet to be decided and will clearly ask a lot of all governments and peoples, but in the meantime there are more pressing needs – food and survival kits. Usually we have one or two international charities providing these items, which can be supported at AlterNativity.
Among previous these gifts have been: Medical supplies and surgical treatments, and antibiotics for vulnerable children. Nursing and respite care. Emergency survival kit for refugees. Boarding at school for slum children. Items to provide a continual supply of food for families and children. Tools & Equipment
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AlterNativity – 2005 to 2025
AlterNativity was introduced to Hinckley in 2005 and started by a group from various Hinckley Churches. It is a Hinckley Churches Together event. This annual ‘pre’ Christmas event offers charitable ‘living gifts’ as an alternative to traditional Christmas presents. Many gifts have been purchased, sent and received during this time, gifts like clean water, and trees, cows and chickens, medicines and the precious gift of sight and other surgical treatments.
From the first AlterNativity Christmas event in 2005 to 2024 over £282,000 has been raised by the event supporters to help those in need.Why not join in and spread a little joy this Christmas?The main event is held on a Saturday in November at the Mary Forryan Centre, Leicester Road, Hinckley, Leicestershire LE10 1LW. This is followed by period of a month where ‘gifts’ can be purchased by mail order from St Peters Priory. Several charities both local and national are invited to send representatives to the event to promote their work and to offer for sale a single ‘gift’ that will benefit a needy person or family.
Those who come along to the event either purchase one or several of the ‘gifts’ as Christmas presents for their family and friends along with an AlterNativity gift presentation card. Those who choose to give an AlterNativity ‘gift’ effectively doubly bless at Christmas as both their chosen friend or family member receives a gift as does the needy person, receiving the gift via a Charity.There is always a fantastic atmosphere at the event and it is so wonderful that we can share together in the common goal of helping the needy and therefore spreading Good News and Christmas Joy.
Over 20 different gifts will be on offer ranging from nursing care to the basics of life like food, bedding and equipment. All these gifts will help a needy person somewhere in this very needy world.
AlterNativity 2026
Touch the heart of someone you love with a special gift this Christmas so that someone in real need can benefit from it.
This year's event will be held on Saturday xxth November 2026 10am-2pm at the Mary Forryan Centre, St Peter's Church, Leicester Road, Hinckley LE10 1LW.
For those unable to attend on the day, please take advantage of our mail order forms - available from this website or from Hinckley Churches. Gifts may be purchased until 7th December 2026.
Please complete the form and send to"AlterNativity", St Peter’s Priory, Leicester Road, Hinckley, Leicestershire LE10 1LW