Brands We Work With
Our Partner Brands: Social Ventures Making a Difference
Stories of Impact: The Social Ventures Behind Our Sustainable Hampers
At Social Stories Club, we partner with over 30 UK-based social ventures to craft sustainable gift hampers filled with food, drink, beauty, and lifestyle products. Each item tells a powerful story of transforming communities, empowering individuals, and protecting the environment.
Every sustainable gift box includes a vibrant story booklet, sharing these inspiring narratives and detailing how our sustainable gift hampers support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, sustainable packaging, and our environmental impact.
We’re always expanding our range to ensure variety and quality. If your social enterprise products align with our mission, contact us at info@socialstoriesclub.com with details and images. We review all inquiries carefully for inclusion in our sustainable gifts. Explore our Sustainable Gifts.
Our Social Venture Partners
Food & Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Arthouse Unlimited
The beautiful packaging of Arthouse Unlimited has been designed by a collective of artists living with complex epilepsy and learning disabilities. The artists work alongside instructors to create artworks which are developed into designer products. All the artwork is derived from the skills each artist brings to the enterprise and every contribution holds real value. Offering a sense of purpose lies at the heart of Arthouse Unlimited's philosophy in line with their belief that feeling truly respected improves health and well-being.
Bermondsey Street Bees
Bermondsey Street Bees crafts award-winning, raw, single-source honey through sustainable beekeeping. They support global bee research with time, data, and resources, while their 'Green Offset' policy funds pollinator gardens to aid biodiversity. Community planting projects and expert advice promote thriving habitats for honeybees and wild pollinators. Their commitment extends to donating speaking fees and revenue to bee charities, fostering vital conservation efforts.
Chocolate and Love
Chocolate and Love produces award-winning dark chocolate using the finest organic ingredients. Their ethical approach includes minimizing shipping emissions, using FSC-certified paper, and biodegradable, plastic-free wrappers. Partnering with WeForest.org, they’ve planted 28,000 trees to offset paper production, supporting reforestation and environmental sustainability.
Café Direct
Café Direct was the first coffee company to become Fairtrade certified. For over 25 years, they have supported farmers in coffee-growing regions. They give back 50% of their profits to the farmers to improve the quality of their crops and the quality of their livelihoods. One million families in 14 countries have been impacted. Café Direct guarantees fairtrade minimum pricing which is 50% higher than the current market price, allowing farmers to make a decent profit. On top of this almost 40% of their coffee purchases are organic.
Chika's
Today, 131 million girls aged 6-17 do not go to school. Chika's are working to change that for the girls of tomorrow. They will give 38,000 girls access to education by 2024 and are working to build schools for children across Africa. Every packet of nuts helps to empower girls in Africa through education.
Dash Water
About 40% of fruits and vegetables grown in the UK do not make it to the supermarket shelves because they are considered to be imperfect - but wonky lemons taste great too! Dash Water aims to naturally hydrate the nation and reduce food waste in a fun, sustainable way. They flavour their drinks with wonky fruits and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste. Without sugars and sweeteners, Dash Water makes the sweetest way to reduce food waste.
Divine Chocolate
With Divine Chocolate, you can help the 85,000 farmers of KuapaKokoo who co-own the cooperative in Ghana that supplies the cocoa for each bar of Divine Chocolate. As owners, the farmers receive a share in the profits, a say in the company, and a voice in the global marketplace. The cooperative's mission is to empower farmers in their efforts to gain a dignified livelihood. The cooperative also aims to increase women's participation in its activities and to develop environmentally friendly cultivation of cocoa.
Flawsome Drinks
With 3.7 trillion apples wasted globally, Karina & Maciek set out on a 5-year mission to save 20,000 tonnes of wonky surplus fruit and vegetables. Upto March 2022, they saved nearly 22,99 million fruit. Along with this, they also aim to donate 1 million drinks to charities around the UK with 39,000 donated so far.
Grace Chocolates
Grace Chocolates support women who have touched the Scottish criminal justice system towards fulfilling, sustainable employment by making and selling exquisite chocolates: Grace chocolates is a social enterprise selling high-quality chocolates across the UK. They are committed to providing opportunities for women with barriers to their personal development, learning and economic well being.
Island Bakery
Island Bakery makes the most delicious biscuits baked in unique ovens which are heated using the local wood chips from Mull's abundant timber plantations. This is not only environmentally sustainable but the gentle heat gives the biscuits a slow, perfect bake. Their factory building is powered entirely with local sources of renewable energy. Electricity for the building is generated both by a hydro-electric turbine on the neighbouring Tobermory river, and a single wind turbine set on a hill above the bakery. Sweet FA is a new range of biscuits created by Island Bakery’s Chief Biscuit baker, Fiona Aitali (which is where the FA comes from!). After being diagnosed as Coeliac, she devoted her skills to gluten free baking and after being so impressed with her creations, Island Bakery decided to put her cookies into production. Using a special blend of flours and all organic ingredients, Sweet FA biscuits are also 100% Vegan so can be enjoyed by all!
Mama Buci
Mama Buci sources their honey from small-scale beekeepers and helps provide education to children in Zambia and Ethiopia. Their focus starts with educating the beekeepers and families on how to work with their land to help maintain a healthy ecosystem. Bringing honey to everyone is only the first stage of their journey. Mama Buci wants to make a real difference to the lives of people in Zambia and other impoverished countries.
Nemi Teas
With fantastic whole-leaf tea blends, Nemi Teas is providing employment to refugees. This helps them gain local work experience and job-readiness skills to enter the UK workforce and integrate into the broader society. In addition to this, all their tea bags are plastic-free and their packaging is biodegradable.
Raise Snacks
Raise Snacks are working to help people snacking smart again by eating naturally and nutritiously without comprising on taste. Through every sale, they contribute to Magic Breakfast via Work for Good. Through this, they are able to reach children in the UK that start their school days too hungry or malnourished to learn.
Refuge Chocolate
Based in Northern Ireland, Refuge Chocolate makes delicious products from the finest Belgian chocolate. From luxurious chocolate melts to gooey brownie kits and chocolate spread, each product is made from fairly traded ingredients and as waste free as possible. What’s more, they donate a portion of their profits to Flourish NI, a Northern Ireland based Charity that supports survivors of human trafficking - it’s no surprise the brand has won 4 awards!
Rubies In The Rubble
Rubies In The Rubble create something from nothing. They take ingredients surplus to the food supply chain that would otherwise go to waste and turn them into delicious ketchups, mayo's and relishes. Food waste is an issue that occurs throughout the food supply chain and produce can be rejected for a number of reasons including size, shape, ripeness, aesthetics, and over-production. Rubies In The Rubble put these ingredients through a taste-test rather than a beauty contest. They embrace the diversity of nature and love the perfectly imperfect.
Spare Snacks
40-50% of edible fruits and vegetables go to waste. Spare Snacks have rescued hundreds of tonnes of wonky produce destined for landfill and transformed them into delicious snacks that are air-dried and never fried. They have sold hundreds of thousands of snacks and won multiple awards.
School Yard Kitchen
School Yard Kitchen started its journey with the vision to create exceptional-tasting products that contribute to positive changes in communities across Ghana and Scotland. They create vibrant products with all profits going towards the prevention of child labour. They work hand-in-hand with local farmers, sourcing the finest ingredients directly from the source. From their kitchen based in Scotland, they bring the flavours of Ghana in the form of cooking ingredients, chocolates, and snacks.
Tea People
Tea People was founded by a husband-wife duo who come from the beautiful tea-growing region of Darjeeling in India. In 2009, they came across a school in their hometown that was in urgent need of some repairs and assistance. The school served the children of tea garden-workers and other impoverished villagers in the area. They came up with a fantastic idea to start a social enterprise, selling specialty tea to fund education projects. Tea People give back 50% of their profits to educational development projects focusing on girls in tea-growing regions, helping students climb the social ladder.
Urban Cordial
Urban Cordial has helped save over a 120 tonnes of fruit from going to the landfill with their cordials. They work with their local farms to source surplus fruits and their production process is zero waste with all fruit pulp going to the local farms to become animal feed.
The Wonky Food Company
The Wonky Food Company was founded in 2017 because they wanted to do their bit to tackle the problem of food waste by creating great-tasting products that make use of imperfect and surplus fruit & veg. They believe in equal right for all fruit and veg - no matter the size and shape. They believe that its the taste that counts. With their range of relishes, they tackle food waste by intercepting produce that would otherwise fall out fo the food chain.
Beauty & Lifestyle
Dalit Goods Co.
Dalit Goods Co. empowers and trains the Dalit people in India to make handmade candles. For 3,000 years, the Dalits, formerly known as Untouchable, have been positioned at the bottom of India's society that devalues them from birth. There are 250 million people who are exposed to this injustice and Dalit candles empower these individuals by giving them employment and opportunities. The proceeds go towards providing education and healthcare to the Dalit children.
The Goodwash Company
By choosing Goodwash, you are helping improve the lives of animals and people in local communities without having to compromise on quality. Goodwash products are sourced from only the very finest natural ingredients from our land and sea. Their cruelty-free products boast an abundance of natural health benefits that will leave your skin, hair, body and fur body feeling totally replenished.
Leiho
Leiho is a lifestyle brand on a mission to make purchasing basic products more meaningful. It all starts with providing socks to homeless communities because clean socks are one of the most requested clothing items at homeless shelters. They hope that sharing basic essentials with people who need them most will take us a step closer to creating a positive impact in their lives. So far, they have donated over 6,572 basic essentials including socks, hot food, water, and sanitary products.
One Green Bottle
One Green Bottle are committed to helping to create a clean environment and the minimisation of our reliance of single-use plastics. For every bottle they sell, they recover 25 single-use plastic bottles from the ocean. Not only are their products packaged without single-use plastics but they have removed single-use plastics from their entire supply chain. To date, they have saved over 10 billion single-use plastic bottles.
Shetland Soap Company
Shetland Soap Company believes that everyone regardless of disability should have the opportunity to work. Given the right conditions, everyone has the potential to contribute to our society and in doing so will learn to value themselves and be valued by others. They help people reach their potential by giving opportunities to learn in a supportive work environment free from stigma and discrimination. They understand disability and focus on ability where together, they produce a range of handmade soap and skincare products of the highest quality. Great Products, Great People.
UpCircle Beauty
UpCircle Beauty creates award-winning sustainable skin care using by-products from other industries. The brand is 100% natural, organic, vegan, cruelty-free, palm oil-free, handmade in the UK and housed in 100% recyclable packaging. Creating a positive environmental impact is at the heart of what they do and by reusing would-be waste ingredients, they have already saved 80 tonnes of coffee grounds from going to landfill.
VENT for Change
VENT for Change is a sustainable stationery company. Proceeds from every VENT product sold go towards global education projects getting children back into school. Through their PENCILS with PURPOSE programme, they have been working with education-based charities to get pencils into the hands of those that need them most. Their pencils are made from recycled CD cases in the UK and they sharpen with a normal sharpener.
Alcoholic Beverages
Sea Change
Sea Change is an award-winning social enterprise, supporting the ocean through their eco-friendly wines. Every bottle sold contributes to conservation charities who carry out vital research and who help protect marine animals. To date, they have already raised €500,000. In addition to this, they have reduced their environmental impact by minimising impact by using lighter-waste glass bottles, renewable plant-based closures, and label paper from sustainable forests made in part from grape waste.
Tap Social
Tap Social is a social enterprise that was founded in 2016 and works with prisoners who have been released recently. Their beers have won several medals in the Society of Independent Brewers in 2021. Their beverage cans feature beautiful artwork from artists in prison and also talks about the state of the prison system in the UK. Their aim is to reduce re-offending by creating training and employment opportunities for ex-offenders as there is a strong link between stable, secure employment and reduced re-offending rates. To date, they have created over 60,000 hours of employment.
Toast Ale
Toast Ale is here to change the world. They use surplus bread to make their beer. This not only helps reduce food waste but by replacing virgin barley, they use less land, water, and energy, while avoiding carbon emissions. To date, they have saved over 2.07 million slices of bread and donated over £125,000 to charity. As they say, Raise a Toast.
Sustainable Packaging: A Shared Commitment with Our Partners
At Social Stories Club, our dedication to sustainability extends to our eco-friendly packaging, designed to reflect the values of our partner brands and reduce environmental impact:
- Biodegradable Mailer Bags and Boxes: Fully compostable packaging to minimise waste.
- Sustainably Sourced Wood Wool Stuffing: Renewable filler from ethical timber forests.
- Reusable Hampers Made From Paper Rope: Durable, eco-conscious design for multiple uses.
We also offset all delivery carbon emissions through certified projects and have planted over 3,634 trees to support global reforestation. Together with our brands, we’re making a difference.
Find Out More in Our Impact ReportBespoke Gifts
Craft unique corporate gift hampers in the UK tailored to your needs. Choose from a wide range of ethical products to create the perfect gift.
Bespoke Sustainable Gifts by Social Stories ClubPre-Curated Gifts
Ideal for quick turnarounds, explore our range of sustainable gift boxes and hampers, ready to impress the gift recipient.
Pre-Curated Sustainable Hampers by Social Stories ClubBranded Gifts
Personalise with your company logo or a heartfelt message, making your sustainable gift hampers a memorable reflection of your brand.
Branded Corporate Hampers by Social Stories ClubGift Cards
Delivered to their inbox with easy checkout instructions, our ethical gift cards offer flexibility for your corporate gifting needs including dietary needs.
Sustainable Gift Cards by Social Stories ClubFrequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Sustainable Corporate Gifting
1. What is a social enterprise?
A social enterprise is a business that prioritises social or environmental goals. They use their operations and revenue to drive positive change, such as supporting communities or protecting the environment.
2. How do you select the social ventures you work with?
We carefully choose social ventures that align with our values of sustainability and social impact. Each partner must demonstrate a clear commitment to ethical practices.
3. What impact do your partner social enterprises create?
Our partners drive positive change through various initiatives, such as providing employment to marginalised groups, reducing environmental waste, supporting education, and more. For specific impacts, see each brand's impact above.
4. Why do you include a story booklet with each hamper?
We include a story booklet to share the powerful stories of our partner social enterprises and the impact they create. This not only educates recipients about the positive change their gift supports but also encourages discussions about sustainability and social responsibility.
5. How do you ensure product quality from your partner brands?
We rigorously assess each partner’s production processes to ensure high-quality, sustainable products that meet our ethical standards, reflecting their commitment to social and environmental impact.
6. What makes your partner brands’ products sustainable?
Our partner brands use eco-friendly materials, fair trade practices, and carbon-neutral methods, ensuring their products align with our mission to create sustainable gift hampers that drive positive change.
7. Can I learn more about the social impact of your partner brands?
Yes, explore each brand’s description above for detailed stories of their social and environmental contributions, or visit our Impact Report for a comprehensive overview.
Have more questions? To discuss your sustainable corporate gifting needs, drop us an email or book a call with us.