At the very beginning there were several ‘foundational’ elements for Tessell8. One of these was that we would always give at least 10% of our profit away to help change the lives of others.

After all, what’s the point in having ‘stuff’ if it can’t be shared around a bit?

Our customers have always chosen who we give to by voting every time they place an order. At the end of each year, we total up all the votes and hand out the donations.

This is one of the highlights of our year and a great privilege to be able to do. If you choose to use Tessell8, you will also be helping to change the lives of people every day.

Over the years we have given nearly £50,000 away to charities all around the world to change the lives of people living in really tough conditions.

From 2021 we decided that, rather than support 3 charities, we would support just one; the Oxford gatehouse

Homelessness is a massive problem that none of us can miss.

Like many cities, walk around Oxford on an evening and you will see many people setting up their bed in a doorway or under a bridge. It’s something that has touched us here for a very long time.

We have supported the Oxford Gatehouse financially or by personally volunteering over the past years.

The Gatehouse provides a range of services for homeless people in Oxford….

With personal experience working at the gatehouse we know just how much of a difference it makes to the lives of the homeless in Oxford.

It is because of this that we have taken the decision to support the Oxford gatehouse exclusively as our permanent charity.

We could not do this without the support of all of you.

Watch this space for new initiatives and news on this as we continue to focus on changing the lives of those leading desperate lives on our doorstep.

In the years pre-pandemic the Oxford Gatehouse provided a warm dry space in the very centre of the city.

Here people can chat, eat a good meal, access the internet, look through the clothes store in a safe friendly environment.

During the pandemic, this has not been possible but the volunteers have taken the gatehouse out to where people are by offering food deliveries alongside any clothing requests.

Through this basic needs are met by providing food and drink, warmth and shelter, washing facilities, toiletries and sanitary products, clothes, sleeping bags and blankets, phone and internet access, newspapers and books, and social contact.

The Gatehouse offers one to one support and advice on a wide range of personal issues, providing contact details and referrals to other relevant support organisations, and where appropriate helping Guests to find housing.

The Gatehouse provides workshops and other activities to support guest development by increasing their skill base, confidence, and ability to interact with the community at large. These include both internal programmes (e.g. weekly literacy, art and communications sessions) and referrals to external programmes run by partner organisations (e.g. St Giles Café, Aspire, and Waste2Taste).