What if your Christmas party could change the world?

This festive season, we’re all for revamping festive office traditions, to spread a little extra hope and goodwill. 

Your Christmas party can be a powerful piece of this festive overhaul. In fact, it’s the perfect occasion to amp up your positive impact and reinforce your values. 

With some thoughtful planning, you can create a welcoming, festive atmosphere while giving back to good causes and being mindful of your environmental impact. 

It’s clear the latter is needed when you check out the stats: a corporate party for 60 or more staff emits 62,000kg of carbon emissions. Getting that number down needs a plan to reduce environmental impact in place before you design the event, not as an afterthought. 

Here are some ideas for making your Christmas party a talking point for all the right reasons – a greener, inclusive and even more joyful get-together. 

 

Set the tone with the right venue

The first step to planning any event: booking your venue. 

Of course, it has to be a beautiful or unique setting, with a great vibe for your shindig. But just as important is choosing somewhere that your guests can travel to in easy, sustainable fashion. Can you get there by public transport? Are there decent bike routes and parking for the committed cyclists in your team?

Ask potential venues about their on-site eco credentials too, like water conservation and energy usage. Creative events agency Story has a great rundown of London venues going the extra mile with their sustainability efforts.

Think about how you can use use your event space to raise awareness of important issues in a fun and playful manner. Teaming up with a partner like Innosensi, for instance, who create engaging multisensory experiences (with help from chefs, artists, musicians and more) for you and your guests to “connect back to yourself, each other and the planet.”

Hopefully it goes without saying to also check the accessibility standards will make it a comfortable experience for all your guests, whatever their needs. 

‘Root to Flower’ Immersive Dining Experience by Kim Arazi on The Dots.

 

Make waste a thing of Christmas past

Christmas is the most wasteful time of the year, and the yuletide waste quickly piles up at our office parties. No less than 300 million plastic cups and straws are used at Christmas parties in the UK each year, for instance. 

But it doesn’t have to be this way. There are simple swaps to reduce waste dramatically, from reusable crockery to recyclable decorations. Clearly labelled recycling stations make the clean-up simple too. 

Leiho’s Christmas Sock Crackers are one of our favourite festive swaps: 100% plastic-free and with a pair of cosy bamboo socks inside each. A step up from a fortune telling fish, right?

If you’ve overestimated how hungry your guests would be, don’t throw leftovers away: bring it into the office the next day as an extra treat or give it to the team to take home. Packaged food and drink can go to local food banks or other charities distributing surplus food. 

Bringing in a Christmas tree for your party? Make sure you dispose of it responsibly. Business Waste gives a great rundown of how to do that for real and fake trees, from replanting and composting to donating to charity. 

Eco-friendly sock crackers made by 2 gentlemen who used to sleep rough on the streets 

 

Share the mic with local charities

Partnering with local charities is another way to amplify your impact and bring more meaning to your Christmas party. Think about which align with your values and ESG commitments, then how you get them involved. You could run a charity auction, ask for donations or give them a stage to speak about their mission. 

This not only deepens your company’s connection with the local community but also empowers your team to be part of something bigger. Creating this feeling of purpose is important for employee engagement, especially during difficult periods like those the world is facing right now. 

The Ickle Pickle Partnership charity was set up by Roots & Wings Organic founder Belinda Gooding to help provide specialist equipment for neonatal units (image courtesy of Jonathan Borba)

 

Food, glorious (local and sustainable) food

We can take care of all your catering needs, from hot food to drinks and snacks. Our social enterprise partners use local, seasonal ingredients that don’t come with a hefty helping of food miles, as well as supporting wider social and environmental missions. 

Take Fat Macy’s. This London-based caterer has a fresh, inventive approach to food and helping others, training volunteers living in temporary accommodation and helping them towards getting their own place.

For a more relaxed buffet, we have social enterprise alternatives to just about every party food out there. Let us lay on snacks from the likes of Boundless Activated Snacking, whose nuts and seeds fund clean water projects. And Güsto Snacks, who rescue “wonky” apples from going to waste for their fruit crisps. 

We’ve got dessert covered too. Serve up boxes of cinnamon buns helping people experiencing homelessness courtesy of House of Cinn, or beautiful sweet treats supporting women overcome multiple disadvantages from Luminary Bakery. 

Our partner Luminary Bakery offers opportunities for women to build a future for themselves through baking

 

Festive drinks for all to toast to

You can make just as much impact behind the bar, too. There are countless social enterprise winemakers like supporters of marine conservation Sea Change, and brewers such as Tap Social Movement, whose beers break the cycle of reoffending. Do-good spirits brands include The Spirit of One, which funds clean water projects. 

It isn’t all about the alcoholic bevs – as much thought should be poured into your soft drinks selection. As The Grocer has reported, around 40% of UK adults are currently trying to moderate their alcohol, with plenty steering clear of alcohol all together.

So, why not fund social change for disadvantaged farmers with some Lemonaid and ChariTea or save some surplus fruit with Flawsome Drinks too?

Fairtrade soft drinks from Lemonaid support social projects in farming communities.

 

When in doubt, send a hamper

Not sure a Christmas party is right for your office this year? Sending a hamper is a simple alternative to do instead. 

And it can still be an impactful act, when they feature social enterprise products. In fact, our hampers stuffed full of multiple presents with purpose means supporting a host of worthy missions through each you send. 

Even if you are hosting a party, a hamper can be a thoughtful way to recognise and reward teammates who can’t (or don’t want to) be there on the night. 

Featured in How To Spend It, our Festive Fizz Gift Box sees Sea Change Prosecco accompanied by a range of new brands and flavours for you to create the perfect moment of celebration (with a conscience!)

 

Celebrate your impact 

After your efforts to host a mindful, sustainable Christmas party, follow up with a celebration of the impact you’ve made. 

Break it down into stats – from the carbon footprint of the event, to the number of people helped through your social enterprise partners. (We have personalised impact reporting to take care of that bit.) 

Seeing the ripples of change your party created will be the perfect feel-good note to end the year on, for your team and management. 

Ask us about Impact measurement and storytelling 

 

Let us tailor a bespoke selection of products from our brand partners, based on what your team will love and what makes a good match with your company values. Get in touch on [email protected].