NEWS - 30 Nov 09 - 'End of nuclear family' forecast - The nuclear family is breaking down as children are increasingly raised by relations other than their parents, a government-backed parenting group says.
The Family and Parenting Institute says grandparents, aunts and uncles are helping out more as parents struggle to cope with marital breakdown and work.
One in four children is now brought up in a one-parent household, the vast majority of which are led by mothers.
Soon there would be no typical family model, the institute suggested.
Chief executive of the institute, Dr Katherine Rake, said "families were pulling society in multiple directions, between work and home life, singleness and cohabitation and marriage, between growing older and forming families across our many cultural divides".
More at: news.bbc.co.uk
Looking for a way to give something back when you Christmas shop? Here's our annual roundup of the best online shops for charities...
Canine Partners has the solution for those difficult to buy presents. Why not Adopt a Puppy (sponsored by Purina PetCare) for just £1 a week so your loved ones can follow the progress of wannabe Canine Partners as they train to become assistance dogs and transform the lives of people with disabilities? Recipients will receive a Puppy Pack containing a puppy photo, signed certificate and a cuddly toy dog, as well as getting regular updates of puppy adventures plus photos.
For further information on Canine Partners, please visit www.caninepartners.co.uk or call 08456 580480.
CLIC Sargent helps children and young people with cancer and their families with the trauma of diagnosis, the often long journey through treatment and continues to support them afterwards.
Every day 10 families are told the devastating news that their child has cancer. As the children’s cancer charity, CLIC Sargent is there with clinical, practical and emotional support, every step of the way.
CLIC Sargent’s online shop is fully stocked with a new range of Christmas cards and lots of stocking-sized gifts for big-hearted shoppers. Choosing gifts from the charity’s online shop helps CLIC Sargent support families whose lives have been turned upside down by childhood cancer.
Samaritans give emotional support every six seconds – even on Christmas Day. Help us help others…
Christmas can be an anxious time for thousands of people as they struggle to cope with their emotions, feeling completely alone. With your help, Samaritans will be able to continue providing the vital support needed to answer every call made to us on Christmas Day for many years to come.
Samaritans 2009 Christmas catalogue launches with an exclusive range of specially designed cards and inspired presents including treats for a sweet tooth, pampering presents, gadgets for men, fair trade goodies and gifts for garden lovers. There is something for everyone!
Make this Christmas even more meaningful by ordering your festive gifts from Samaritans’ Christmas Catalogue. Call 01736 33 69 91 or browse through the full collection at www.samaritans.org/christmas
Oxfam’s online shop sells a range of Fair Trade, eco and ethical goods sourced from around the world as well as over 100 thousand unique donated items at any one time. These include a wide range of vintage clothing and accessories, a Fair Trade fashion collection from the new Oxfam Boutiques and Oxfam unwrapped gifts.
To visit the site go to www.oxfam.org.uk/shop. All profits raised go to help Oxfam’s work in helping to overcome poverty around the world.
Give more than just a gift this Christmas- save lives with festive goodies from
This Christmas, Save the Children is your one stop-shop for festive gifts, decorations, cards and wrapping paper. We have a whole host of goodies including ethical, fair trade and organic treats - all available across our 123 high street shops and online at www.savethechildrenshop.co.uk
We’ve got presents for the whole family - at a price you can afford and for a great cause. When you buy a couple of packs of cards or stocking filler, we can give a mosquito net to a mother or child to protect them from malaria, helping them live to see another Christmas.
This year all our wrapping paper and cards are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, this means they have been sourced responsibly in the UK, requiring less fuel and energy to deliver them to our festive-filled shops in time for Christmas!
Discover yuletide inspiration and help Macmillan Cancer Support by doing your Christmas shopping from the Macmillan Christmas catalogue.
With more than 2 million people living with cancer in the UK, every purchase from Macmillan’s Christmas Catalogue, no matter how small, will help us to provide practical, medical, emotional and financial support to people affected by cancer. By buying direct from a charity more of your money goes to help make a difference to people’s lives - just £5 will help pay for 10 copies of The Cancer Guide and £14 will pay for a Macmillan benefits advisor for an hour to provide welfare advice and support to people affected by cancer.
Available from www.macmillan.org.uk/shop or 0870 830 7080, all sales will help Macmillan reach more people affected by cancer.
Dogs Trust is the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, and is dedicated to ensuring the welfare of dogs everywhere. Through its network of 18 Rehoming Centres in the UK and Ireland, the charity cares for over 16,000 stray, unwanted and abandoned dogs each year.
While a dog is in the care of Dogs Trust it will receive the very best of care and attention, but Dogs Trust works tirelessly to ensure that each and every dog goes to a happy and loving home of its own. Through a careful home-checking system, staff also ensure that a dog and his new owners are the perfect match.
As suggested by its famous slogan, “A Dog is for Life, Not Just for Christmas”, Dogs Trust is dedicated to promoting the message of responsible dog ownership. The charity invests in campaigns to reduce the number of stray, unwanted and abandoned dogs by promoting neutering, microchipping, and invests in education programmes to reach the dog owners of tomorrow.
Dogs Trust has a non-destruction policy, and will never put a healthy dog to sleep. The charity is working towards the day when all dogs can enjoy a happy life, free from the threat of unnecessary destruction. Visit www.dogstrustgifts.com
The British Red Cross is selling a wide variety of Christmas items to raise money for the charity’s vital work in the UK and abroad. Sending a British Red Cross virtual gift is a fantastic way to give a novel present to someone while also helping to continue vital Red Cross work.
‘Pass the Parcel’ allows you to create your own virtual Red Cross parcel, which you can then pass on to friends and family via email or social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter.
Pack your own parcel with items representing real practical help the Red Cross provides, like a blanket for £1.98, a mosquito net for £3.07, right through to a cholera kit for £89 at www.redcrossparcel.org.uk.
For each donation made to these campaigns you will receive a beautiful gift card and cotton shopping bag which will make the perfect Christmas gift.
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Canine Partners has the solution for those difficult to buy presents. Why not Adopt a Puppy (sponsored by Purina PetCare) for just £1 a week so your loved ones can follow the progress of wannabe Canine Partners as they train to become assistance dogs and transform the lives of people with disabilities? Recipients will receive a Puppy Pack containing a puppy photo, signed certificate and a cuddly toy dog, as well as getting regular updates of puppy adventures plus photos.
CLIC Sargent helps children and young people with cancer and their families with the trauma of diagnosis, the often long journey through treatment and continues to support them afterwards.
Samaritans give emotional support every six seconds – even on Christmas Day. Help us help others…
Oxfam’s online shop sells a range of Fair Trade, eco and ethical goods sourced from around the world as well as over 100 thousand unique donated items at any one time. These include a wide range of vintage clothing and accessories, a Fair Trade fashion collection from the new Oxfam Boutiques and Oxfam unwrapped gifts. 
This Christmas, Save the Children is your one stop-shop for festive gifts, decorations, cards and wrapping paper. We have a whole host of goodies including ethical, fair trade and organic treats - all available across our 123 high street shops and online at 
Discover yuletide inspiration and help Macmillan Cancer Support by doing your Christmas shopping from the Macmillan Christmas catalogue.
Dogs Trust is the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, and is dedicated to ensuring the welfare of dogs everywhere. Through its network of 18 Rehoming Centres in the UK and Ireland, the charity cares for over 16,000 stray, unwanted and abandoned dogs each year.
The British Red Cross is selling a wide variety of Christmas items to raise money for the charity’s vital work in the UK and abroad. Sending a British Red Cross virtual gift is a fantastic way to give a novel present to someone while also helping to continue vital Red Cross work.
