This Christmas it’s more important than ever to shop local and as part of our ongoing #SupportLocal campaign, we’ve rounded up some of the best gift ideas from Mackem makers, from prints by local artists to a Sun’Lun mug from Pop Recs and a ‘Santa is a Mackem’ face covering.
If you want to give an alcoholic gift, there’s a great range of Sunderland breweries, distilleries and shops doing gift sets. See our guide to places doing drinks deliveries here.
5. A Christmas Wish for the Shipyard Girls
The Sunday Times bestselling series based on the real women who went to work in Sunderland's shipyards during the war is now in its ninth instalment. The books are written by author Amanda Revell Walton, who writes as Nancy Revell, from her Roker home. Priced £7.99, it's available from Fulwell post office and Waterstones Sunderland as well as Asda, Morrison’s, Tesco’s, WH Smiths, Sainsbury's and Amazon. Photo: submitted
6. The Sunderland Gift Card
The Sunderland Gift Card, which can be loaded up with £5 up to £500, is being pioneered by Sunderland City Council and Sunderland BID and is aimed at supporting local business while allowing recipients to redeem the cards at a wide range of venues, from retail and hotel stays to meals out, entertainment and hair and beauty treatments. So far, it can be used at more than 100 businesses, including SAFC, Asiana, 2 Church Lane, The Looking Glass, Aphrodite, Port Independent, Bou-Chique, Designer Childrenswear and Dr Funkenstein. Cards are valid for 12 months and can be purchased from [email protected] Photo: submitted
7. Sunderland print
Celebrate all things Sunderland with this print by artist Michael Wylie who runs Sketch Book Design. He makes typography prints for a range of cities and towns including his home town of Sunderland, as well as bespoke commissions. Prints are priced from £14.95 to £64.95 , depending on size and framing. Visit www.sketchbookdesign.co.uk Photo: submitted
8. A Sunderland Echo digital subscription
Do you know someone who loves to keep track of all the latest news, sport and lifestyle in Sunderland? Then this gift could be right up their street - a subscription to the Sunderland Echo website. By gifting a subscription you will be giving the recipient unlimited access to all of the Echo’s great digital content as well as exclusive features, daily puzzles and bespoke newsletters, as well as a better user experience with fewer adverts. You will also be supporting quality journalism in Sunderland so we can keep covering the stories that matter. To find out more or to gift a subscription this Christmas visit our subscription page for the full terms and conditions. Photo: JPI Media