Earlybird very happy as Windles helps kids’ competition support charity
Making people happy with cards has really resonated in the Hackney area as the 100 entries to Earlybird’s kids’ greeting card design competition shows.
And, despite having come from a country where card sending isn’t as big as here in the UK, young Ukrainian refugee Adrian Makovski is totally on board with the concept now, with his winning design really catching attention.
Earlybird co-owner Heidi Early organised the Happy Card competition for Thinking Of You Week and was absolutely chuffed with the number of entries, and pleased that all the profits from sales of the eight-year-old Adrian’s design will go to charity.
“@kidshackney is a local charity supporting children with disabilities, and was hand-picked by Adrian,” Heidi explained. “Windles kindly printed the card for us for free so we can give all the profits to the charity. The public voted for the winner, and what a wonderful choice. Adrian’s been going to art classes and it shows!
Adrian and his mum are Ukrainian refugees and were hosted for a year and a half by Georgie Cook, who owned a small clothes shop near us on Church St for over 20 years before she closed it this year.
“The family now live nearby and Adrian goes to Grazebrook School, his English is now excellent and his mum works in a local nursery. It’s such a lovely story. We’ll definitely be doing the project again next year – cards really do make people happy!” said Heidi.
Windles’ marketing manager Michelle Mills said the print group was “very honoured and proud” to support the competition, and added: “The colours, the picture and the lovely message were spot-on. Well done Adrian, you are very creative and an excellent artist.”
Meanwhile, fellow indie retailer Sarah Laker has been doing her bit for charity at her Stationery Supplies shops in Marple and Wilmslow, with donations to the Breast Cancer Unit at Macclesfield Hospital and then East Cheshire Hospice.
She visited the unit a few days ago to hand over the £350 cheque from the mystery card bag sale earlier in the year, and added: “Coupled with the £301 we raised when Tracey Colliston, from Ginger Betty Cards, sketched some beautiful pictures for TOYW, it brings our fundraising total this year to £1,095.
“Thank you all so much for helping us raise this amazing amount over the year for local charities. It means so much to me to be able to give back to the communities around my shops.”
