The Festive Friday feeling definitely broke through the industry boundaries as schools, care homes, day centres, hospitals, businesses outside the trade as well as the general public latched onto the event conceived to kick start Christmas card sending.
The GCA-instigated Festive Friday celebrations (which took place last Friday, 29 November) definitely went up a notch as thousands and thousands of Christmas cards made their way into the postal system, each one sending some early festive cheer.
Rachel Hare, president of the GCA and managing director of Belly Button Designs has always been a big supporter of Festive Friday. This year the publisher worked with a local primary school donating cards that the children then wrote to residents of a care home for the elderly. In addition the Belly Button team also took the initiative to Whittington Hospital where cards were written as well as sold for charity. Belly Button also reached out to a local homeless centre (with cards to be handed out on Christmas Day). Belly Button Designs’ own Festive Friday charity event saw locals and businesses invited to the studio where they could buy Belly Button products, homemade cakes and participate in a raffle, with all proceeds going to Christies Charity.
“I have always supported Festive Friday. For me it is the best way of getting Christmas started,” commented Nigel Scott of the Shingles Support Society who participated in one of the GCA’s Festive Friday activities in London. Nigel, wrote and sent 70 of his Christmas cards at the event, staged at the brasserie adjacent to the GCA/PG offices.
As Nigel’s colleague Marian Nicholson added: “Sending Christmas cards is an integral part of the Christmas tradition. It is a wonderful way of me sending people my love and for them to show that they love me too, which is rather special.”
Here, PG Buzz shares just a small selection of some of the Festive Friday activities.
Top: Some of the children at Didsbury Road Primary School, Manchester enjoying their Festive Friday with cards provided by Belly Button Designs.
