#Cardmitment and Caring At Christmas have really made their mark
The festive spirit has always been part of the greeting card industry but this year it’s been off the scale, really making its mark with the #Cardmitment campaign, Caring At Christmas initiative, MPs’ visits and in the media.
Five Dollar Shake md Matt Genower was the man who instigated Caring At Christmas and, fittingly, he’s been featured in his local Hastings Observer newspaper explaining how he came up with the idea of taking cards into care homes to help residents write festive messages to their loved ones.
He explained how greeting cards are very important to him and wife Beth as they founded the company because of the joy he got from all those received while he was in hospital being treated for leukaemia.
“I was treated in an isolation room for weeks,” Matt said, “requiring a bone marrow transplant to save my life. During my time there I received lots of lovely cards from people. They meant a lot and that inspired Beth and I to set up Five Dollar Shake as we know very well how precious life is.”
The idea of engaging with care homes grew out of an activity leaflet Matt saw for residents: “There are many homes out there which are looking out for something different that their residents can engage with, and the Caring At Christmas initiative really hits the spot for so many reasons.”
And it’s really taken off across the greeting card industry, with Bristol-based publishers Penguin Ink, Ricicle Cards and Stormy Knight among the latest to have popped along to a nearby care home.
The trio took a selection of cards to Bishopsmead Lodge, where the home’s magic moments coordinator Amanda Wyatt said: “Our residents loved meeting the publishers and choosing their favourites from all the wonderful designs over a mince pie and a cuppa.
“Sending physical Christmas cards seems to be on the decrease nowadays but our residents love the festive tradition of writing them, and of course receiving them. There’s still something very special about an envelope coming through the letterbox rather than receiving an email.”
And resident Michelle added: “It was a lovely morning, all the card designers were so kind and helpful as I find it hard to write cards by myself.”
Danilo has also taken part, dropping off a fabulous hamper full of Christmas cards for residents at the Honey Lane Care Home in Waltham Abbey to send to their loved ones.
Printer Loxleys put together a selection of cards for staff members Sally, Helen and Heather to take to Valley Wood care home in nearby Heeley where they assisted some of the 50 residents in choosing and writing their Christmas greetings.
It was a lovely festive atmosphere – complete with seasonal treats of chocs and biscuits – and home manager Louise Crocker said: “We were so pleased the team from Loxleys called in to spend time with our residents and help them complete their Christmas card for family and friends.”
The team at Loxleys is now hoping to make the care home visit an annual tradition and to build a stronger relationship with SheffCare who look after the residents.
Michael Apter has made sure his three Paper Tiger shops in Edinburgh have supported the GCA’s #Cardmitment campaign and has expanded the caring side to get cards sent to lonely older people.
He urged customers: “I’m sure that, like me, you have a card or two spare when you’ve worked your way through your Christmas card list.
“You can make a difference – we’re working with Vintage Vibes Edinburgh to send a card to a local lonely older person this Christmas. They work to tackle loneliness and isolation in Edinburgh, and can pair you up with someone who would really appreciate a message at this time of the year.”
Having been one of the first to initiate a Caring At Christmas visit to a care home, Newmarket-based Abacus Cards has followed this up with its own take on the two initiatives by helping pupils at nearby primary school Guildhall Feoffment in Bury St Edmunds pick up their pens and send festive greetings to their pen pals over in Greece.
Studio manager Liz Ellis explained: “Writing and sending cards has enabled the children to send yuletide messages and Christmas wishes to friends in the local community, volunteers, and regular visitors to the school. The children also enjoyed the tradition of writing cards to engage with their overseas pen pals at a school in Athens.
“It’s been a wonderful opportunity for Abacus to be involved and help people of all ages near and far to connect. Sending and receiving greeting cards allows us to bond with friends, it’s a way we can express our thanks and gratitude and it helps to convey a little joy and happiness by bringing together the wider community.”
And indie retailer Andrea Pinder grabbed celebrity businessman David Fishwick for a photo opportunity when the Bank Of Dave founder visited her Presentations store in Barrowford.
David, whose story of setting up a community bank with the slogan Bank On Dave is now a big screen hit, was helping write Christmas cards with Andrea, who said: “I’ve asked him next time he’s filming could he mention taking the time to write and post a card. The young customer with us had no idea who he was but was thrilled at being given the cards to write!”
Up in Lancashire, Sir Jake Berry, mp for Rossendale and Darwen, had a visit from Tracey Colliston, of Ginger Betty, Middlemouse Group’s Bec Wright, and sales agent Sarah Reynolds to get his support for the #Cardmitment campaign.
“We’re all passionate about the card industry,” Sarah said, “and wanted to highlight the importance of the physical greeting card and the wonderful tradition we have, particularly here in the UK, of sending cards and the joy it brings to receive a card.
“That someone has bought a card, sat down to write it, put a stamp on and posted it is something wonderful in itself… a little bit of analogue in a fast-paced digital world…how wonderful to be thought special enough to be sent a card!”
The trio explained the importance of the £1.5billion greeting card industry, and concerns about keeping the postal service national, affordable, and reliable – before nipping off for a festive lunch and a catch-up!
Brits’ love for the joy of a Christmas card has also made it to the rarefied air of The Times, where consumer journalist and broadcaster Harry Wallop penned a column for the edition today, 22 December, confirming “the humble Christmas card has not had its day”.
Saying “there has been a growing disquiet that the Christmases we have grown up with and continue to embrace are emblematic of the consumer economy that is slowly destroying the planet” he wrote about his curiosity that festive cards are still being sent.
Having previously always strung them around the sitting room, Harry added: “Before Covid we abandoned the enterprise because the number received had fallen to such a low level that the festive string was threadbare.
“Cards, I speculated, had gone the way of telephone directories and physical photograph albums: killed off by the internet, the cost of anything printed on paper and the rise of social media. Plus, privatised Royal Mail making a single postage stamp more expensive than a box of mince pies.
“The year Band Aid topped the charts, a first-class stamp was 17p. If the price had kept track with RPI inflation, stamps would now cost 58p, they are in fact £1.25. Surely no one can afford the luxury of sending a festive missive?
“Weirdly this year, though, we have been sent tons. The string has been re-hoisted.”
His investigations with Moonpig showed people under the age of 25 now make up 15% of its customer base compared to the pre-pandemic 10%, and he derided the donate to charity instead of sending cards brigade.
Having complained about Nestlé changing Quality Street wrappers from the traditional foil and jewel-bright plastic to waxed paper which “lacks the sparkle and explosion of colour I remember from my childhood”, Harry ended with a greetings industry-boosting: “I’m prepared to bet that Christmas cards will survive for generations to come. Will Nestlé’s tub of chocolates? I’m not so sure.”
