Today is Festive Friday (November 26), the special day spearheaded by the GCA to kickstart Christmas card sending. In addition to the initiative being embraced by those within the greeting card industry, with card publishing teams and retailers putting some time aside today to write and post their Christmas cards, a collaboration between the GCA, Spring Fair, Retail Trust, Ling Design and The Art File is seeing some extra Christmas cheer being sent by the residents of the Marshall Estate in north west London, one of five Retail Trust supported living estates in the UK.
Through discussions with Amanda Fergusson, ceo of the GCA, the Spring Fair team, as part of its ongoing support of the Retail Trust charity, came up with the idea celebrating Festive Friday with the retired residents of the Mill Hill-based Marshall Estate.
Ling Design and The Art File donated boxes and packs of Christmas cards and the residents were ready and willing to send their festive greetings to their friends and loved ones.
As Amanda Fergusson, ceo of the GCA said: “We’re delighted that Spring Fair and the Retail Trust are celebrating Festive Friday this year, starting the first wave of card sending, reminding everyone to post their cards. Seeing a hand-written envelope on the doormat is a lovely feeling, opening a greeting card that someone has chosen and written specially for you creates a powerful connection; Christmas cards link loved ones together across the world.”
Stuart Thomas, head of global partnerships of Hyve Group (which owns Spring Fair) who joined the residents at the card writing event, said: “We are really pleased to have collaborated on such a wonderful project with the GCA, Retail Trust, and our generous greeting card exhibitors The Art File and Ling Design to support Festive Friday. It is wonderful to see the lovely Retail Trust residents to get together for an hour or two to write their Christmas cards to send on to their loved ones.”
The Retail Trust has been caring for and protecting the lives of people working in retail from 1832 onwards. The Marshall Estate is one of five Retail Trust supported living estates in the UK. It comprises 72 properties and an on-site housing support team.
Spring Fair and the Retail Trust are working on a host of other projects similar to this as well as fundraising for the charity. The next few months will see another collaboration with the GCA and Retail Trust for Thinking of You Week during 2022.
Top: A trio of residents in Christmas card writing mode!
