Sponsor forms at the ready

Look Out London walkers all set to raise more money for MNDA during PG Live

Look Out London charity challengers will have their sponsor forms at the ready during PG Live as the 51 greeting card industry folk signed up for the annual Cardgains event aim to smash the £25,000 target.

With all monies raised going to the Motor Neurone Disease Association in memory of greetings legend David Hicks, it’s a cause very close to everyone’s hearts so PG Live tomorrow and Wednesday, 6-7 June, is the perfect place to add a few names to the list.

**Above: Victoria Park is the halfway point on the 25-mile Look Out London walk**

“Many of us are exhibiting or attending PG Live,” Cardgains’ md Penny Shaw said, “so we have a paper sponsor form and also the QR code to our fundraising site – I’ll be displaying this on our stand!

“This is a great opportunity to maximise donations from visitors and colleagues at the show – particularly at the first day after-show event.”

This year’s Cardgains Charity Challenge is a 25-mile walk around London on Thursday, 29, June, and there are 51 people taking part from across the industry, not just members of the buying group, with the total pledged so far around the £14,000 mark.

**Above: The QR code is an easy way to donate to the £25,000 target for MNDA**

As there are now 17 group and individual pages listed on JustGiving raising money for Look Out London, the target on the official Cardgains page here has been relisted, and Penny explained: “As so many are adding to their own site, the rest of us are aiming for £7,500! We’re at 26% of that so have some way to go but, if everyone raises their £250 minimum, we should get there.”

And remember to ask all UK taxpayers to use the Gift Aid option, which adds 25% to their donation and also add a message of support so Cardgains know which walkers to allocate donations to.

Among those with their own fundraising sites are Ian and Lorraine Bradley where they’re up to 48% of their £2,000 target – with sales agent Ian promising to jump into the Serpentine Lake in the capital if he and Rush Design publisher Lorraine make the total!

“I believe I may now have agreed to budgie smuggler Speedos for over £3,000,” Ian laughed, as they finished an 18-mile training walk around Birmingham at the weekend with pals Caroline and Jon Ranwell, who run Hugs & Kisses in Tettenhall and are also joining in the challenge with their own £2,000 target.

**Above: Ian Bradley has pledged to jump in the Serpentine if he and Lorraine raise £2,000, and Caroline and Jon Ranwell are aiming to raise the same amount**

There are two start times for the event, which sets off from Lockhouse in London’s Paddington Basin, with a 7.30am registration for 8am start, and 8.30 registration for 9am start.

Miles Robinson, chairman of Cardgains and co-owner of House of Cards, selected the walk and has undertaken a recce of the loop which takes in many of the waterways, parks and gardens, mainly on the north side of the River Thames, just slipping south for a short while around Waterloo, with the lunchtime support stop at Victoria Park in Tower Hamlets, the city’s oldest purpose-built public park.

**Above: There are MNDA tee-shirts for all walkers**

All walkers will be given a MDNA tee-shirt at the start, and there are wristbands to wear too plus collection boxes with the charity’s logo and a QR code so passers-by can donate on the spot during the trek.

So, if you’re among the 51 walkers signed up for Look Out London, and you’re at PG Live over the next couple of days, print out the sponsor form that’s pictured below to wave under everyone’s noses at the show and help beat the £25,000 target – and if you don’t want to be nabbed, the perfect excuse is to have already donated via the JustGiving link!

Walkers signed up to date include…

Abacus Cards, Sean Edwards

Allsorted, Lincoln Exley

Cardgains, Penny Shaw and Helen McManus

Cardology, David Falkner

Chester Bentley, Alex Lambrechts

Creative Sparrow, Hannah Curtis

Danilo, Daniel Prince

Doodle Press, Chayelee McQuade

Emma Bryan Design, Emma Bryan

Emotional Rescue, Brett Smith, David Greaves and Jennie Rutter

Gemar UK, Mark Drury

Green And Wilds, John Elmes

House of Cards, Miles Robinson, Nigel Williamson, Tracy Murray, Lynn Viggers, Jarrod Lee, Leila Wignall, Jillian Williamson, Amanda Barker, Mark Wignall and Lisa Gilbert

Hugs & Kisses, Caroline and Jon Ranwell

Hyve Group, James Ambrose, Jason Carvey, Daniel Goodban and Ciro Dunlop

Industry friend, Tony Roberts

Marina B Designs, Marina Brook

Nigel Quiney, Carl Pledger

Paperlink, Tim Purcell

Pioneer Europe, Anna Huckman, Julie Dommett, and Michelle Comerford

Presentation, Andrea Pinder

Progressive Greetings, Warren Lomax, Tierney Spence and Jordan McEnTeggart

Really Good, Nicole Mendelsohn

Rush Design, Lorraine and Ian Bradley

Starlight Media, Simon Pryce