Cards for Good Causes at St Michael & All Angels
Each year, we sell hundreds of Christmas cards for charities, through the Cards for Good Causes shop in the Church.
They include St Michael's own cards - the 2008 image shows the Christmas Crib figures at St Michael & All Angels, above, photographed by David Beresford.
There will also be Advent calendars, a range of gifts and stocking-fillers, and everything you need to wrap your parcels. Please bring your own shopping bag - as part of our Green Christmas campaign, supported by St Michael's and Cards for Good Causes, we are encouraging recycling and the use of fewer plastic bags!
The shop is managed by Anne Mower and Gill Stevens and staffed by volunteers from the church. It was opened by the award-winning painter Alfred Daniels, who painted the poster for this year's Bedford Park Summer Exhibition. (Alfred is seen here with St Michael's curate, Mother Katherine Hedderly, Gill and Anne).
It is open from Monday to Saturday, from 11am to 5pm every day except Wednesday when, because of the lunchtime Mass, it opens at 1pm. This season’s trading will end on Thursday December 18th.
Last year, the Cards for Good Causes scheme raised around £6 million for a wide range of charities. This year, each charity will receive a minimum of 79% of the sales income - excellent value, since many high street shops return only about 4% on their charity card sales. The St Michael's shop sells cards with almost 300 images on behalf of more than 35 charities. You can link to their websites here:-
Action for Children (formerly NCH), Alzheimer's Society, Arthritis Research Campaign, Barnardo's, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, CARE, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Diabetes UK, Epilepsy Action, Help the Aged, Leukaemia Research, Macmillan Cancer Support, Mencap, Mind, Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Autistic Society, NSPCC, Perennial: Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Society, Queen Elizabeth's Foundation, Royal National Institute of the Blind, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Save the Children, Shelter, SSAFA Forces Help, The Home Farm Trust, National Deaf Children's Society, The Stroke Association, Christian Aid/Traidcraft, Multiple Sclerosis Trust, National Animal Welfare Trust, The 1959 Group of Charities, The Children's Society, Epilepsy Research UK, Unique: Rare Chromosome Disorder Support Group, National Eczema Society and St Michael & All Angels Church.