Gifts and greeting card folk – to include The Giftware Association’s ceo Sarah Ward, marketing and PR manager Chris Workman, and business development manager Alina Masood Aziz – put their best foot forward last Thursday (June 27) when they took part in Cardgains’ charity challenge, It’s Not Grim Up North, which saw them walking 17.5 miles on behalf of mental health charity Mind.
Other gifties taking part in the walk included Andrea Pinder, owner of Presentation gift shop in Barrowford, Caroline and Jon Ranwell of gift shop Hugs & Kisses in Tettenhall, and Miles Robinson and Nigel Williamson, co-owners of seven House of Cards shops in the Home Counties.
“It was such a good day, and we had perfect weather,” Chris told GiftsandHome.net. “The group we walked with included Helen McManus from Cardgains, and reps Helen Covell and Jayne Plackett from Rainbow Designs.”
Continued Chris: “We had a lovely day enjoying being in nature, seeing kingfishers, waterfalls and alpacas, and enjoying the, at times, slightly hilly walk, which has helped to raise over £20k for charity Mind through the combined efforts of the 40 walkers.”
Progressive Greetings’ Warren Lomax was one of the first walkers to finish.
Commented Penny Shaw, managing director of Cardgains: “A huge well done to everybody for completing the challenge. I hope you enjoyed some of Sheffield’s parks, gardens and green spaces, as well as a few of the urban streets.”
A £35,000 fund raising target was set to match Cardgains 35th anniversary this year. Visit www.cardgains.co.uk
Top: Among those in the gift industry who took part in the Cardgains It’s Not Grim Up North charity challenge, on behalf of Mind, were the GA’s ceo Sarah Ward, and marketing and PR manager Chris Workman.