Quarterly Update Feb 2021

Hello and here we are again with some of the stories of Card Factory Foundation’s work since November. We’ve been inundated with requests for grants, with the pandemic having a huge impact on the fundraising efforts of many charities who are struggling for funds as a result. We’re trying to help as many as we can, so read on to see some of the ways we’ve been able to do this.

THE NORTH MOVES FOR MACMILLAN

If you would like to help any charity, why not sign up for one of the many events you can do from home, and apply for match funding from us too? That’s what Card Factory’s North Division did when they took part in Move for Macmillan.

Susan Glass, Area 6 Retail Operations Regional Manager and also a Card Factory Foundation Trustee, said,

“We decided to get off our bums and ‘Move for Macmillan’. The whole of the North Division took part!”

Managers, Regional Managers, Sales Assistants could do a run, walk, cycle, or commit to 10,000 steps a day which, between them, raised a grand total of £5242 including a match fund donation from the Foundation of £2621.

What a fantastic achievement - very proud of our colleagues! Michael McWilliams, co-Location Manager of our Enniskillen stores on a 20K run!

ANTHONY’S WISH

Last year, Property Administrator, Jack Wright, lost his dad, Anthony, after a short battle with lung cancer. Anthony had struggled with illnesses throughout his adult life after being diagnosed with Whipple’s Disease – an extremely rare disease affecting fewer than 1 in a million people. When Anthony passed away, Jack and his sisters, along with Anthony’s work colleagues, set-up a fundraiser to donate to Pinderfields hospital in Wakefield who had treated Anthony.

Jack told us, “Throughout his life, Dad always expressed a wish to give something back to the people on the Haematology ward at Pinderfields Hospital who treated him almost every week of his life in his mid 20s right up until around 10 years ago.”

The family and friends raised an amazing £6097, which included a match fund donation from Card Factory Foundation of £3048. Most of this has been spent on buying much-needed equipment for the Haematology Department at Pinderfields. The items included fold away beds to allow family members to say with patients overnight, a wheelchair, 10 fridges for the ward, as well as household items, such as toasters, for the staff room! The money also stretched to making up essential care packages for patients while Covid restrictions meant family couldn’t visit to bring in much-needed toiletries.

Originally the fundraiser was supposed to be just for the hospital, but that was because they didn’t expect to raise so much. Jack said, “We were also able to donate some leftover funds to local dog rescue charities as my dad absolutely loved dogs. We helped them purchase some extras, such as dog food, toys, treats and even paid towards vets’ bills.

“Having the support of the Card Factory Foundation was a huge help to allow us to grant my dad’s wish. My sisters, my family and I would like to say thank you to everyone who donated.”