Crisis Christmas card challenge

Oct 15 2008 The Journal

THE Journal has joined forces with Crisis in Newcastle to launch its first regional Christmas Card Challenge, to raise some of the money towards the £576,000 in funding needed annually to keep the city’s office and cafe running.

Modelled on a successful scheme which has been running in London for 12 years in partnership with the Financial Times, the challenge’s aim is to persuade North East businesses not to send corporate Christmas cards this festive season.

Rather, Crisis wants businesses to donate the money to the centre – and in return they will receive an e-card to forward to colleagues and clients and their logo will be included in a double-page spread ‘thank you’ in The Journal before Christmas. The more money a company donates, the larger its logo will appear.

"The campaign is being run around the largest Christmas card," said North East fundraising manager Donnas Bell. "Members of Skylight in London did a card the height of a double decker bus and painted and decorated it. The actual e-card is the film of the card being made."

The campaign has set itself a target of raising £200,000 from the business community in the North East.

"It’s really very ambitious in the current economic climate," said Donna.

For more information on how to take part in the North East Christmas Card Challenge, visit www.crisis.org.uk/ne-christmascard or call (0191) 269-9393 or 07825 132 462.