Cardgains’ miles of smiles

£31,700 cheque presented from Mind charity walk – Toni’s Trek is 2025 challenge

 

Miles of smiles paid off as Cardgains revealed the happy news of the £31,732.64 It’s Not Grim Up North Charity Challenge total for Mind at Spring Fair yesterday, 3 February.

The traditional giant cheque revealing how well the 41 card publishers, retails and industry pals did for the annual challenge was unveiled on Cardgains Village stand 3M10/N11 – and that’s important to know as it’s where the sign-up sheet for this year’s event can be found before the show closes tomorrow!

Above: Challengers cheer the cheque total
Above: Challengers cheer the cheque total

Mental health charity Mind was the beneficiary for the event in the buying group’s 35th anniversary year and the final amount raised from the 17½-mile trek around the seven hills of Sheffield wasn’t far off the £35,000 target.

“It’s always incredible to raise such a huge amount of money with our friends and colleagues in the industry,” said Cardgains MD Penny Shaw as the big cheque was revealed. “It’s always great to see how many people have joined in the Charity Challenge and enjoyed the great camaraderie.”

For the 2025 challenge, there’s a particularly poignant link with the greetings industry as the beneficiary will be Pancreatic Cancer UK following the untimely death of supplier member Emotional Rescue’s longstanding and well-loved product manager Toni Cresswell in September after a short battle with the disease.

Penny added: “It’s always interesting to pick the new charity for the following year, and Toni was a dedicated, passionate and brilliant part of the industry for over 28 years.

Above: The sad loss of Toni Cresswell has inspired the 2025 charity choice
Above: The sad loss of Toni Cresswell has inspired the 2025 charity choice

“We’ve called it Toni’s Trek and set a £30,000 target – as it’s in Birmingham, you must be involved by order of the Peaky Blinders!”

The date is Thursday, 26 June, and everyone from the greetings industry is welcome to take part, you don’t have to be a Cardgains retail or supplier member.

The 20 to 25-mile route is being worked out with the help of Ian Bradley, from Rush Design, and will take in streets, parks and canals around Britain’s second city, although it can’t all be along the waterways as there are over 35 miles in total, even more than in Venice!

Emo’s directors David Greaves, Brett Smith and Jennie Rutter were among the first to sign up to take part and are already planning to close the company for the day so as many colleagues as possible can walk out in memory of Toni, and help the charity which offers specialist support to help people with the disease and their families, as well as fund research and raise awareness.

If you want to sign up, pop along to the Cardgains Village at Spring Fair before the show closes at 4pm tomorrow, 5 February, or email penny@bridewelluk.co.uk for more details.

Above: Pals from the greeting card industry completed the It’s Not Grim Up North walk
Above: Pals from the greeting card industry completed the It’s Not Grim Up North walk
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