Father Christmas and Mrs Christmas found themselves transported back in time this week when they boarded a 1955 Leyland double decker bus to help deliver hundreds of Christmas cards and gifts to homes around Eden and the North Pennines.
Christmas cards and gifts provided by Cards for Good Causes (CFGC), the UK’s largest multi charity Christmas card distributor, are now on sale at several Tourist Information Centres (TICs) around Eden. Staff at Appleby TIC, Alston Local Links, Upper Eden Visitor Centre at Kirkby Stephen and Penrith TIC are delighted to be supporting CFGC in the run up to Christmas and hope that card and gift sales will be brisk over the coming weeks.
The heritage double decker bus belongs to an extensive fleet of heritage buses operated by Ravenstonedale based Cumbria Classic Coaches. The stunning AEC Regent III double deck, low bridge (13’6″) bus has a luxury interior that enjoys full width leather and moquette seating on the top deck with an offside deep walkway. Throughout the interior decor and polished mahogany woodwork are to coach standards.
This particular vehicle was purchased by Bamber Bridge Motor Services and taken from a production batch intended for Huddersfield Corporation. Ironically it worked on service between Leyland Motors and Chorley, causing some resentment amongst Leyland employees. The rear platform sliding door was a prototype ‘Southlanco’ patent and was intended for motorisation.
“The directors, drivers and staff at Cumbria Classic Coaches wish Eden TIC’s every success with their launch of Good Causes Christmas Card pop-up shops,” said Will Hammer – Director at Cumbria Classic Coaches.
Cards for Good Causes
The cards are sold on behalf of a wide range of well-known national charities. For every £1 spent 70p goes direct the charity. Over the years, charities around the UK have benefited substantially from the sales of Christmas cards and gifts sold from pop up shops around the country. TICs have been used for many years as they are seen as important community hubs. Not only that, TICs also encourage many thousands of visitors, including a growing number of overseas visitors, to discover more about the region but also provide an important role in providing local people holiday planning information and advice for other parts of the country.
“Buying charity Christmas cards is one of the simplest ways to support good causes this festive season. Our pop up shops within some of Eden’s network of TICs stock one of the widest ranges of Christmas cards anywhere. The proceeds from every card or product sold make a vital contribution to the work of the charities that we partner,” said Vicky Monaghan, the Regional Manager for Cards for Good Causes.
The pop-up shops located at several TICs across Eden and the North Pennines are part of a network of more than 300 temporary shops run by CFGC. The shops represents more than 250 charities including Cancer Research UK, Barnardo’s, NSPCC, Alzheimer’s Society and RNLI as well as a number of local charities.
Shoppers will be able to choose from hundreds of different Christmas card designs, as well as traditional advent calendars and candles, wrapping paper, gift tags, and napkins and stocking fillers.
In the past ten years, charities have received more than £40 million from Cards for Good Causes, representing at least 70p in every pound, out of which the charities pay for the production and distribution of their Christmas cards and any VAT.
