Cards for Good Causes opens in St Johns Church Stamford

A popular pop-up charity store officially opened in Stamford’s St Johns Church on Friday, October 19.

Cards for Good Causes is open seven days a week until December 18 selling a range of items including one of the largest selection of Christmas cards available anywhere.

The Stamford store is part of a nationwide initiative to raise money for charity and in the past 10 years, Cards for Good Causes stores around the country have contributed more than £40m towards the charities that it works with.

Stamford store manager Beryl Kirtland said that 70 volunteers would be helping out for the duration it was open.

“A minimum of 70p in every pound goes to charity,” said Beryl.

“If we can keep the costs down we are able to give more and last year we were able to give 75p in every pound.”

Beryl said that of the 320 stores around the country, the Stamford one was the sixth biggest in the country.

“We had 20,000 people through the door in the 10 weeks we were open last year,” she said.

“There was only one shop that sold more goods than us in the entire country.”

Since 2000 when Beryl got involved, the Stamford store has significantly increased the variety of goods it sells and now everything from wrapping paper and serviettes to Christmas pudding mix and diaries are available to buy.

“It has been down to commitment and enthusiasm and to look outside the box at how we can develop further each year,” she said of the growth.

“We have also had fantastic support over the years from the local community and visitors who come from all around to support us.”

Members of the Stamford Branch of The Royal British Legion, including President Steve Bonde, were in attendance at Friday’s official opening, which took place in front of the World War One Roll of Honour Memorial in the church.

Steve thanked everyone for coming and said it was a “real honour” to be there on “this special year” when centenary celebrations for the end of the Great War would be held.

“We have a range of events on the go in Stamford which started in March and end on November 18,” he said.

“The big event is on November 11 when a parade and Service of Remembrance will take place in Broad Street.

“At 11am when the last post rings out it will be precisely the time that the Armstice came into effect 100 years ago."