Cards for Good Causes at St Michael & All Angels
Each year from early November, we sell hundreds of Christmas cards for charities, through the Cards for Good Causes shop in the Church. They include St Michael & All Angels' own cards (2013 image, right, from a painting by Nigel Woolner, donated by Tony Simkin). At least 70p in the pound goes to the charities -
out of which they pay for the production and distribution of their cards and any VAT (see below). Please note: we are happy to accept payment by cheque or cash but we do not have the facility process credit or debit cards. Their use adds to the costs, which would reduce the share going to the charities.
The card shop opens from early November until the third week of December and its hours are normally: 11am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday (except Wednesday - when it opens at 1pm, after Mass - or when there are special services). Details of dates will be published in the autumn
The shop also sells Advent calendars, a range of gifts and stocking-fillers, and everything needed to wrap Christmas parcels. We ask customers to bring their own shopping bag - as part of our Green Christmas campaign, supported by St Michael's and Cards for Good Causes, we encourage recycling and the use of fewer plastic bags! The shop is managed by Kay Porter and staffed by volunteers from the church.
The image for 2009 showed a view from Acton Green of St Michael & All Angels in the snow, right, photographed by David Beresford, who also created the 2011 image below right. As a result of its popularity we sold more of these cards than for any other individual charity.
The shop offers around 300 designs on behalf of more than 30 
charities, so no one in Chiswick needs go far to enjoy a huge choice. It forms an important part of the church's outreach to the local community, bringing many people into the church for the first time. Providing a space for Cards for Good Causes also enables charitable giving for the whole community.
Many of the charities are large, nationwide concerns, but we always include local good causes too. You can read more about them and donate directly here:
Action for Children (formerly NCH), Age UK, Alzheimer's Society, Arthritis Research UK, Barnardo's, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home (http://www.battersea.org.uk), British Heart Foundation, British Red Cross, Cancer Research UK, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Diabetes UK, Epilepsy Action, HFT, Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Mencap, Mind, Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Autistic Society, NSPCC, Parkinson's UK, Perennial Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Society, Queen Elizabeth's Foundation, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Save the Children, Shelter, SSAFA, National Deaf Children's Society, The Stroke Association, Christian Aid/Traidcraft, Multiple Sclerosis Trust, The 1959 Group of Charities, The Children's Society, Epilepsy Research UK, and St Michael & All Angels Church.
Cards for Good Causes Limited (CFGC) pays the participating charities (or their trading subsidiaries) at least 70p in every pound from their card sales, less the VAT payable on the amount retained by CFGC. The retained amount covers CFGC's costs of running the temporary charity Christmas card shops. In addition to these costs, the participants have to pay for the production and distribution of their 
cards.
The cards shop was officially opened by Elizabeth McGovern, star of ITV's Downton Abbey, in 2010. She's seen here cutting the paper chain with Father Kevin Morris, vicar of St Michael & All Angels, and Anne Mower, then the shop manager.
Photo by David Beresford.