HyPER Charity Christmas Cards Initiative Raises Over £1,000

By Chris Gunness

It’s been pure festive joy: walking round our beautiful neighbourhood, engaging with locals and selling Christmas cards in aid of that most respected of institutions, St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington.

And the very best part is that HyPER has raised £1,053.93 for the Christmas Appeal of the Imperial Health Charity, which this year is going towards refurbishing the Children’s Wards at St Mary’s Hospital.

You can find out more about this wonderful project which will bring joy to children at Christmas on the charity’s website and there is a video with more information on YouTube.

Jasmin Stringer, of Imperial Health Charity has been a superbly efficient point person, supportive of HyPER at every stage and Imperial Health Charity CEO, Ian Lush, has been very kind-hearted in his words of thanks to HyPER.

We’re incredibly grateful for the generosity of everyone at the Hyde Park Estate Residents group. The passion of the local community is always inspiring and the hard work and support of everyone involved will make a big difference for seriously ill children at St Mary’s Hospital. On behalf of the charity I’d like to extend our sincerest gratitude to everyone at HyPER.

Imperial Health Charity CEO, Ian Lush

Ordinary people on the estate have also been hugely generous. Indeed, the reason the total is such a raggedly uneven figure is that some people who didn’t want cards, just emptied their pockets into my tin, such as one of the station cleaners at Paddington.

Which brings me to someone I need to thank: Lorna Adams in the Station Support Team, Western Route, Network Rail who gave me permission to sell cards on the concourse at Paddington train station. It was a big boost; indeed because of Lorna, I was able to sell cards super-fast around the station.

And that brings me to someone else I must thank: my dog-walking companion, Angie Herzberg, who accompanied me on my sales trips to Paddington. She brought along her super-model, drop dead gorgeous dog, Sylvie, who along with my cockerpoo, Teddy, provided something of a draw for would-be card buyers.

And on the subject of thanks, I would also like to send plaudits to Alison Condie and Tony Heywood, who allowed us to feature a picture of one of their peerlessly beautiful art installations on the card itself. And Tony even wrote the evocative seasonal poem featured inside.

All that’s left to say is a big thank you to all of you who bought the cards. Next year I intend to be out selling charity cards again, probably for St Mary’s. So I will be on your trail some time in November. You have been warned!