National Stationery Week has started this week against a background of unprecedented activity and promotion by independent and multiple retailers throughout the UK, and growing interest in the Get Britain Writing campaign from the media.
Amazon, Ryman, Staples, The Pen Shop, Osborne Stationers, Sainsbury’s, The Paperie, Websters, Cult Pens and Post Office Shop are among those actively involved in the week. Ryman are offering £10 vouchers, Staples are offering handwriting analysis and prizes to followers on Twitter and The Pen Shop are running a handwritten short story competition.
Hallmark cards launched an initiative from its headquarters in Bradford to encourage local primary school pupils across Yorkshire to indulge in the lost art of letter writing. There will be a series of interactive workshops held by the card and gift publisher in selected schools across the region.
Pupils from Bradford school, Heaton Primary and Leeds school, Victoria Primary School were the first to take part in the scheme, guided by Hallmark’s Head of Emotion, Emma Bragg, who taught them the importance of sentiment and expression in letter writing. Pupils were then encouraged to write special letters to teachers, family, friends and even celebrities.
Hallmark also donated a treasure trove of stationery to the Heaton pupils as well as a specially designed letter box that hopes to encourage children to use their new-found writing skills on a more regular basis. The company has also committed to running a dedicated advice session on its social channels for other children wanting to refine their letter writing skills later this month.
Following the launch of this new initiative, which supports the government’s decision to re-introduce hand writing and letter writing on to the school curriculum, Hallmark has already began to book further sessions with schools in the region and there are also plans to expand further in the future.
In London, meanwhile, National Stationery Week branded taxis are taking the Get Britain Writing message around the Capital throughout April.
“We have been inundated with enquiries about National Stationery Week from retailers, consumers and the media and the week hasn’t even started!” says organiser Chris Leonard-Morgan.
National Stationery Week overlaps with the London Stationery Show, which welcomed crowds of major and independent retail buyers when it opened on Tuesday April 23.
