Kettering firm hoping to spread some happiness this weekend

Coulson Macleod, which produces greetings cards, art prints and giftware, has teamed up with Johnny’s Happy Place in Kettering to celebrate Thinking of You Week.

It is a national initiative aimed at promoting the importance of personal, handwritten cards which has gained momentum in recent years and is now supported by brands such as Waitrose.

Danielle from Coulson Macleod said: “We will be running an event at the Johnny’s Happy Place café – a card writing workshop – encouraging people to drop in, enjoy some food and drink, and write a card to let a friend or family member know they are thinking of them, and hopefully raising awareness of this wonderful place and charity in the process.

“The greeting cards will be supplied by our company and we will also be franking the mail ourselves free of charge for those who would like to post their cards directly to recipients.”

The card writing workshop is taking place between 11am and 1pm on Sunday (September 30) at Johnny’s Happy Place, which is based in Rockingham Road.

It is a Kettering-based organisation set up in memory of Johnny Mackay who took his own life in 2014 aged 29.

His family and friends wanted to open an area dedicated to supporting people like Johnny and after being given space at Keystone Youth Centre in Rockingham Road, they opened a cafe there.

A post about this weekend’s workshop on the JHP Facebook page said: “Many people have forgotten how lovely it is to write a card and it’s so much more personal than a text.

“Take the card away to another table, have a cup of tea and some cake, write it, bring it back and they’ll post it free of charge.

“How lovely is that!

“Tell your friends, children, aunties and brothers and do come along.”

For more information about Johnny’s Happy Place, click here