50/50 Raffle for the Rowland Hill Fund to thank and support postal workers.

I wrote a newsletter recently and it went like this …

How do you write a newsletter when nice news is in short supply? I'd been sitting here with my coffee mug, staring into space, trying to think of something worthwhile to talk about and then I looked across at the small pile of letters and orders ready to post tomorrow and I had an idea! We've been sending and receiving quite a lot of post during the lockdown, thanks to our Postie Andy who kindly collects anything that won't fit in the box down the lane. But postal workers are also key workers and venturing out into the world while we've been safe at home. 
Yesterday my daughter said getting something nice in the post makes such a difference to a long day of being stuck at home and how delivery drivers and postal workers are unsung heroes in times of isolation,

keeping people "physically" connected and helping small businesses bob along (the bookshop where I would normally be working has a new online shop and is relying on postal deliveries to keep afloat and hopefully save our jobs) Anyway, I did a bit of research this morning and found out about the Rowland Hill Fund which is the Royal Mail postal workers' charity and decided to set up a raffle for this new cyanotype/watercolour piece. Raffle tickets will be £5 each ( everyone gets a special thank you card) and the proceeds will be split 50/50 ( I need to keep the wolf from my door too) . I hope you think it's a good idea. You can find the raffle here - a unique chance to own an original piece for a fiver! So, in a poor parody of the latest confusing government advice ....

I’m happy to say that the tickets have sold really fast and I’m overwhelmed by the support I’ve been getting from people buying cards and other things from the website shop. It’s been really really hard to imagine how I can keep this small (tiny) business going now that galleries are closed and events cancelled but this has given me a glimmer of hope that online sales just might work.

Anyway, I can’t wait until I can pick a winner and send the money to such a worthwhile cause, as well as the picture to its new owner of course. Here is a picture a family friend took of me and my brother in the olden days ( Rhode Island 1976) , showing how much I’ve always had thing about sending and receiving letters!