Lit Quiz 4 – done.

Brief post.

The usual thanks: quizmaster Derek for the fiendishness (the picture round – he giveth, round 5- he taketh away) and the hosting; The 78 for having us, serving us, and generally being affable; the teams for attending, groaning, whooping, and giving generously for the raffle. Another success. Apart from my absymal performance. With John absent, there was no hope of me finishing anywhere but the thick end. I didn’t hand in answer sheets. I kept mental notes for 3 rounds, then I conceded defeat.

Literary Quiz V is due for release in January, plot and guest stars will be announced in due course.

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And check out the new Unwrapped catalogue here

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Bags, what’s on the horizon and a word on appeals.

So it’s been almost a month since our last post, time to catch up.

Business has been brisk. Donations are of a particularly high quality at the moment, which I think is reflected in our recent sales figures. Long may it continue.

Lots on the horizon. Freshers week and the start of the new Uni term are first.  This is the period when we really push our academic stock. We also try to get into the miasmic head space of the fresher. It’s a full agenda in there! You’re competing with burger-eating competitions, non-stop promotions of every kind, clubs and society touts, endless bar and restaurant offers etc etc.  A lot of new students have heard of Oxfam, but we want to draw attention to what’s right on their doorstep here in Glasgow and get these young, potential customers, volunteers and supporters involved in as ways as possible.

Next is the run-in to Christmas. To most people, it seems like a symptom of insanity to be mentioning this in August, but that’s retail and charity-retail for you.  We have to be competitive to get the funds we need and the small percentage of sales you get from early merchandising is valuable. And it allows people a chance to compare and (hopefully) to choose our cards, wrapping paper and diaries over other high street offers. Also, Unwrapped will put on its festive face around October, so keep an eye out for the new range.

We have a selection of excellent handmade bags for sale at the moment. They’ve been made by our volunteers and so far have sold really well (a ‘geisha’ bag made by the manager John Connolly, is also ready for sale). Though we’ve moved them from our promotional shelves the offer is still running and there are ideas aplenty for upcoming designs. They’re one-offs folks, so you should (sorry) bag one while you can (that’s appalling, but I’m sticking by it).

Lastly, the DEC Pakistan flood appeal is receiving our spotlight at the moment. The public have been extremely generous over the last couple of weeks so here’s hoping the appeal target is reached. Out of the spotlight does not necessarily mean sorted though, and the food crisis continues in West Africa. You can donate to both appeals on the Oxfam site (just follow the links at the head of the main page here).

That’s it for now. I’m off on holybags so see you all here in September.

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Goats, chickens, cows, sheep. Flanimals.

The new unwrapped gifts went on sale this week in all Oxfam stores. There are no magnets this year, instead a slightly higher grade card with info and a space for a personal message. As always there are new gifts added to keep the range fresh. This year also sees the introduction of Flanimal gifts, 5 in total. Rather than pay for one specific item, these gifts fund areas of Oxfam’s work such as HIV/AIDS education or advocacy and campaigning. You can grab a catalogue in any store. More info @ http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/oxfam-unwrapped

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