Rudell The Jewellers release their catalogue for Christmas

Recently Rudell The Jewellers, renowned for their exquisite jewellery and watch collections, celebrated the launch of their highly anticipated annual catalogue, showcasing an array of jewellery, watches and gifts, perfectly timed for Christmas.

Nestled in the heart of the West Midlands, Rudell The Jewellers, known for their dedication to deliver excellence in quality, service and value since 1938, opened their doors to guests wishing to celebrate the launch of the catalogue

The evening was a true treat for the senses, as guests sipped Champagne, indulged themselves in delicious appetisers while listening to the soft rhythm of the piano played by Karen Daniels. 

Various jewellery and timepieces from prestigious brands such as Patek Philippe, Rolex, Tudor, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Longines, FOPE, Roberto Coin, Messika, Mikimoto, George Jensen, Antonini, Mont Blanc, and Lalique, were available to view, touch and try on.

Guests were particularly captivated by Messika, the newest addition to Rudell The Jewellers. Messika’s Country Manager, Romain Milaret, was on hand to offer insight into the brand as well as provide guests with styling advice. 

Founded in 2005, Messika has already established itself as a modern, dynamic and daring jewellery brand which prides itself on diamonds for everyday wear. A luxury brand of the highest quality worn by celebrities such as Beyoncé, Kendall Jenner, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and many more.

With a wide variety of jewellery, watches, and gifts, guests were able to find something that specifically catered to their unique tastes and styles. Rudells’ professional and friendly staff were readily available to guide and help navigate through the many different jewellery and watch collections. Rudells’ in-house designs commanded attention with the highlight piece of night being the white gold necklet with diamond detailing from Rudells’ Prestige collection – a true embodiment of luxury.

The evening was not only an occasion to witness the brilliance of Rudell's selection of jewellery, watches, and gift items, but it was also a chance for guests to meet with old friends and socialise. "Our guests had the opportunity to explore and appreciate the finest creations in our new catalogue,” says Rudells’ Sales Manager, Glenn Jenkinson-Deakin. “But at the core of the event, the evening was a celebration of our guests who, over the years, have become part of the Rudell family.”

As the event drew to a close, guests left with not only a deeper appreciation for Rudells’ excellence in service, but also with a glimpse of the timeless elegance that defines Rudell The Jewellers. Rudell The Jewellers continues to display the high standards of quality, personal attention, and customer service – values they have been faithful to since 1938.

For more information on Rudell The Jewellers and their new catalogue, please go the website or visit one of their showrooms in Wolverhampton and Birmingham.

www.rudells.com

Christmas fundraiser with charity designed cards becomes increasingly popular

A Christmas fundraiser that began eight years ago continues to grow in popularity as a choice for sending festive greetings.

DontSendMeACard.com launched a pilot of its system in November 2015 with a handful of charities on board, to test their idea of a platform for donations in lieu of Christmas cards.

Since then over 1900 organisations have joined up and have uploaded a huge library of e-card designs to choose from. These designs are then offered to supporters by charities as an alternative to sending printed cards. Both static and animated cards are supported.

The charities participating in the fundraiser range from small to large, with well-known names such as The Salvation Army, Dogs Trust, and Stroke Association investing the time to generate designs that can be sent electronically, saving paper as a result.

DontSendMeACard Co-founder Alex Furness said, “The range of designs on offer now is superb. When we started off our content was minimal, as we only had a few dozen charities on board who agreed to the pilot. However we saw the potential for our model with people still using our initial offering.

For our platform and brand to have grown in popularity the way it has really is in part down to how brilliantly creative the designs that charities have come up with. You wouldn’t typically think of charitable organisations as inherently creative, but they really do have it in them. You can clearly see this by looking at the designs on offer."

In addition to designing e-cards, charities are engaging with artists, illustrators, and running Christmas e-card design competitions to add to their e-card collections.

Patrons that have offered artwork to fundraise with include Sir Quentin Blake, Harry Hill, and Nick Park creator of Wallace and Gromit.

You can browse the designs on offer on DontSendMeACard by occasion e.g. Christmas, and by searching through the listed charities and viewing their designs on offer from their landing pages.

With first-class UK stamps increasing by 15p in October to £1.25, the third increase in 18 months, more consumers and businesses who typically send physical Christmas cards may well be looking at alternatives such as DontSendMeACard for Christmas 2023.

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Delicious Gluten Free Christmas Hampers from Flapjackery

Flapjackery's Ultimate Christmas Treats Hamper (www.flapjackery.co.uk from £80)

This fabulous Ultimate Christmas Treats Hamper is jam-packed full of delicious gluten-free treats, with its gluten free flapjacks taking centre stage. 

These include Christmas Tiffin, Christmas Millionaires, Peanut Butter Fudge, and Orange and Cranberry flapjack.

It's all lovingly made in Devon, near Dartmoor, using the finest of British oats, locally sourced West Country ingredients, Fairtrade brown sugar, and real butter.

This classic hamper is also brimming with other Flapjackery goodies such as clusters which are dollops of chocolate infused with either granola, fruit and nut or honeycomb; its decadent creamy fudge; its Chocolate Dipped Oranges - slices of zesty orange dipped in decadent chocolate, and to add a touch of festive charm, there are three mini Christmas trees. The hamper also includes a Flapjackery mug and coaster set, a beautiful branded tea towel and a Flapjackery jigsaw.

Flapjackery's Medium Christmas Gift Hamper (www.flapjackery.co.uk from £55)

There's a treasure trove of mouth-watering gluten-free delights in Flapjackery's Christmas Indulgence Hamper. 

Everything is hand made in Tavistock near Dartmoor in Devon and the flavours are simply irresistible. The stars of the show are four huge slices of Christmas Tiffin, Christmas Millionaires, Peanut Butter Fudge, and Orange and Cranberry flapjack, made with British oats and with flavourings all sourced from the West Country.

Nestled among the chunks are bite sized flapjack bags of Clotted Cream flapjack; Chocolate Dipped Oranges - slices of zesty orange dipped in decadent chocolate and to add a touch of festive charm;  a chocolate Christmas tree - perfect for adding a sprinkle of holiday cheer to your surroundings; Mixed Honeycomb and Fruit and Nut Clusters, a mixed fudge bag and a hot chocolate spoon for a sublime mug of hot chocolate.

Santa's Christmas Treats Hamper (from www.flapjackery.co.uk from £30.00)

Flapjackery's Christmas Treats Hamper is a true delight. Inside, you'll find giant slabs of Raspberry Millionaires Flapjack, Rudolph Flapjack, and Chocolate Tiffin Fudge Flapjack, each bursting with incredible flavours. Accompanying these indulgent treats are bags of Chocolate Honeycomb Clusters, Mixed Fudge, and a pyramid chocolate bar. 

‘Say No to Socks, Get a Gift You'll Remember’ - Age UK Lambeth Launches Christmas Fundraising Campaign

‘Older Londoners are 50% more likely to experience food insecurity than the rest of England'

As the festive season approaches, Age UK Lambeth is pleased to announce the launch of its Christmas fundraising campaign ‘Say No to Socks, Get a Gift You'll Remember.’ 

Are you tired of receiving unwanted, dust-collecting presents year after year? This festive season, why not make a meaningful change by receiving gifts that truly make a difference? 

Ask family and friends for donations instead of naff gifts and make it a year to remember!

‘24% of older Londoners (over the age of 50) live in poverty’ (Age UK London - Poverty amongst older Londoners October 2023)

The cost of living crisis has hit our older population particularly hard. Rising energy bills and soaring food prices have placed a heavy burden on older individuals, many of whom live on fixed incomes. Age UK Lambeth is committed to ensuring no older person in our community is left behind during the holiday season.

‘Older Londoners are 50% more likely to experience food insecurity than the rest of England. Additionally, 58% of people in fuel poverty in London are over 60 (Age UK London, 2022).

This year's campaign is dedicated to addressing the profound challenges faced by older adults in our community due to the ever-increasing cost of living by asking people to replace those unwanted and forgettable presents with something that matters most: support for older adults in our community who need it. The funds collected will go towards essential services, including:

Winter Warm Hubs: With winter approaching, many older people will struggle to stay warm in their homes. Age UK Lambeth will provide a winter warm hub where they can come and stay warm, get a meal, and make friends

Energy & Money Support: Age UK Lambeth will offer advice and support to help people with their energy bills, benefits, and other essential issues that older people often face during the winter months.

Friendship Services: Loneliness and isolation are significant issues for older individuals, especially during the holidays. The campaign will fund our MYneighbour and MYsocial services to ensure the most isolated older people have someone to talk to and share the joy of the season with.

"Christmas is a time for joy and togetherness, but for many older adults in Lambeth, it can be a time of great hardship. The cost of living crisis has left them struggling to make ends meet, and we believe that no one should have to face these challenges alone," said Paul Coles, CEO of Age UK Lambeth

How it works:

Set up your Just Giving page which will connect directly to their Christmas campaign

Share the link with family and friends and ask that they donate there instead of buying you a Christmas present this year

Watch as you raise life-changing money for older people in Lambeth

Direct donations can also be made to our Christmas campaign through our website www.justgiving.com/campaign/auklchristmas2023, by calling 07749 850058 or by emailing fundraising@ageuklambeth.org.

They are also looking for volunteers to participate in their MY ho ho ho campaign. They are asking local volunteers to cook and deliver an extra Christmas meal for an older person in Lambeth. For more information please visit our website https://www.ageuk.org.uk/lambeth/get-involved/christmas.

For more information about Age UK Lambeth's Christmas fundraising campaign and how you can get involved, please visit https://www.ageuk.org.uk/lambeth/get-involved/christmas or contact James on 07749 850058 or email fundraising@ageuklambeth.org.

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Delicious Christmas Stocking Fillers from Bonne Maman

Bonne Maman Delicious Spreads make a lovely Christmas stocking filler. Made with simple ingredients and containing no palm oil, these jars are perfect for foodies this Christmas.

Pop a prettily wrapped jar of the new Bonne Maman Chocolate & Orange Spread into a Christmas stocking to give a gift of joy and indulgence. Rich and smooth, Chocolate & Orange Spread is made with 39% crushed oranges and orange zest stirred into melted dark chocolate. 

A zesty and cocoa flavour combination to add to the Christmas spirit… especially when topped on a buttery shortbread biscuit!

For the Chocolate Spread lovers, Bonne Maman award-winning Hazelnut Chocolate Spread is a deliciously festive treat to add to a stocking. It also makes a lovely Christmas gift when presented with a box of homemade Thumbprint Shortcakes, just neatly stack them up and tie with a ribbon.

New Caramelised Apple Spread also makes a delightful stocking addition with the flavours and aromas that fit perfectly during the cosy Christmas season. Made with 80% apple plus butter, giving a rich and buttery texture - delicious spread on a toasted brioche on Christmas morning.