Nostalgic Daventry Christmas gifts go on sale to raise funds for two district charities

Every penny raised from the sale of the ‘Thank You Daventry for the Memories’ calendars, Christmas cards and notepads will go to support cancer charity CoppaFeel and Pete Spencer's Helping Hands Memorial Fund.

The full-colour calendar features photos of Daventry’s landmarks and historical buildings together with vintage photographs of Daventry’s past; while seasonal images of the town centre are featured on the six Christmas cards.

A collaborative project, the unique Christmas gifts were created by retired local businessman Lawrence Wheeler, in association with Daventry Town Council and Daventry Museum and fully-funded by Sheaf Street Health Store.

Lawrence said: “I started the Facebook site ‘Thank you Daventry for the Memories’ about 18 months ago to show my appreciation to the town. Daventry has been so good to me over the years, and I have had several businesses in the town.

“I’ve wanted to do something to promote Daventry which would result in generating income for local charities for some time. Collaborating with the Sheaf Street Health Store team and John Harrison provided the perfect opportunity.”

Photos by John Harrison of John Harrison Media, along with other local photographers' pictures, are featured on the items. They too donated their time to the project.

Cheryl Thallon, co-owner of Sheaf Street Health Store, said: “Daventry is a growing town, and we’re pleased to show our goodwill this season and sponsor the production of the Christmas items - allowing 'CoppaFeel' and Pete Spencer's Helping Hands Memorial Fund to benefit fully from the commemorative gifts.

"I encourage people who have bought these Christmas gifts and raised funds for these charities to spread the word on social media by using the hashtag #ThankYouDaventry.”

The gifts range from £5 to £10 and are available from Sheaf Street Health Store and Daventry Museum with 100 per cent of the cover price going directly to the charities.