Winning ways with creative Christmas greetings

Company news

Dec 17, 2010

The competition to come up with original images for the 2010 festive season began in October and attracted over 180 entries in total.  All of these were displayed on the walls of the company’s offices at Connaught House in Colchester, for staff and visitors to enjoy and admire.

The job of judging went to a specially selected panel with two representatives from each of the company’s divisions of healthcare, residential care, community care, specialist care and children’s services.

With such a variety of approaches, artistic techniques, materials and media to choose from, deciding upon a single image was no easy task and eventually the judges settled on three top prize winners – two in joint first place for the printed card category and one winner for the e-card category. They also chose second and third place winners in each format.

“Once again, we had an amazing response to our invitation to design our organisation’s Christmas card and we are delighted with both the printed and the e-cards that have now been produced,” said Martin Kirkup, Group Marketing Director for Care UK. “I’d like to say a very big thank you to everyone who entered this year’s competition and congratulate them on their talent and creativity, especially our winners in each category.”

Printed greetings card category

• Joint first prize winners:  Susan Booth, a Carer from Chapel-en-le Frith, Derbyshire for her creative design "Christmas Morning", created in felt tip pen, and Doris Ablewhite, a resident at Little Holland Hall in Holland-on-Sea, Essex for her impressive traditional design produced in pencil.
• Second prize winner: The Activity Co-ordinator and residents at Darlington Court in Arun, West Sussex with their colourful design produced in watercolours on canvas.
• Third prize winner: Carl Platten, a former resident at Franklin House in West Drayton, Middlesex for an amazing, bright pointillist design using felt tip pens.
The finished cards measure 21 cm x 15 cm and have been professionally printed in full colour. Several thousand were produced and posted to Care UK’s customers, commissioners, suppliers and other stakeholders.

E-card category
• First prize winner:  Mandy Miller, PA to the General Manager at Barlborough NHS Treatment Centre in Chesterfield, Derbyshire for her original design produced in glitter thread, craft materials and paper.
• Second prize winner: Carole Wardle, Manager of Station House in Crewe, Cheshire.
• Third prize winner: Mr Preedy, a volunteer worker at Elizabeth Lodge in Enfield.