Gift Focus - May/Jun 2019 (Issue 113)

8 Industry news DEMELZA CHILDREN’S HOSPICE AND GREEN OWL TOYS CELEBRATE 10 TH ANNIVERSARIES Demelza Children’s Hospice is marking its 10 th anniversary with a week-long programme of events. The hospice has been decorated, a timeline has been installed and celebrations, including a children’s party and cake- cutting, are scheduled. Amy Thomas, community fundraiser at Demelza Hospice Care for Children, said: “A huge thank you to Izabela and Green Owl Toys for donating this beautiful rocking motorbike, the children will have great fun making use of this fantastic toy.” Izabela Hailey of Green Owl commented: “We are delighted to celebrate this anniversary together with such a well- loved children’s organisation. We hope that this is a start to something special where we can support and enrich more children’s lives together in the future.” Demelza Hospice is a children’s charity providing specialist care and emotional support for children with terminal conditions, whether in family homes across East Sussex or in the family hospices in Sittingbourne and Eltham. The hospice’s support relies on donations, which can be made online at demelza.org.uk Green Owl Toys designs, sources and manufactures wooden toys, made from natural and sustainably sourced materials with no plastic packaging. The company supplies well-known castles and museums throughout the UK, including The British Museum, Bodiam Castle and Arundel Castle. More information can be found at greenowltoys4trade.com Busy Bee Cand les attends Smal l Business Sunday conference Small Business Sunday is a weekly Twitter event under #SBS, created by Theo Paphitis, chairman of Ryman Stationery, Boux Avenue, Robert Dyas and the London Graphic Centre. Theo is best-known for his appearance on Dragon’s Den on BBC Two. Each Sunday between 5pm-7:30pm, small businesses are encouraged to tweet a summary of their business to @TheoPaphitis with the #SBS hashtag. Every Monday at 8pm, Theo reviews and chooses his favourite six, who are then re-tweeted to give their social media followings a boost. On February 12 th at the Birmingham ICC an in-person event was held with previous SBS winners as well as a presentation from Sir Tom Hunter, former owner of Olympus sport. Haitham Al-Ubaidi from Busy Bee Candles (profiled in a previous issue of Gift Focus ) attended this event, after Busy Bee Candles was selected from hundreds of entries for Small Business Sunday, and he was able to meet Theo, and take the featured image. Valerie Manley celebrates 30 th year with Classic Canes Catch up on all the latest in our news roundup Left to right: Ben Porter, Diana Porter, Valerie Manley, Charlotte Gillian Walking stick specialist Classic Canes of Hinton St George, Somerset, recently celebrated employee Valerie Manley’s 30 th anniversary with the family firm. Mrs Manley has worked as a warehouse assistant with Classic Canes for three decades, packing and dispatching walking sticks to the company’s customers around the world. The directors of the company presented her with an engraved crystal vase, a bouquet of flowers and a long weekend for two at a luxury hotel. Managing director Charlotte Gillian commented: “We are very grateful to Valerie for three decades of hard work, loyalty and lots of fun. She is at the core of our team and a much-loved member of staff.” Mrs Manley said: “I have really enjoyed my 30 years at Classic Canes and seeing how the business has grown and changed in that time. I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.” The picture was taken at a party held to celebrate Valerie’s 30 th anniversary with the company.