A pop-up charity Christmas card shop has been forced to launch a click and collect service to cope with the restrictions of lockdown.

The city’s annual pop-up charity Christmas card and gift shop has popped-down temporarily in line with national lockdown restrictions but will offer a click and collect service from Monday.

The shop was due to run from the new location of the Lower Hall at Dagnall Street Baptist Church in Upper Dagnall Street, having been based in St Albans Cathedral for 33 successive years.

But with lockdown enforced just days after the shop opened, the team needed to reassess their approach to trading over the next few weeks.

The click and collect service will now be operating through the Cards for Good Causes website www.cardsforcharity.co.uk/click-and-collect, with orders available for collection from the Lower Hall on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Tthe UK’s leading network of pop-up Christmas card shops, Cards for Good Causes opened its St Albans shop in record time this year, days ahead of the lockdown on Thursday.

It enjoyed just two days’ brisk trading with extended opening hours, before closing its doors until the end of lockdown.

Manager Patricia Kataria said: “I am so proud of my team who worked tirelessly to set up our beautiful shop in record time. This enabled the St Albans community to stock up on Christmas cards and gifts ahead of Thursday’s lockdown.

“We are delighted to offer a click and collect service during lockdown and hope that customers will take advantage of this to stock up on Christmas cards and gifts until they can come and buy from us in person once again.

“We sell a wonderful range of Christmas cards and gifts supporting a wide range of charities. Our pop-up shop raises £70-100,000 each year for some 250 national and local charities.

“These charities will all suffer if Cards for Good Causes is unable to sell its products this year.”