The lockdown has forced a drastic change in strategy for this year’s St Albans Cards for Good Causes pop-up shop.

Herts Advertiser: The St Albans Cards for Good Causes shop at Dagnall Street Baptist Church.The St Albans Cards for Good Causes shop at Dagnall Street Baptist Church. (Image: Archant)

The shop has opened at a new location this year, the Lower Hall at Dagnall Street Baptist Church on Upper Dagnall Street, continuing its historic connection to the city, having been at St Albans Cathedral for 33 successive years.

Now the team is challenging people in and around St Albans to come and buy Christmas cards and gifts to help raise £20,000 for charity in a fundraising sprint - in a socially responsible way - ahead of the lockdown on Thursday.

The shop was initially due to open on Thursday, but has brought forward its opening hours to today, Tuesday, November 3 and will close on Wednesday at 6pm. It will open from 10am to 8pm on Tuesday and from 10am to 6pm on Wednesday.

Shop manager Patricia Kataria said: “I am so proud of my team who worked tirelessly to set up the shop in record time to enable the St Albans community to come and stock up on Christmas cards and gifts this year ahead of the lockdown on Thursday. We are mindful of the reason for the lockdown, and are delighted that we are able to open the shop in a spacious, well ventilated location, with as many precautions in place as possible to facilitate social distancing.

“We have a wonderful range of Christmas cards and gifts, and hope that people will feel able to come and buy from us, perhaps while they are out supporting local businesses especially on market day on Wednesday.

“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. This is why we are challenging the generous and community minded people of St Albans to come and help in what is effectively a £20,000 sprint of a fundraising challenge!

“We hope that by offering late opening hours on our two trading days, people who are working during the day may nevertheless be able to pop in after work and buy some cards and gifts. If any community can pull off raising £20,000 for charity in two days, St Albans is the one.”