SCOUTS have this week ditched their woggles for postbags as they start their annual Christmas card delivery service.
SCOUTS have this week ditched their woggles for postbags as they start their annual Christmas card delivery service.
Eight scout groups from across Ipswich run the operation - allowing people to post cards to anywhere in the borough.
Every card costs 15p to send, and money raised is split between the scout groups.
One of the organisers Denise Bloomfield, pointed out that there were strict rules about deliveries laid down by the Post Office.
She said: “We can only collect cards for two weeks and we cannot start more than a month before Christmas itself - which is why we start on November 25.
“It's the start of a frantic period of activity for us - but it's very important for all the scout groups involved.”
The collection has been going more than 20 years and over that time has raised tens of thousands of pounds for scouts in the town.
“The groups split the money raised according to how many cards they deal with, it is all very fair. Last year my group, the 18th Ipswich, raised about �850.
“For two and a half weeks we are busy every evening sorting the cards and getting them ready to be delivered,” Mrs Bloomfield added.
People wishing to have cards delivered should wrap them in a plastic bag with the right money - 15p a card - and leave them at a collection centre.
The scouts collect them from every collection point every day from next week.
Mrs Bloomfield said the scouts rely on the honesty of those leaving cards. “It's a matter of trust - we find people are very good at leaving the right money,” she said.
Collection points.
114 Felixstowe Rd
115 Ashcroft Road
18 Fairfield Road
182 Britannia Road
13 Camden Road
53 Ramsgate Drive
19 Arundel Way
1st Martlesham Scout Hut - The Drift, Valiant Rd
269 Cavendish Street
2nd Stop Charity Shop, Nr Tesco
39 Humber Doucy Lane
43 Roundwood Road
4th Ipswich Scout HQ, Hogarth Road,
6 Woodrush Road
75 Dumbarton Road
Adams Wilkinson & Co. 151, Felixstowe Road.
Age Concern, 41a Lower Brook Street
Asda, Goddard Rd
Asda, Stoke Park
Balfour News, Dales Road
Barham Parish Church
Belvedere Florist, 291 Woodbridge Rd
Black Tiles post office, Martlesham.
Bluebird lodge, Ravenswood
British Heart Foundation, Carr Street
Cards for Good Causes, Tourist Inf. Centre
Church's, Dial Lane
Claydon Scout & Guide HQ, Kirby Rise, Barham
Cockram's Newsagents - Felixstowe Road
Co-op - Hawthorne Drive
Co-op Rosehill Centre - Felixstowe Road
CO-OP Surbiton Road
CO-OP Ulster Ave.
Craft Ability, ST Lawrence St. (formally BCM)
Crafty Coffee Shop, Tomline Rd
Day Lewis Pharmacy, Ravenswood
Dominos Pizza, Corner of Dobbs Lane
Duncan's Butchers, Martlesham.
East Anglian Air Ambulance, Orwell Place
Felixstowe Rd Launderette
Foxhall News - Wellesley Road
Fresh Fills Bakery, Claydon
Gainsborough Sports Centre.
George Debman Butchers - Cliff Lane
Gt Blakenham Parish Church
House Of Hair, Edmonton Road
Janine's Hair Fashions, 12 Selkirk Rd
Julie Dawn, Nacton Rd
Kay's fruit and veg shop, 368 Nacton Road.
Kay's fruit and veg shop, Meredith Rd
Kesgrave Butchers, Penzance Road
Kesgrave Library, Kays Close
Krop & Co Beech Road
Melmerby House, Gipping Road, Gt Blakenham
Morrisons, Sproughton Road
Oncology dept. at the Ipswich Hospital
One Stop, Bixley Farm
Orwell Vets, Hartree Way
Oxfam Charity Shop 53 Buttermarket.
Pathology dept. at the Ipswich Hospital
Penalty Two, Chantry Estate
Richardsons Hardware, Garrick Way
Scotts Hardware, Ellenbrook Rd
Scotts Hardware, Hawthorn Drive
Scout Headquarters - Newton Road - Monday & Thursday Nights only
Sophisticuts Hair Salon, 321 Woodbridge Rd.
Spar, Freehold Rd
Foxhall Stores, Henslow Rd
Northgate Sports Centre
One-Stop, Bixley Farm
Firepower, Foxhall Road
Nacton Road fish shop
Broke Hall News, Penshurst Road
Martins Bakery, Woodbridge Rd East
Jonathan Waters Estate Agents, Foxhall Rd
Pharmacy Ipswich Hospital
Spurdens Newsagent
St Helens News - St. Helens Street
Suffolk College Students Union
Tesco Express, Duke Street
Tesco Express, St Matthews
The Beacon, Beaconsfield Road
The Crown Public House, Claydon
The Drop in Centre, Dial Lane
Tourist Information Centre, Buttermarket
United News, South Wards, Ipswich Hospital.
WH Smiths at the Ipswich railway station.
Whitton Sports Centre,
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here