The JUST A CARD campaign is about so much more than shopping. It’s about people - their imagination, creativity and sheer hard work. It’s about shops, markets, fairs, fetes, exhibitions - anywhere in happier times where people enjoy being part of a shared community. Of course this is also about online businesses and communities too. Supporting independents is win-win. The buying public get things made and sold with passion, and independents can continue doing what they love.
So, where did it all begin?
JUST A CARD founder Sarah Hamilton, whose own experiences as an artist and designer led her to set up the campaign, shares the story:
“I’ve always had the hugest respect for the independent shops and galleries who’ve stocked my work. Running a shop, small business or being an artist and maker is a labour of love, but of course bills need to be paid, and the climate has become increasingly challenging. This was made all the more clear to me at the end of a design show I took part in, when I found a fellow exhibitor in tears. It was her first show and her work had been much admired: ‘How gorgeous’, visitors said, ‘How beautiful’. That she’d only made a few pounds in three long days was heartbreaking - every independent can relate to how much emotional and financial investment goes into what they do.
I felt certain it didn’t need to be like this. Surely there was a way to express how even the smallest sale transforms lives. Fast forward to my reading this quote by owners who’d recently closed their gallery:
“If everyone who’d complimented our beautiful gallery had bought just a card we’d still be open.”
That was it - my lightbulb moment! For the independents we love to flourish we need action, not words. Simply saying “shop local” doesn’t go far enough - the stark reality is that compliments don’t pay the bills. Of course we understand people are not always able to make a purchase, but raising awareness of the importance of sales is central to our mission.
So I designed a logo and with the incredible support of Patricia van den Akker from The Design Trust, built a rudimentary website. I then set to work promoting the JUST A CARD message on Twitter, albeit naively, as I hadn’t factored in the funds, energy and resolve needed to run the campaign alongside my own work. After a year of precious little interest, as passionate as I was about the message, I was almost ready to admit defeat.
House of Cards by Sarah Hamilton
Three events changed everything. Firstly, we entered the Aviva Community Fund Award, and on day one of a monthlong competition we won the public vote. Secondly, I wrote a book, House of Cards, and funds from this, plus the Community Fund prize of £1000, allowed me to invest in the campaign with renewed vigour. Then thirdly, on the spur of the moment, I put a call out on Twitter asking for people to help with the campaign. To my astonishment the response was overwhelming, and so the first incarnation of our mainly volunteer team was born.
That JUST A CARD has gone from strength to strength in the seven years since is testament to the passion and commitment of so many incredible people. It was always my biggest hope that this would be a collective endeavour, with everyone who values this message pitching in however they could.
Now over 17,000 shops worldwide have our window stickers, thousands take part in INDIE WEEK, and our star-studded JUST A BOOK project took the London Underground by storm. We’ve been featured across the press, on BBC radio and TV news too, but our greatest achievement is the wonderful, mutually supportive network of people we’ve established - many lasting friendships have been cemented between JUST A CARD followers.
But again, with this success comes further challenges. As JUST A CARD grew, so did the workloads and costs. In 2019, we questioned whether, as mainly volunteers, we could continue to run the campaign alongside the increasing demands of our own businesses and personal lives. Turning our back on this community and message didn’t seem like an option, so again we put things back into the hands of our supporters and ran a Crowdfunder. If we were to continue we felt the only way forward was to build a far better website, which not only answered all the questions we’re regularly asked, but also had better resources for our supporters to use to engage people with the campaign message. This, plus some funds to pay for freelance administrative help, would enable us to continue, whilst providing us with more time away from the campaign to focus on our own commitments.
This website is the result of the generosity of our community. We cannot be more grateful to everyone who helped make our Crowdfunder such a huge success. Please take a very good look round the site, we’ve worked very hard to make it as comprehensive as possible. Please get your window stickers, pins and resources. There are so many ways you can pitch in, spreading the word on social media, to friends and family, any way you can. Join in with JUST A CARD - INDIE WEEK and let’s work together to encourage people to support, value and buy from the artists, makers, independent shops and small businesses we treasure!”
