Inverness Scouts aim to make Christmas card sending ‘more affordable’

With the cost of postage stamps rising earlier this year, people may be thinking twice about sending cards during the festive period.

But not the Inverness Scout Post service.

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Royal Mail increased the price of first-class stamps by 10 pence earlier this year, to £1.35 with second-class stamps also going up by 10 pence to 85p.

Just over a year ago, a first-class stamp cost 95p before being hiked to £1.10 in April 2023, ahead of another 15 pence increase in October last year.

But making a welcome return this year, young people will be taking part in the Scout Post – an initiative designed to raise funds and provide Scouts with a chance to serve their community while getting to know their city better.

The Scout Christmas post service is set to relaunch on November 16 with post boxes placed in local shops, and postage priced at just 50p a card.

Last year Inverness Scouts delivered over 10,000 cards within the city, a marked increase of 500 on their total for 2022.

This year they hope to beat the downward trend again.

The Scouts’ target for deliveries is set to rise to 11,000 in 2024, with the special service hoping to raise £7000 for much need funds to support its increasing membership of over 300 Scouts in the city.

A spokesperson for Inverness Scouts said: “At 50p a stamp, using Scout Post makes sending cards within the city boundary much more affordable.

“Stamps are available to buy at many local shops alongside a yellow post box.

“Just buy the stamps, write your cards and address in the normal way (a post code really helps!), stick on a Scout Post stamp and post the cards in the yellow post boxes.”

Stamps will be available to buy at Tesco Inches on December 1, 7 and 8 in the foyer.

Stamps and boxes will be available from November 16 with the last posting day being December 17.

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