Hello from the Xmas4schools team!

Xmas4schools is a school fundraising project created and run by Print Junction, our family-run commercial printing company in Ashford, Kent. Print Junction was founded in 2007 by mother-and-son team Sonja and Joe, with Xmas4schools being part of the story from the very beginning. The idea was simple: use our professional printing expertise to turn children's artwork into personalised Christmas gifts families would love, while giving schools and settings an easy way to raise valuable funds. We started with a handful of local schools, learning and improving as we went, before rolling Xmas4schools out on a much larger scale in 2012. Today, around 1,500 schools and settings across the UK take part in our festive fundraiser each year.

And we haven’t stopped growing! In 2024, we launched our sister brand, Tiger Tags (www.tigertags.co.uk), giving schools another simple way to raise funds through personalised name labels. Then, in 2026, we added Leavers Gifts (https://xmas4schools.co.uk/leavers) to the family, helping schools celebrate those all-important final days with personalised keepsakes.

Children get the excitement of seeing their own artwork professionally reproduced, families can order something personal to treasure, and schools raise money from the products sold. We also know the people organising school fundraisers are busy. That's why we've spent years refining the project to make it as straightforward as possible – backed up by our friendly team whenever you need us.

Sonja and Joe remain closely involved in Xmas4schools and Print Junction today, supported by our wider team. The familiar faces and voices our schools are most likely to get to know are Emma and Toby, who look after the day-to-day running of Xmas4schools. When you contact us, you're not dealing with a faceless customer service department. You're speaking to real people who know the project inside out and genuinely care about making your fundraiser a success.

As we're a family-friendly workplace, there are usually a few four-legged team members around too. Barney the Cockapoo is an office regular, often joined by his twin brother Charlie, while Nell, Wilma and Nessa also pop in from time to time – you may even spot them in some of our marketing emails! And we couldn't mention our office dogs without remembering Rolo, who was part of the Print Junction family for many years. Although he's sadly no longer with us, he'll always have a special place in our team's story.

Being part of an established commercial printing company is a big part of what makes Xmas4schools different. Our products are printed, finished and packed in-house by our team at Print Junction's purpose-built premises in Ashford. From children's artwork arriving with us to the finished products being packed and returned to schools, we oversee the whole process ourselves. It means the people answering your questions and helping to run your fundraiser are part of the same team producing your orders. And with professional printing equipment, an experienced production team and nearly two decades of commercial printing knowledge behind us, quality is something we take seriously. After all, these aren't just printed products. They're children's creations and family keepsakes.

As you can probably imagine, Christmas at Xmas4schools is quite an operation. As thousands of children's designs begin arriving from schools across the UK, our team grows considerably to help us through our busiest period of the year. Our seasonal work programme has become an important part of the way Xmas4schools operates, creating opportunities for people within our local community to join the Print Junction team for a defined period during our Christmas production season. For some, the flexibility and shorter-term nature of the work fits particularly well around other commitments – and we're very proud that many members of our seasonal team choose to return to us year after year. That means they bring their experience with them, becoming familiar faces and a valued part of the wider Xmas4schools family each Christmas. Our seasonal colleagues work alongside and are supported by our permanent team and established production processes, helping us maintain the quality, care and customer service our schools expect even during our busiest weeks. We're proud that as Xmas4schools has grown and helped schools across the country raise funds, it has also enabled us to create seasonal employment opportunities within our own local community.

And when Christmas production is in full swing, it takes every single one of us to make it happen. We like to think we're the hardest-working Christmas team around – second only to Santa's elves, of course!

Thousands upon thousands of children's drawings have passed through our doors since Xmas4schools began, and we still love seeing them. What started as a simple idea between a family printing business and a handful of local schools has grown into a hugely successful and widely used fundraising project – but the magic and spirit behind it hasn't changed. Whether you've been fundraising with us for years or you're discovering Xmas4schools for the first time, thank you for being part of our story.

Sonja, Joe & the Xmas4schools team