I am currently attempting the ever more wide-ranging task of compiling a catalogue of the philatelic materials associated with the operation of these Scout & Guide Christmas Posts in the United Kingdom.
I would be happy to expand this to include other parts of the world but I have only ever heard of one outside the UK - "Den Helder" in Holland and details of this very prolific post have been included (see link at the end of the county index page).
Charity Christmas Posts became legal in the United Kingdom in 1981. Since then there have been over 340 different Scout & Guide groupings throughout England, Scotland & Wales that have, for varying periods, and with varying success, operated a Local Christmas Post. During this time some have merged together, evolved into larger renamed operations, or developed specific interchange arrangements and, where this is so, they will be grouped together under a single heading.
I am trying to ensure that all Posts that will be mentioned in the catalogue are public services rather than 'members only' operations (by 'members only' posts I mean such things as office/school/shop Christmas card boxes which are only for the use of pupils/employees etc.).
All Posts listed must have operated for at least one year with some form of regular, visible marking applied to the envelope. On occasions they will have commenced in a small way without benefit of stamp or postmark & this will be noted in the introductory paragraph (and possibly the statistics) for the relevant Post. There are many more, usually small, posts which have never progressed past this stage and those will be excluded from this catalogue.
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