Get creative in East London!

CREATE11 launched today!

This fantastic annual east London arts and cultural festival will run for four weeks until 25^th July. The programme includes over 200 events such as outdoor screenings, nocturnal walks, rooftop farming, underground readings, secret parties, hidden dining, live music, art exhibitions and talks. These events showcase the huge home-grown talent of east London, plus many of these events are free, so everyone can get involved and enjoy the festival. For full listings, visit the website.

Wedge Card have partnered with CREATE11 to offer special and exclusive discounts during the festival period, from shops across the six Olympic boroughs. So, whilst you’re out enjoying the artistic and cultural delights of the festival, you can be saving a bundle too!

These special offers will be published in the one million copies of the CREATE11 newspapers distributed throughout the festival. PLUS even more special offers will feature in the special CREATE11 supplement in the London edition of The Big Issue (Monday 27^th June – 3^rd July 2011), so be sure to grab a copy!

Local shops can rejuvenate and regenerate an otherwise forgotten area, and alongside fantastic cultural programmes such as CREATE11, these hidden gems can be rediscovered and embraced.

Festival fever! The place to be this Saturday 25th June...

Stuck for something fun to do this weekend? Fear not, we have the perfect solution for the whole family.

On Saturday 25^th June, noon – 6pm, head down St Helen’s, North Kensington, W10 (map) for a fun filled festival in celebration of the fantastic local shops St Helen’s has to offer.

The festival attractions include:

· Huge BBQ of delicious treats and a tasty summer punch

· Children’s fancy dress competition ‘What I want to be when I grow up’- 1pm, with awards ceremony at 2pm

· Dog show – 2.30pm, with awards ceremony at 4pm

· Cat show (photographs)

· Games

· Face painting

· Bouncy castle

· Stalls including; beauty, toys, cakes, plants and flowers, origami

· Photo booth

· Pony rides

· Fire engine

· History centre

· Dream corner

· Local celebrities

· And so much more...but you will just have to come along to find out...see you there!

For more info about the event, call 020 8962 0700 or email katherine@wedgecard.co.uk

Incredible competition! Design your own sexy, London Big Issue/Wedge pants AND win a year’s supply of pants AND the chance to win a trip to India!

The Big Issue and Wedge Card have teamed up with Pants to Poverty to launch a liberating design competition.

The lucky winner will have their design made up into a limited edition range of pants, which will be sold online and feature in The Big Issue. The winner will also win a year’s free undies.. and it gets even better.. everyone voting or designing will be entered into a prize draw to win a trip to India to meet the farmers for some pant love (not lust!)

It’s so simple you’ve just got to get involved, all the information can be found on www.facebook.com/pantstopoverty
1. Complete your designs using the template provided.
2. Upload your image to the pants fan page (before 13th August 2011).
3. The design with the most ‘likes’ wins! Simple!

So, its time to get your creative juices flowing and start designing for the chance to win this amazing prize. Good luck!

Treat your old man...

Father's Day is fast approaching (it's this Sunday, 19th June if you had forgotten!)

So, if you are having a last minute panic and racking your brains for what to give your Dad, here are a few fail safe present ideas (and with these discounts, it wont break the bank either...bonus).

1. CD or vinyl from Sounds (W11) - 10% off all items

2. DVD from Video City (W11) - 10% off

3. Chocolate from Rococo (W1) - 10% off

4. Book from London Review Bookshop (WC1A) - 10% off books

5. Cheese from La Fromagerie (W1U)- 10% off cheese products

Don't forget to get a card too! Save 10% at South Bank Cards (SE1) who have a great selection.

LEND A HELPING HAND...

We all live busy and stressful lives with limited spare time, however if we all just gave a little time, we can make fundamental changes to someone else’s life.

Volunteer Week 2011 started today and is a week of activities and events to celebrate volunteers in the UK and to inspire others to help too.

If you fancy breaking a Guinness World Record, head down to the O2 Arena on Friday 3rd June to be part of the world’s largest sports lesson with Badminton England. You can register online or at the venue between 11-1pm, the session is from 1.30-2.30pm.

Check out the website for ideas how you can volunteer and inspiring stories.

But don’t stop at volunteering this week, why not involve your company in the national Give and Gain Day 2011 on 24th June. This is a national day of employee volunteering where individuals can spend some time making a real difference in schools, local charities and community groups all over the UK.

If you are an employer, it is definitely worth participating as last year 87% of employees reported they “felt more pride in their employer as a result of participating”.

So go on, give a little and help a lot.