Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to be marked by official stamps and coins

Birmingham 2022 and CGF Partnerships have signed a licensing deal with The Royal Mint and Royal Mail to produce commemorative coins and stamps to mark the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Birmingham 2022 marks the third time the Games have been hosted in England in its ninety-two year history, and each of those Games have been commemorated through the release of collectable Royal Mail stamps and Royal Mint coins, anchoring this significant event in history and contributing to the celebration of the Commonwealth Games.

Both The Royal Mint and Royal Mail have been awarded exclusive rights as Official Licensees to create a series of Birmingham 2022 themed coins and stamps to celebrate and mark the global sports event, which takes place from 28 July to 8 August.

The special 50 pence piece takes inspiration from Birmingham’s bedrock of innovation, creativity and architecture. Designed by Natasha Preece of the Royal Mint, the coin features the iconic design of the Library of Birmingham. It was released as part of the Royal Mint’s 2022 Annual Sets on 4 January 2022, which includes a coin designed in celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The Birmingham 2022 collection features one main coin design, offered in a range of precious metals and will also include base metal designs featuring England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland coins and a Home Nations set.

Royal Mail has a rich history of issuing stamps to mark the Commonwealth Games being held in the UK. The Company has commemorated the British Empire Games 1925, Cardiff 1958, Edinburgh 1970, Edinburgh 1986, Manchester 2002 and most recently, Glasgow 2014 with Special Stamps as lasting souvenirs of the event for collectors and fans.

Details and images of the Special Stamps being issued by Royal Mail will be announced closer to the launch of the Games in July.

Ian Reid, CEO at Birmingham 2022, says: “These very special coins and stamps will be a perfect reminder of the excitement and thrill people will have by being part of Birmingham 2022. Both the Royal Mint and Royal Mail are organisations who have excellent international reputations, and the partnerships are a perfect fit for our incredible global event. The commemorative sets are a wonderful way to celebrate the Games and for the whole country to get involved in Birmingham 2022 and our festival of sport and culture!”

Both the commemorative coins and stamps will be available to buy in July, from post offices, the official Birmingham 2022 retail stores and online.

Snowman Enterprises celebrates ‘togetherness’ in winter roster with Royal Mint, British Red Cross, and Luna Cinema

The Penguin Random House company, Snowman Enterprises is weaving a central theme of ‘togetherness’ through all of its brand activations for The Snowman this winter, with a focus on bringing families together in celebration, even when they are separated by Covid-19 restrictions.

High profile brand partnerships have been revisited including a licensing collaboration with The Royal Mint who recently launched a commemorative 50p coin design. The new design was created by Robin Shaw, lead animator on sequel The Snowman and The Snowdog, and features The Snowman hugging James,marked as a reflection on how the timeless tale brings people together at Christmas.

This is the third commemorative Snowman coin released by The Royal Mint in collaboration with Snowman Enterprises and officially licensed by Penguin Ventures (part of Penguin Random House UK), with previous coins released in 2018 and 2019.

The coin comes a range of finishes – including brilliant uncirculated, silver proof and gold proof versions.

In addition, a long term brand partnership with The British Red Cross has continued this year during the 150th anniversary of the charity, with a message of kindness for the UK.

The Snowman and The Snowdog are heading up a schools Kindness Calendar campaign, with the activity available as a free download to all primary schools. The calendar will help children learn about kindness, the importance of having connections and friendships with others and how to cope with change.

The Snowman and The Snowdog will inspired the winter social media campaign for The British Red Cross once again this year and a co-branded version of the audio book is available exclusively at TKMaxx, with profits donated to the charity.

Izzy Richardson, global brand director, Penguin Random House Children’s UK, said: “We could all do with some extra magic this festive season and it’s our hope that the timeless magic of The Snowman, will provide a familiar warmth and reassurance to families everywhere this winter.

“We have had to rethink many of our planned activations and are proud to be entering the Christmas season with a robust programme of Snowman activity that celebrates theme of togetherness, even when we are apart. We are delighted to continue long term brand partnerships with the British Red Cross and The Royal Mint, whilst welcoming new experiences that bring the ‘World of The Snowman’ to life through new partnerships with Luna Cinemas and Forest Holidays, who’s Snowman experiences will offer families and loved-ones surprising ways to come together in celebration this Christmas.

“In among all of this exciting activity, is our recently launched ‘Winter Windows’ initiative, that places The Snowman at the very heart of British Christmas this year and raising vital funds for children’s hospice charities with every window created.”

The Snowman Winter Windows campaign which is supported by Peter Andre and his family, aims to spread some magic around the UK this Christmas whilst raising vital funds for children’s hospice charities, Chestnut Tree House and Together for Short Lives.

Every Wednesday for six weeks a new line art illustration from The Snowman is made available at https://www.thesnowman.com/winter-windows and shared on The Snowman social media channels. These can be printed and coloured and then added to a window to build a scene from the classic story.

Snowman Enterprises Ltd has pledged £1 for every Winter Window scene shared on social media and a bumper Snowman prize bundle will be awarded to one lucky winner.

New partnerships have been confirmed for The Snowman this winter including family trails at Forest Holidays. The Snowman and The Snowdog interactive family trails have launched in nine locations around the UK, ensuring that families who book a Forest Holiday break will have an extra magical experience.

Every guest will receive a special, bespoke edition of the classic Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman, whilst all Forest Holidays gift shops will stock a range of Snowman licensed merchandise.

Finally, whilst many screenings and live performances have sadly been cancelled this year, a collaboration with Luna Cinemas will ensure that families can come together with The Snowman this winter.  The Snowman and The Snowman and The Snowdog animations have been included in the Luna Drive In Winter Cinema, offering families the opportunity to continue their festive tradition of watching these classic films in an exciting new way.