Schoolgirl teams up with signage company to help families at Christmas

FASTSIGNS Manchester has teamed up with a local schoolgirl to spread festive cheer across the Greater Manchester area.

Originally created in 2020 by school pupil, Summer Best, the ‘Summer's Christmas Mission’ initiative was designed to raise money and collect donations of food and toys for families across the Manchester community.

Summer’s inspiration for the campaign came from learning about poverty during a school presentation when she was just five years old. She first began the initiative in her local community of Wythenshawe during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The campaign has since expanded, gaining support from hundreds of local businesses and helping over 2,500 families and other organisations across Manchester.

This year the campaign has raised over £4,000, gaining support from more than 25 businesses. The funds will be used to support local food banks, schools, and community centres as well as homeless organisations and hospitals.

To support the cause, FASTSIGNS designed and manufactured a promotional banner, logo, and digital assets for free, to be used on Summer’s social media channels and her community collection visits.

Summer designed the logo alongside the FASTSIGNS team, selecting the blue and pink colour-scheme as well as the overall look for the banner and logo. The choice of blue was reportedly influenced by the kit colours of her favourite football team, Manchester City, with the pink taking inspiration from the branding of beauty influencer, PLouise.

In addition, the signage company also donated 80 Christmas chocolate selection boxes to the cause be donated to children and families.

Discussing the partnership, Nick Ratcliffe, director at FASTSIGNS Manchester, says: “We are proud to be supporting Summer’s ongoing Christmas Mission, going some way to not only help her make a remarkable difference across Manchester, but also raising awareness of this important campaign among her community, both online and in-person.

“The past few years have been tough for so many, and the need for kindness and support has never been greater. This time of year can be especially hard for many families, with the financial strain and uncertainty taking a toll on those already struggling.

“It’s more important than ever to give back and make a positive impact in our communities, and we are honoured to be part of that effort.”

Commenting on the collaboration, Summer’s mother Rachel Best says: "We couldn’t do it without the support of businesses like FASTSIGNS Manchester.

“They have been amazing in helping us raise awareness and providing the resources we need to ensure as many families as possible benefit from our mission. We’re truly grateful for their generosity.”

Those interested in supporting the campaign have been encouraged to check the Summer’s Mission Facebook page for updates.

The initiative has further plans throughout 2025 including an Easter egg fundraising drive in the Spring.