New Issue: WOŚP (Poland)

Here's a new stamp from Poland. It is very colourful and as you can see it shows DNA strands. So what is it all about? This is actually a charity set that celebrates the 34th finale of Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy (Grand Orchestra of Christmas). The orchestra, known as WOŚP for short, is not just about music - it raises funds for charitable causes, especially "in the field of health protection consisting in saving the lives of sick people, especially children, and acting to improve their health, as well as activities for health promotion and health prevention". Christmas in Poland lasts until February (really!) so it is not unusual to have Christmas events in January. The 34th finale, which these stamps are celebrating, was held on 25th January. Each finale has had a theme, which is the medical initiative it is fundraising for. This year's theme is "Healthy tummies of our children" and it "supports the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases in the youngest patients". This is why the stamps show the coloured DNA strands. WOŚP works all year round organising festivals and concerts for charity, but the finale has become a huge event in Polish culture.

Apart from the DNA, what else do we see in the stamps? In the bottom right corner of each stamp we see the words "A my? Robimy swoje" - this means "And us? We do our own thing." On the bottom of the sheet are the words "A my? Pomaganie mamy w genach!", which means "And us? Helping is in our genes!" At the top of the sheet is more writing - "Zdrowe brzuszlu masych dzieci", which is this year's theme of "healthy tummies". We also see the names of the designers, Jerzy Owsiak and Barbara Kasperek, on the stamps.

Design Quality - First of all, these stamps are LOUD but in a good way. They are dealing with a serious subject, but in a way that makes a statement. The colours are bright and kind of chaotic, like a concert poster mixed with street art. There’s loads of neon blues, reds, yellows and dots everywhere, so it never feels boring. To start with you don't see that it's DNA until you look closely.

The DNA helix is actually really clever. Even if you don’t totally get biology, it looks futuristic and important, like it's saying "science saves lives". The best part though? The stamps flipping between right-way-up and upside-down. At first it’s confusing, but then you see this is all part of a great design that makes the sheet look like it's moving. There is a barcode and a data matrix code on the sheet but fortunately they are small and on the bottom border so don't really impact the design. 10/10

Theme and Subject Choice - WOŚP is HUGE in Poland—everyone knows it, even kids. The January finale is basically a national event, with concerts, volunteers everywhere and red hearts on jackets. This year’s theme is “healthy tummies”, which is honestly a bit awkward to show on a stamp (nobody wants cartoon stomachs).

Using DNA instead was a smart move. It’s abstract but still clearly about health, medicine, and helping kids. It doesn’t feel yucky and it works for all ages. 8/10

Historical and Cultural Relevance - WOŚP started in 1993 but in 34 years it has become very culturally relevant. Everyone recognises the heart logo, a bit like the Red Nose for Comic Relief here in the UK. And the finale day is massive. Everyone knows when it’s WOŚP time.

These stamps feel like they’re celebrating something iconic in Poland, which makes them feel important. 8/10

Innovation and Creativity - The upside-down layout, the repeating pattern, the way the DNA connects across the sheet—it feels more like a graphic design project than postal stuff. It’s creative because it doesn’t explain everything literally. It trusts you to figure it out. Also, it feels very energetic, messy, bold and optimistic. 8/10

Collectability - Charity stamps are interesting because they stand for something. Some collectors are very interested in charity stamps. If you buy these, you’re not just collecting stamps—you’re supporting WOŚP, and I would imagine many people in Poland will buy them just for that reason.

They also connect really well to winter and Christmas vibes. WOŚP always happens in January, during Polish Christmas celebrations when people are still in a giving mood, so these feel like something you’d keep. 8/10

Personal appeal - These stamps represent something most people genuinely care about. They're also well-designed and have a strong message. What's not to like? 10/10  Overall score - 52/60