Get your fashion fix this October in aid of Marie Curie with the Great BT Charity Shops Challenge
Press release published
|
Stylist and co-founder of Sugahfix.com, Katrina Doran helped launch the first all Ireland, Great BT Shops Challenge this week at Marie Curie’s shop in Belmont Road, Belfast; one of seven shops throughout Northern Ireland which are taking part in this year’s Challenge. “I’d encourage everyone to get down to their local Marie Curie shop and support this challenge. It’s amazing the hidden vintage clothing you can find that will really set your outfit apart and help you to make a fashion statement this upcoming season. Plus, it’s all for a great cause.” The Challenge, which will take place on Thursday 3rd October, will see over 170 BT staff volunteer in seven Marie Curie shops across Northern Ireland and 10 Irish Cancer Society shops in the Republic of Ireland. BT staff will takeover for the day to help raise much needed funds for the charities - while competing against each other to see which shop has the biggest increase in takings. The BT volunteers have been tasked with putting their retail, planning, marketing and selling skills to good use to generate extra stock for their designated shop ahead of the takeover day. They will be encouraging friends, family and colleagues to donate their unwanted bric-a-brac as well as their most fashionable clothing cast offs that can be sold to customers. Commenting on the challenge, Ciara Gallagher, Head of Fundraising Marie Curie Northern Ireland said: “We are delighted to be working with BT in their charity shops’ challenge this year. It’s a great way to raise awareness about the value for money, fashionable stock we have available in our stores for the autumn and winter season – particularly in the current economic climate. Our shops makes accessible fashion available for everyone, while raising much needed funds for Marie Curie. “We need more people to shop, donate and volunteer and this initiative by BT will certainly help on all these fronts - by helping us raise awareness of what our shops actually offer. By generating much needed stock and equally importantly encouraging people to donate their time. “Money raised during the challenge will help to make it possible for Marie Curie Nurses to provide more care to terminally ill patients, and vital emotional support to their families at the time when they need it most. We hope that everyone visits their local shop on takeover day and bags themselves a bargain”. Peter Morris, Corporate Services Director, BT said; “BT is committed to making a positive impact in the communities in which we operate and we have a long and proud record of fundraising, volunteering and support. Last year alone BT Ireland volunteers gave back almost 13,000 hours of their time, worth £500,000, to causes that help to improve lives. As part of our recently launched Better Future programme our volunteering teams have been involved with some brilliant community challenges and we are excited to work with the Irish Cancer Society and Marie Curie Cancer Care to show our support, in a very practical way, for two very important charities.” -ENDS- |
Contact information
Sarah Eakin, Smarts Communicate
- 90395521
- sarah.eakin@smartscommunicate.com
Patricia Donnelly, BT
- 0771 333 2974
- patricia.donnelly@bt.com
Updated
Notes to editor
Marie Curie shop volunteers and BT Challenge volunteers are available for interview on request.
The Great BT Charity Shops Challenge will take place on 3 October at the following Marie Curie Shops:
1. Botanic Avenue
2. Lisburn Road
3. Stranmillis
4. Belmont Road
5. Hollywood
6. Portadown
7. Newry
The teams of BT Ireland volunteers have each been assigned to a local branch of the charity shops and from now until takeover day on Thursday October 3rd will be putting their retail, planning, marketing and selling skills to good use to generate extra stock, raise the profile of the shop locally, attract more volunteers and customers; and ultimately drive increased shop takings and greater awareness of the charities. In addition, they will be trawling through their homes, appealing to friends, and asking work colleagues for their unwanted clothes, shoes and bric-a-brac - to find the best stock available to sell.
Marie Curie Cancer Care is one of the UK’s largest charities. Employing more than 2,700 nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals, it provided care to more than 31,000 terminally ill patients in the community and in its nine hospices last year and is the largest provider of hospice beds outside the NHS.
Funding
Around 70 per cent of the charity’s income comes from the generous support of thousands of individuals, membership organisations and businesses, with the balance of our funds coming from the NHS.
Marie Curie Nurses
The charity is best known for its network of Marie Curie Nurses working in the community to provide end of life care, totally free for patients in their own homes.
Research
The charity provides core funding for three palliative care research facilities; the Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit at University College London, the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute Liverpool and the Marie Curie Palliative Care Centre at the Wales Cancer Trials Unit (Cardiff University). The charity also supports palliative and end of life care research through its project grant funding streams, the Marie Curie Cancer Care Research Programme (administered by Cancer Research UK) and the Dimbleby Marie Curie Cancer Care Research Fund. It also funds seven fundamental scientific research groups which investigate the causes and treatments of cancer. This research was previously carried out at the Marie Curie Research Institute in Oxted, Surrey. The programmes are now located in universities around the country, and will receive funding from the charity until late 2012.
The right to die in place of choice
Research shows around 65 per cent of people would like to die at home if they had a terminal illness, with a sizeable minority opting for hospice care. However, more than 50 per cent of cancer deaths still occur in hospital, the place people say they would least like to be. Since 2004 Marie Curie Cancer Care has been campaigning for more patients to be able to make the choice to be cared for and die in their place of choice.
About BT
BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in more than 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, BT Retail, BT Wholesale and Openreach.
In the year ended 31 March 2013, BT Group’s revenue was £18,017m with profit before taxation of £2,501m.
British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.
For more information, visit www.btplc.com