Yell Fundraisers Continue Towards Their £75,000 Goal

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Busy fund-raisers at Yell have been pushing up the cash barometer in recent months, with their creative efforts now having raised around £12,000 to date - almost a fifth of their target.

A variety of novel fundraising activities has been organised in departments and by individuals at Yell's Reading head office, raising a further £2,000 towards the opening of a Red Balloon in Reading.

Yell's customer service department raised more than £1,000 with two special Red Balloon Days and a raffle - at the same time as operating a very busy department; Business File raised £350 in a similar event; HR had a cake sale raising £105 and Marketing also had a cake sale and sold handmade cards, raising just over £130.

Senior online product manager Jo Jeffs also produced handmade cards - for Easter and Mother's Day - and then organised a "Come Dine With Me" event for colleagues that raised £85. And CR programme manager Julie McCallum organised a method for colleagues to donate cash for Red Balloon at Yell's head office cafe, raising £100.

Kimberley Watts-Fitzsimmons, Yell CR manager and a founding trustee of Red Balloon-Reading, said: "The energy, dedication and enthusiasm of colleagues to help raise money for Red Balloon has been overwhelming. We still have quite a way to go in our overall target of raising £75,000 for start-up costs for the planned centre, but this year so far has seen some tremendous fund-raising work and the trustees really appreciate what's been achieved. Many thanks to the fund-raising committee for driving this too."

Thoughts have also turned to the new football season with the donation by Sam Gillespie, Yell's Search Marketing Services campaign manager, of a Reading Football Club shirt that raised £160 in a raffle won by Martin Hunt from Technology.

Excitement is also building with the countdown to the auction of a glass-framed, signed Manchester United shirt donated by Mitch Connolly, Chief Sales Officer in Yell's sales team. Mitch said: “Red Balloon is a fantastic charity that gives children a chance to learn, make friends and blossom in a safe, caring and fun environment.”

-- Posted by Red Balloon - Reading on 11th August 2011 --