Leukaemia Research And Argos Celebrate 500,000 Pounds Milestone, UK
Leukaemia Research is celebrating having raised £500,000 in record time, thanks to the support of Argos employees and customers. Just seven months into the year-long charity partnership, Argos have raised enough funds to support a special cytogenetic database, which will record symptoms and treatments of different types of blood cancer to make future treatment more effective.
Argos staff across the leading multi-channel retailer's 670-plus UK stores have taken part in a variety of fundraising events, ranging from 'Strictly Come Dancing' themed events to the charity's Bananaman Chase 10k run in Milton Keynes.
Argos customers have also been fantastic supporters of Leukaemia Research with collections taking place during the retailer's catalogue launch in January 2008 raising a record-breaking £30,000.
The 'Tick to Give' option on Argos order forms, offering customers the opportunity to donate 20p to Leukaemia Research whilst ordering products, has raised £54,000. Bananaman superhero charms, available in stores from February 2008, have already raised over £10,000.
In the five remaining months of the partnership, Argos staff are planning more fundraising initiatives. Senior Argos managers and their teams are competing against one another in the 'Directors' Challenge', to fundraise as much as possible, starting with £100 and 'investing' it in activities that can generate more money.
Kate White, Director of Fundraising for Leukaemia Research said: "Saving and Improving Lives Together, our campaign with Argos, helps 2,650 people diagnosed with leukaemia each year; we are committed to giving every one of them the best chance of survival. We'd like to say a huge thankyou to Argos employees and customers for helping Leukaemia Research hit half a million; it will make a real difference to people's lives."
Lorna Liggett, Community Affairs Manager at Argos, said: "The 'Saving and Improving Lives Together' campaign has surpassed all our expectations - staff and customers have really got behind the partnership activity and we're happy to have achieved so much for such a wonderful charity. With five months of fundraising to go we hope to help many more patients and families in need."
Notes
Photos and Interviews - photos of the celebration are available and local and regional fundraisers for Leukaemia Research are available for interview.
About the partnership
Argos announced Leukaemia Research as its new charity of the year after winning a staff vote in March 2007, with the official launch taking place 28 July. The partnership is running under the campaign theme of 'Saving and Improving Lives Together' and has so far raised over £500,000 to support a special cytogenetic database which will help Leukaemia Research record symptoms and treatments of different types of blood cancer to help spot patterns and make future treatment more effective.
About Leukaemia Research
Leukaemia Research is the only national charity devoted exclusively to improving treatments, finding cures and learning how to prevent leukaemia, Hodgkin's lymphoma and other lymphomas, myeloma and the other related blood disorders, diagnosed in 24,500 people in the UK every year. Further information, including patient information booklets, is available from http://www.lrf.org.uk or call 020 7405 0101.
Over the next five years, Leukemia Research urgently needs to raise over £100 million to commit to new research across the UK. From basic laboratory research to clinical trials with patients, Leukaemia Research is committed to saving lives by funding high quality, carefully selected research throughout the UK.
About Argos
Argos is a unique retailer recognised for choice, value and convenience. It sells general merchandise and products for the home from over 700 stores throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland, online and over the telephone. In the last financial year, Argos sales grew 8% to £4.2 billion and it employed some 34,000 people across the business.
Argos serves over 130 million customers a year through its stores and takes four million customer orders either online or over the phone. On average, 17 million UK households, or around two thirds of the population, have an Argos catalogue at home at any time.
Argos expects to add around 30 stores per annum with the chain expected to exceed 800 over time. Its Internet site, http://www.argos.co.uk, is the second most visited retail site in the UK.
Argos is part of Home Retail Group, the UK's leading home and general merchandise retailer.
Leukaemia Research
