BT launches ‘Chat for Change’ Day

The more calls you make, the more money raised for Sport Relief

Anyone who picks up their BT phone today and makes a call will be helping to raise money for Sport Relief, thanks to BT’s ‘Chat for Change’ campaign. BT has promised that 1p for every home phone call made today (Friday 26th February) by a BT or Plusnet landline and calls customer*, and 25p for every call to BT’s Directory Enquiry Service 118500, will go to Sport Relief.

The donation will get the fundraising efforts off to a flying start for the celebrities taking part in The BT Sport Relief Million Pound Bike Ride. Sport Relief veteran David Walliams has enlisted Jimmy Carr, Fearne Cotton, Miranda Hart, Russell Howard, Patrick Kielty and Davina McCall in an attempt to raise a whopping £1 million on a nonstop cycle relay through day and night from John O’Groats to Land’s End.

Patrick Kielty said, “We all have someone that we forget to call. This Friday BT is donating 1p for every call made by its customers, to Sport Relief, so what better motivation do you need to get in touch?! I’ll be calling all my friends to tell them to dig deep for Sport Relief"

Miranda Hart said, “Thanks to all of those who’ve sponsored us already. Every penny counts and to help us on our way to meet our target, BT are giving Sport Relief 1p for every call made by customers this Friday. The next few days are going to be a real slog so please pick up the phone and get calling. I’m going to call my sister as I’m going to need her support to get me through this challenge, the toughest thing I think I’ll ever have done! So go on, get dialling and have a lovely natter whilst raising money”

The courageous team will be taking part in approximately 80 gruelling hours of nonstop cycling before they reach Land’s End. They will have to battle the elements at all hours of the day as they take turns to cover the 1000 miles and try to reach their massive £1 million target.

The money raised by today’s ‘Chat for Change’ Day and the mammoth celebrity cycle will be used by Comic Relief to help vulnerable people living incredibly tough lives here in the UK and in some of the World’s poorest countries.

John Petter, managing director, consumer BT, said “The money raised by Sport Relief makes a huge difference to lives in the UK and around the World, so we are delighted to be doing our bit. Every penny counts, so pick up the phone today, the more calls you make, the more money is raised.”

For more information about Sport Relief, ‘Chat for Change’ Day and The BT Sport Relief Million Pound Bike Ride, as well as details about sponsoring the team, go to www.sportrelief.com.

* BT will donate 1p for every phone call made by a BT or Plusnet consumer landline and calls customer and 25p for every call to BT’s Directory Enquiry Service 118500 from any phone operator between 00.01 and 24.00 on the 26 February 2010.

Ends

Notes to Editor

About BT and Sport Relief’s ‘Chat for Change’ Day
BT announced today that on behalf of its customers it will donate 1p for every phone call made by a BT or Plusnet consumer landline and calls customer and 25p for every call to BT’s Directory Enquiry Service 118500 made today.
BT is one of the longest standing partners of Sport Relief, and is the headline sponsor of The Sport Relief Million Pound Bike Ride. BT staff throughout the business are also fundraising for Sport Relief and volunteering to man the phones on the night to take donations via the BT-enabled donation line number 0345 7 910 910.


About Sport Relief
As one of the UK’s biggest fundraising events, Sport Relief brings the entire nation together to get active, raise cash and change lives. The Sport Relief Weekend takes place from Friday 19th March to Sunday 21st March 2010 including a night of Sport Relief telly on BBC One and the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile events across the UK on Sunday 21st March. All the cash raised by the public will help transform the lives of those living tough lives across the UK and the world’s poorest countries.
Since its launch in 2002, millions of people have taken part in Sport Relief, helping to raise over £80 million. Sport Relief has a unique history of dedicated people doing extraordinary things to rise to the challenge, from David Walliams’ astonishing swim across the English Channel to Eddie Izzard’s truly amazing marathon a day around the UK. Further information is available on www.sportrelief.com

Sport Relief is an initiative of Comic Relief, registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland).