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News release
KIDS MATTER AWARD CELEBRATES LOCAL HEROES
Do you know someone who makes a difference by volunteering time to the children in the local community?
Coinciding with National Volunteering Week (1 - 7 June), Skipton Building Society today launches its Kids Matter Award - a new competition to celebrate local heroes who give their time to children in the community. Potential nominees could range from local sports team coaches to the person who makes costumes for a kids dance troupe, or from the person who gives their time to running after-school activities to the youth club co-ordinator.
The award comes on the back of new research carried out by the Society, which found that more than a third (35%) of Britons have volunteered or currently volunteer with kids in the community and, of these, almost two thirds (59%) said it gives them a sense of satisfaction. Feeling like they're 'doing their bit' appears to be the motivation for a third (35%) of people, while over half (53%) enjoy watching children develop their skills.
The national winner of the Skipton Building Society Kids Matter Award will receive £2,500 towards their chosen organisation or charity, and the nine runners-up will each receive £250 for their cause.
Jennifer Holloway, head of media relations at Skipton Building Society, said: "We all know someone who inspires us by the way they dedicate time to kids in their community and often it's more than just the children who benefit. Nearly half (49%) of the people we researched feel good about doing something worthwhile for their area, whether this is running the local Brownie group or coaching a children's rugby team, but we want to give them something more than that; our Kids Matter Award is the chance for us all to celebrate these local heroes, so I'd urge everyone to pick up a form and nominate a volunteer today."
Entry forms can be collected from Skipton Building Society branches across the country. Alternatively the form is available on Skipton's website - visit www.skipton.co.uk . The deadline for all entries is Friday 30 June and the winners will be notified by Friday 14 July.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Lisa Pearson Band & Brown Communications
020 7419 6934 - lisa.pearson@bbpr.com or
Eleanor Kestenbaum, Band & Brown Communications
020 7419 7315 - eleanor@bbpr.com
Editor's Notes
- The research was conducted in May 2006 by YouGov. In total, 2,016 UK adults were questioned, of which 708 have volunteered or currently volunteer their time to children in the community.
- Skipton is the UK 's seventh largest building society, with a national presence represented by its 79 branches, covering the country from Aberdeen to Plymouth . An innovator in the field of mortgage and investment products, the Society stands apart from its counterparts as the parent to 16 subsidiary companies, many of which operate in the financial market.