Slimmers have been losing pounds (lbs) and gaining £££££s for charity. Slimming World members across Britain have raised an incredible £250,000 for the NSPCC’s Child’s Voice Appeal in a fundraising drive throughout 2009.
The UK’s favourite slimming organisation raised the money through its charity SMILES (Slimmers Making It a Little Easier for Someone). Each year SMILES chooses a special charity to benefit from the amazing generosity of Slimming World’s Consultants, staff and members. For the past several years the NSPCC has been the chosen charity.
Slimming World’s founder and chairman Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE handed the weighty cheque over to ChildLine founder and president Esther Rantzen at the charity’s London counselling base in the run up to Christmas. Margaret was introduced to some of the highly trained ChildLine volunteer counsellors who help children in distress throughout the day and night.
“This year Slimming World has been celebrating our 40th anniversary and we were determined to double our charity fundraising efforts,” says Margaret. “We’ve run a series of events, starting with our annual Slimathon which raises tens of thousands of pounds – this year it raised £72,000.
“In addition in 2009 we started a sponsored challenge called 40 Miles for SMILES where members in all of Slimming World’s 6,000 groups across Britain were challenged to cover 40 miles by walking, running, cycling, swimming or coming up with their own unique way to travel. Participants could take part individually or in groups. The challenge was a huge success and raised £68,500, so we’ve decided to add it to our fundraising calendar as an annual event,” adds Margaret.
Slimming World also raises money by giving a substantial percentage of all recipe book sales to the charity.
Esther Rantzen says: “My heartfelt thanks to Margaret and the Slimming World members for their fantastic support of our Child’s Voice Appeal. Their fundraising efforts will enable ChildLine to answer many more calls from desperate children, who have nowhere else to turn.
“As a ChildLine counsellor, I have experienced first hand these heart-wrenching calls from children who feel utterly alone until they make the call, I know the hope we provide these children literally saves precious young lives.
“ChildLine is open 24 hours seven days a week for any child whatever their problem. We therefore urgently need to expand the service so that every child’s cry for help can be answered.”
During 2010 Slimming World will once again raise money for the NSPCC’s Child’s Voice Appeal, helping the charity to improve Childline and the NSPCC Helpline so its Counsellors can answer even more calls from children who need their help. In 2009 Slimming World launched in the Republic of Ireland and its fundraising activity in the country next year will be dedicated to the ISPCC. – Ends –
For further information please contact the Slimming World press office on 01773 546039, 01773 546101 or 01773 546037 or email: public.relations@slimming-world.com
Photograph: Margaret Miles-Bramwell (left) hands over a cheque for £250,000 to Esther Rantzen. Please credit image to National News.
Notes to Editors
· *Slimming World is the largest and most advanced slimming organisation in the UK. Margaret Miles-Bramwell founded the company in 1969 and there are now over 6,000 groups held weekly nationwide via a network of 2,600 Slimming World trained Consultants.
· *SMILES has raised over £2million for charity since it was launched in 1997. It has chosen to support the NSPCC nine times and given over £1 million to the cause.
· *In 2009 Slimming World celebrates its 40th Anniversary and four decades of helping people to lose weight without deprivation, guilt or hunger.
· *300,000 members attend Slimming World every week and achieve outstanding success.
· *Members lose 17,857 stones every week: 2,551 stones every day, over 106 stones every hour, that’s 1 stone 10 lbs lost every minute of every day with Slimming World.
· *Slimming World pioneered Slimming World on Referral in the UK and actively supports the building of partnerships with the NHS and local authorities to develop effective strategies to manage overweight and obesity in the community. Slimming World works with university researchers and specialists in an active research programme to further knowledge of the causes and treatment of obesity.
· *Slimming World’s healthy eating plan, Food Optimising, and the principles behind Slimming World’s philosophy are based on a deep understanding of the challenges faced by overweight people. Slimming World integrates practical, up-to-date dietary advice with a highly developed support system.
· *Slimming World Consultants receive specific training in dietary aspects and the role of physical activity in weight control. The highly developed training focuses on facilitating behaviour change in a group environment, acknowledged by experts as being the most effective way to support long-term weight management.
About the NSPCC
The NSPCC is the UK’s leading children charity specialising in child protection and the prevention of cruelty to children. The NSPCC’s purpose is to end cruelty to children FULL STOP. Its vision is of a society where all children are loved, valued and able to fulfil their potential. The NSPCC runs 180 projects and services across the United Kingdom and Channel Islands, including ChildLine, the UK’s free, confidential 24-hour helpline for children and young people. The NSPCC helps over 10,000 children and their families every year.
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