27 January 2010 13:51
Going back to the shop floor: E.ON teams bring marketing magic to Solihull charity shops

Swapping big business to head 'back to the shop floor', managers from leading energy firm E.ON are going head-to-head in an Apprentice-style challenge to drum up additional funds for two Solihull charity shops.

Two teams of E.ON's advertising, marketing and PR managers will compete against each other this Friday (29^th January) to raise money for the Marie Curie shops in Knowle and Shirley.

They will be working their creative magic to improve the day's takings at the two shops in a contest to increase sales by the greatest amount.

And to help them in their work both shops will be raffling off Birmingham City football shirts signed by manager Alex McLeish and tickets to the winner's choice of a 5th Round match in the E.ON-sponsored FA Cup.

Completing the role-reversals, both teams will be captained by department Personal Assistants Fiona Nicholls and Jo Gallagher.

Fiona, PA to Brand and Communications Director Jeremy Davies said: "Team loyalty is out of the (shop) window, we're here to win and claim the bragging rights in the office but really it's a great opportunity to help such an important charity."

Jo, PA to Head of Advertising Catherine Woolfe, said: "We've got the advertising and PR side sewn up so I'd say we're definitely the front-runners in this challenge. As well as victory I'm confident of raising a lot of money for Marie Curie Cancer Care."

Mike Straney, Corporate Volunteer Manager at Marie Curie Cancer Care, said "It's brilliant that E.ON employees are taking time out from their normal working week to find a new way to volunteer for the charity. Every penny they raise will help us fund care for terminally ill people in the local community - at home and in our Solihull hospice."

E.ON finds volunteering opportunities for employees across the UK, working with schools, older people and other vulnerable groups as part of its wider community relations programme. In 2009, E.ON employees spent over 8,000 hours volunteering in their local communities.

Ends

Notes to editors:

• Raffle prizes (per shop) are a BCFC shirt signed by Manager Alex McLeish and two tickets to a 5^th round tie of the winner's choice in the FA Cup Sponsored by E.ON (prize is tickets only, no travel costs or expenses, no cash alternative).

• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating and distributing electricity, and retailing power and gas - and is part of the E.ON group, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies. We employ around 16,000 people in the UK and more than 92,000 worldwide;
• We're one of the leading green generators in the UK, with 20 wind farms located from Cornwall to Northern Ireland. We also burn biomass material mixed with coal in two of our power stations and have completed one of the UK's largest dedicated biomass power stations at Lockerbie. Combined, our renewable portfolio generates enough green energy to power the homes in a city the size of Manchester.
• The Marie Curie Hospice in Solihull provides expert care and a better quality of life, totally free, for patients with terminal cancer and other illnesses. The charity's nurses also provide free care to terminally ill patients in their own homes across the borough.

For more information contact:
Victoria Blake on 02476 181 304