The Vodafone UK Foundation is asking charities and community organizations across the UK to champion Vodafone staff fundraising or volunteering on their behalf for a new award. For every successful nomination, the charity will earn £50 for its trouble.

The mobile phone company is looking for candidates for The Vodafone UK Foundation Community Awards 2005. The Awards, in partnership with the CAF (Charities Aid Foundation), will be a celebration of the increasing numbers of Vodafone employees who volunteer their time to help in the community or to fundraise for their favourite cause. Every eligible application will earn £50 to the organization nominating, with a winning organization earning up to £1000 for their cause.

The launch of the Awards coincides with the announcement that in the last financial year alone, Vodafone employees in the UK raised over £1.3 million for charitable organizations. A 35% increase on the amount raised in the same period last year.

"We want to hear from as many people as possible informing us of what our employees have been doing for their local community," commented Alan Harper, Chairman of The Vodafone UK Foundation. 'Nominating couldn’t be easier. It could be for anything from volunteering as a school governor, helping a local school with reading skills or taking part in sponsored runs or walks to raise money for favourite causes.  Everyone at Vodafone is very proud of the level of support our employees give to their local communities and The Vodafone UK Foundation wants to celebrate that."

"CAF is delighted to be working with The Vodafone UK Foundation on this valuable initiative. It's a fantastic way to reward Vodafone employees who have done so much for their community through their fundraising and volunteering efforts," said Jenny Byers, Director of Donor Services at CAF. "The more that we can recognise and encourage this type of giving the better, and the nominations from charities will be helping this to happen!" 

You can nominate your Vodafone employee and learn more about The Vodafone UK Foundation Community Awards by visiting www.vodafoneukfoundation.org.

For further information contact:

Ally Stevens
At The Vodafone UK PR Office
E-mail: press.office@vodafone.com
For media enquiries, please call 07000 500 10
For general enquiries, please call 01635 33251

NOTES TO EDITORS
Case studies are available on request