News 2003
Virgin Mobile goes red nose crazy for Comic Relief
13/03/2003
On 14th March, more than 150 staff at Virgin Mobile’s head office in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, will be swapping red eyes for red noses as they man the phone lines in aid of Comic Relief.
The staff will give up their Friday night, when they would normally be painting the town red, in order to give a little bit of comic relief to the thousands of donors expected to ring and pledge money for the charity. The volunteers, recruited from members of staff and their family and friends, hope to handle over 27,000 calls, are helping to raise as much money as possible for the cause.
In true Comic Relief style, all those taking part on the night will be sporting a `Big Hair Do’ to answer the phones and take pledges. Senior managers will also be getting ‘back to the floor’ by lending a hand to take calls, and getting into the spirit of things by having their hair gelled and coloured. Players from the Virgin Mobile-sponsored Bath Rugby team will be swapping their tackling technique for talking skills as they join Virgin Mobile to lend their help. Volunteers will include Dan Lyle (captain), Andy Long, Iain Balshaw and Spencer Davey. The event will feature plenty of entertainment and fun to ensure everyone lets their hair down!
Taking calls through the night is hungry work, so local companies are helping to feed the volunteers; Tesco has generously donated a large buffet and McDonalds is donating 150 burger meals.
Comic Relief is just one in a long line of national and local charity events that Virgin Mobile supports. This year's charities, which are nominated by staff on an annual basis, include Children in Need, The British Red Cross, Cancer Research, Dorothy House and Wiltshire Air Ambulance.
Andrew Ralston, customer relationship director at Virgin Mobile, said: “Virgin Mobile’s staff are always game for a laugh, especially in the name of a good cause like Comic Relief. As a company, we try to support the community all year round, but this event will be one of the most high-profile to date and it will be all hands on deck. I imagine we will see hundreds of red noses and hair-styles tomorrow, after all, being true Virgins, red is our colour!
