Staff called on to fill Red Nose role (From Swindon Advertiser)
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Staff called on to fill Red Nose role
5:10pm Thursday 31st January 2013 in News By Emma Dunn
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Jonathan Preece, the CEO of RCUK shared services call centre, which has been chosen as a host for Comic Relief phone calls, with Karen Cooke and Matthew Stanton
HUNDREDS of volunteers are hoping their phone lines will be red hot next month after finding out they will be answering calls for Comic Relief.
More than 100 volunteers recruited by Shared Services Centre of Research Councils UK, based in North Star, will be taking donations over the phone on March 15 as part of the charity fundraiser.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Red Nose Day and Jonathan Preece,the chief executive of RCUK SSC Ltd , said they were delighted to be involved.
“The team are very much looking forward to it, as am I,” he said.
“We have been asked to host at least 50 to 100 phone lines for Comic Relief and we have got a barage of volunteers to help.
“The team will be taking calls from anybody across the country who wants to pick up the phone.
“It is great to be able to contribute something back and we are really pleased to do so.”
“The volunteers will take it in turns to take calls for six hours and will finish at midnight.
“It is a well recognised charity and they do a lot of great work so we are really pleased to help out.”
The money donated this Red Nose Day will help people living difficult lives across Africa and in the UK.
RCUK Shared Services Centre Ltd provides a range of services including finance, payroll, grants information and IT and strategic procurement services through a single integrated system.
The company was initially established by the seven UK research councils and is now also part owned by the Department Of Business, Innovation and Skills.
People from all over Swindon are being urged to wear their Red Nose with pride and do something funny for money on March 15.
Last Red Nose Day, people from the west raised more than £1.9m and since 2011, the charity has funded 126 projects in the region.
There are three Dinosaur Red Noses to choose from this Red Nose Day, all available from Sainsbury’s, Sainsburys.co.uk, Oxfam or rednoseday.com.
The night of TV will be hosted by some of Britain’s top comedy stars including Michael McIntyre, Rob Brydon, John Bishop, Zoe Ball, Lenny Henry, Davina McCall, Jack Whitehall, Nick Grimshaw, Jonathan Ross and Claudia Winkleman.
For more information visit rednoseday.com.
