December 1, 2008 - The NSPCC and Microsoft today announce a Christmas initiative to give the NSPCC’s Child's Voice Appeal an extra fundraising push to increase the number of calls that can be answered by ChildLine and the NSPCC Helpline. From today until the New Year, 15% of Microsoft Windows Vista or Office 2007 sales purchased through the Microsoft Store (www.microsoft.com/uk/nspcc) will be automatically donated to the NSPCC appeal.
Tim Hunter, Deputy Director of Fundraising at the NSPCC, said: “When a vulnerable child is in distress, the call an adult makes to the NSPCC Helpline could be a significant point in the child’s life. Tragically – we can not deal with every call just because of lack of funds. Even more unfortunately, a child may gain the courage to call ChildLine, only to not be able to get through. The money from this Christmas initiative will go towards our Child’s Voice Appeal which aims to let no child’s voice go unheard and to allow us to respond fully to every cry for help.”
Matthew Bishop, Business Marketing Officer, Microsoft UK, said: “We want to do everything we can to help the NSPCC reach its target, so if you are already thinking of upgrading your software in the run up to Christmas then this is a great way to do it. It’s an unlimited offer, between now and the New Year, so each person who takes it up really will make a difference.”
This donation marks another step in a long standing relationship between NSPCC and Microsoft which stretches over more than 14 years.
The Child’s Voice Appeal is a key part of meeting NSPCC’s targets of answering 500,000 more calls to ChildLine every year, and answering 18,000 more calls to the NSPCC Helpline by 2011. By then the NSPCC will also have expanded its online service so that ChildLine can reach out to children via the internet. With 98 per cent of 12 to 15-year-olds accessing the internet regularly, it's vital that this is made available and Microsoft’s support has been critical in making this possible.
