Immediate Release: 22 October
Issued by The Wheel
OVER 34,000 SUPPORT
ONLINE CHARITY VIDEO PROJECT
“30 Charities Shortlisted for Better Together! Awards ”
22 October 2010 – Over 34,000 people have engaged in a groundbreaking online collaboration between Irish charities. The Better Together! Campaign, supported by EBS Building Society, employs online video to encourage people to get involved in their communities.
The campaign centres on website, www.bettertogether.ie, where people could register their support for community and voluntary groups by voting for their favorite videos, volunteering or donating.
Over 200 community and voluntary groups submitted videos between 13 October and 15 November, and 55,580 visits and 3334,888 page views were recorded on the website during the month-long campaign.
The 30 organisations that attracted the most votes have now been shorlisted for the Better Together Awards, which will take place on Thursday, 25 November. Three cash prizes of €3,000 will be awarded to in three categories.
The Wheel, a national umbrella body representing 860 community and voluntary groups, is leading the initiative in association with EBS Building Society.
Deirdre Garvey, Chief Executive Officer of The Wheels said:
“2011 is the European Year of the Volunteer – which makes this campaign very timely.”
Ms. Garvey said the success of the Better Together! Campaign shows that people have a desire to get involved in their communities. “Technology may be changing the way we connect with each other, but the desire to be part of a community is a strong as ever. This campaign shows that technology can actually help to build stronger communities,” added Ms. Garvey.
Speaking today Aidan Power, Head of Marketing at EBS Building Society, said: “The campaign has been a great success and I’d like to congratulate everybody for taking part and getting involved so energetically. Social Media has proven to be an invaluable way of showcasing the great volunteering work going on across the country. Volunteers are the people who impress me the most. I want to congratulate all volunteers on their ongoing work. It is this spirit of volunteerism that will make a significant contribution to our society. I wish all of the contestants the very best of luck and I look forward to meeting some of them at the award ceremony.”
The shortlisted videos can be viewed at www.bettertogether.ie. The winning entries will be announced on 25 November.
ENDS/
For further information please contact:
Gert Ackermann, The Wheel, 01-454 8727/086-1769287
OR/
Suzanne Sullivan, Q4PR, 01-4751444/086-3797291
Note to Editors:
Deirdre Garvey, CEO of The Wheel is available for interview. Please call Gert Ackermann on 086 176 9287, or email gert@wheel.ie.
The following organisations are partners of the Better Together! Campaign: Acquired Brain Injury Ireland, Barretstown, Business in the Community, Clann Credo, Cope Galway, CRAOL, The Disability Federation of Ireland, Dóchas, Focus Ireland, ICTR, Irish Hospice Foundation, Irish Rural Link, ISPCA, ISPCC, Macra Na Feirme, Mental Health Ireland, National Youth Council of Ireland, The Alzheimer Society, The Carmichael Centre for Voluntary Groups and Volunteer Centres Ireland.
The campaign is brought to you by EBS, and is supported by Intel, Today FM and The Irish Examiner.
The Wheel is the national support and representative body for community, voluntary and charitable organisations. It provides a wide range of information and support services, advice and training to individuals and organisations involved in community and voluntary activity. It is also a representative organisation promoting both members’ and the wider sector’s shared interests: www.wheel.ie.
