Member Article

Staff get up energy for Sport Relief

Staff at an energy company in Sunderland will be taking part in a procession of relay walks as part of the Sport Relief campaign next week. Workers from EDF Energy will then be taking donations over the phone during the live BBC Sport Relief event on Friday 14 March.

As well as the relay walks at Doxford International Business Park, staff will also be running, cross-training, cycling or rowing a mile in the company gym. They will also join in competitions including a raffle, with a signed Sunderland football shirt among the prizes.

Some 200 volunteers, including EDF Energy staff, family and friends, will work in shifts on about 100 donated phone lines during the nationwide appeal, shown live on BBC One from 7pm on 14 March.

Kevin Gatens, director of customer account management at Doxford, said: “There’s always a brilliant buzz during Sport Relief night and we’re going to make sure our volunteers are well looked after. It is hard work, taking call after call, but it’s going to be a fantastic night. We’re just pleased that we can help Sport Relief as best we can.”

Last year, volunteers at EDF Energy in Doxford took 4,294 calls that raised more than £136,000 in donations for Comic Relief. For Sport Relief in 2006, more than 2,000 calls and £60,075 were taken at Doxford.

Simon Round, a process analyst at EDF, said: “I’ve volunteered in the past to take the calls and it’s always a great night. This year we are expecting to take more pledges than ever before and our thanks goes out to all who take part during the day and night.”

EDF Energy’s customer services centre will be open and taking calls in a different part of the building so as not to affect usual services.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .