Wednesday, 10 March 2010

NEWS FROM SKINNY COW


Want a new Wardrobe in 2010? The Skinny Cow® Hot Chocolate and Kelly Brook say ‘Oh Yes, you can!’

Coming to the rescue of fashionistas feeling the pinch of Christmas and the recession – The Skinny Cow® has teamed up with Kelly Brook to host a celebrity charity Swap Shop, to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

With items donated by the likes of Holly Willoughby, Sarah Harding and Danielle Lloyd – the exclusive Swap Shops will give fashion fiends the chance to breathe new life into their wardrobes through swapping not shopping!

By becoming a fan of The Skinny Cow® on www.facebook.com/skinnycowuk women will be able to enter into a draw to attend the London and Manchester based events. For those women who don’t win an invite to the Swap Shops a facebook ‘Skinny Dip’ will let women battle it out to win more amazing fashion items and get a new look wardrobe for 2010.

The Skinny Cow® , which is owned by Nestlé UK, will be raising funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care, Nestlé UK’s charity of choice for 2009 and 2010 by making a donation for every item ‘swapped’ by a celebrity at the two events and online.

Throughout the year, Nestlé UK is aiming to raise £250,000 which will help fund 12,500 hours of Marie Curie nursing care for terminally ill people and their families in local communities.

Kelly Brook, who is hosting the London Swap shop, said ‘I love the idea of women swapping clothes to create new and different styles! It really encourages creativity and is all for a fantastic cause. I’ve even slipped a few of my own former-favourites in; I can’t wait to get to see all the different things people bring!’

Olivia Hibbert, Assistant Brand Manager for The Skinny Cow® Hot Chocolate said ‘The recession and Christmas has meant a lot of women have been cutting back so we wanted to create the perfect excuse for women to treat themselves to something new without feeling guilty- Oh Yes You Can! The Skinny Cow® is excited to be working in partnership with Kelly Brook to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care by creating a unique event in aid of a great cause.’


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For more information or images please contact Frank PR on 0207 693 6999 or email skinnycow@frankpr.it

Notes to editors
About Skinny Cow Hot Chocolate:
• Is available in two delicious flavours - Indulgent Chocolate and Indulgent Mint
• Good to know: Skinny Cow hot chocolate is Only 37 calories a mug, low in fat and sugars, a source of fibre, and contains no artificial preservatives, no added colours and no hydrogenated vegetable oils.
• Available at most major supermarkets
• RRP: Jar (200g) £2.99 and single stick (10g) 31p
• Skinny Cow Hot Chocolate - Typical nutritional values per mug (10g serving made with 200ml water) are: Energy: 37kcal/155kJ, Protein: 2.0g, Carbohydrate: 3.9g (of which sugars 3.6g), Fat: 1.5g (of which saturates: 1.0g), Fibre: 1.4g, Sodium: 0.1g, Salt Equivalent: 0.3g
• Skinny Cow Hot Chocolate – Guideline Daily Amounts per mug: Energy: 37kcal (2%*), Sugars: 3.6g (4%*), Fat: 1.5g (2%*), Saturates: 1.0g (5%*), Salt: 0.3g (5%*)
• *% Average Adult Guideline Daily Amount (GDA). GDAs are guidelines. Personal requirements vary depending on age, gender, weight and activity levels. For more information about GDAs, visit, www.whatsinsideguide.

About Swishing:
Swishing, which The Skinny Cow Swap Shop is based on, involves getting your friends together to swap gorgeous clothes and socialise at the same time. Every girl must bring at least one good quality, clean item of clothing, or an accessory, that she'd feel proud to hand on and once all attendees are assembled the clothes are pooled together and the choosing begins.

The Skinny Cow® Hot Chocolate is aiming to raise £15,000 through the Swap Shop activity alone for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

About Marie Curie Cancer Care:
Marie Curie Cancer Care is one of the UK’s largest charities. Employing more than 2,700 nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals, it expects to provide care to around 29,000 terminally ill patients in the community and in its hospices this year and is the largest provider of hospice beds outside the NHS.

Funding
Around 70 per cent of the charity’s income comes from the generous support of thousands of individuals, membership organisations and businesses, with the balance of funds coming from the NHS.

Marie Curie Nurses
The charity is best known for its network of Marie Curie Nurses working in the community to provide end-of-life care, totally free for patients in their own homes.

Research
The charity has two centres for palliative care research, The Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit at University College London and The Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute in Liverpool.
It also funds seven fundamental scientific research groups which investigate the causes and treatments of cancer. This research was previously carried out at the Marie Curie Research Institute in Oxted, Surrey. The programmes are now located in universities around the country, and will receive funding from the charity until 2012.

Supporting the choice to die at home
Research shows around 65 per cent of people would like to die at home if they had a terminal illness, with a sizeable minority opting for hospice care. However, more than 50 per cent of cancer deaths still occur in hospital, the place people say they would least like to be. Since 2004 Marie Curie Cancer Care has been campaigning for more patients to be able to make the choice to be cared for and die at home.

NEWS FROM NO SMOKING DAY



Kick the habit the social way this year with WeQuit™ -

Brought to you by No Smoking Day 2010

National charity No Smoking Day is taking a modern approach to help people finally kick the habit in 2010, with their launch of WeQuit™

Available now at www.WeQuit.co.uk/facebook, WeQuit allows you to create rewards for success, forfeits for failure, or even try and raise money for charity with a sponsored quit. However you choose to motivate the attempt, WeQuit uses the power of Facebook to help make quitting fun.

Surveys show that over 2 million smokers are ready to stub it out for good on No Smoking Day, Wednesday March 10th 2010. Quitting is never easy, but with friends around to help you through the toughest times, staving off the cravings needn’t be a nightmare. We might like to deny it, but we’re all a bit conscious about how we look on Facebook, which is what makes WeQuit such an effective aid: Choose a challenge, tell your friends, then stick to it!

Quitting smoking can often feel like a negative action, and with this in mind the emphasis was to create something that makes giving up smoking fun. Below is a list of some of things WeQuit can do:

Choose a length ­– Giving up smoking forever can be a daunting thought, so with WeQuit you choose the length of the challenge, whether it be a week, a month, or even just a day.

Challenge your friends – You don’t have to be a smoker to use WeQuit, you just have to know one. Encourage someone you know to ditch the habit by enticing them with a personalized challenge.

Bet you can’t – Motivate your mates with some light competition, with rewards for success, or forfeits for failure!

Quit for good – Perfect for spurring on an ethically-minded friend, you can sponsor a quit by pledging to give money to charity if they succeed.

Head to Head - Go up against a mate to see who can quit the longest, spicing it up with a reward for the winner (or a forfeit for the loser…)

Get involved – Keep friends on track with encouraging comments (or a nudge for that cheeky Friday night fag) by posting photos and comments onto their Wall of Fame and Shame.

Track your progress – Unlock secret medals, see how your friends are getting on, and share your WeQuit challenge progress with your mates.

Duncan Bannatyne OBE, President of No Smoking Day, commented: “We feel that quitting is a challenge that should be inspiring and enjoyable rather than a chore, and it’s this attitude that makes WeQuit unique.”

Check out the application now at www.quitclub.co.uk/facebook. Choose your challenge, get your friends involved, and get ready for March 10th, when No Smoking Day 2010 kicks off and the WeQuit Challenge officially begins.

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Notes to editors

No Smoking Day is organised by a charity of the same name run by four full time staff. Based in London, the charity is funded by a coalition of governmental and voluntary sector organisations with an interest in health.

No Smoking Day aims to help people who want to stop smoking by creating a supportive environment for them, and by highlighting the many sources of help available to people who want to quit.

Now in its 27th year it is a firm fixture in the UK calendar because of its popularity amongst smokers and continued success. Three quarters of smokers would like to stop and on No Smoking Day over a million try. No Smoking Day isn't just about the second Wednesday in March. Stopping smoking requires much planning, encouragement, support and motivation. Helping others to prepare to quit can be done year round, but the Day provides an excellent focus and motivation for many smokers to stop.

Full quotes below:

“No Smoking Day has always encouraged smokers to work together and focus on one day to decide to make the change and quit. WeQuit makes this possible all year round by using the power of Facebook to keep those around you involved, make quitting more fun, more social and more accountable than ever before We feel that quitting is a challenge that should be inspiring and enjoyable rather than a chore, and it’s this attitude that makes WeQuit unique.”

- Duncan Bannatyne, President of No Smoking Day

“No Smoking Day for me has always been about giving people the passion and inspiration to break free of the habit together on one day, and now with WeQuit people can make the decision to quit in their own time, throughout the year. Facebook is a part of people’s everyday lives, so it’s really cool to use it to change lives. That’s what’s so exciting about WeQuit – it uses Facebook to help quitters benefit from the love of their family and friends, and break free of smoking once and for all. I can’t wait to see it making a difference out there!”

- Lemar, No Smoking Day Ambassador 2010

“In addition to the annual No Smoking Day, with WeQuit the challenge is to keep people motivated all year round, and give them the opportunity to choose their own day to quit. That’s why we’re so excited to be using Facebook to help people use the positive re-enforcement - and good humour - of family and friends to make their commitment stick. WeQuit lets you try and quit smoking at time that’s right for you, whilst still gaining the support you need from those around you to make the change happen.”

Laura Luxton No Smoking Day PR & Marketing Manager

Singer/songwriter Lemar is a two times BRIT Award winner and three times MOBO winner who continues to be one of the most popular artists in the UK. His greatest hits album 'The Hits' will be released on March 1st, including the Top 10 hits, 'Dance (With U)', 'If There's Any Justice' and 'It's Not That Easy'. The album has been preceded by the brand new single 'The Way Love Goes' which went out on February 14th.


For further information, contact Frank PR on 0207 693 7480



www.nosmokingday.org.uk

Tuesday, 2 March 2010

NEWS FROM HOVIS



Hovis goes Ga-Ga for new scarecrow

Lady Ga Ga, famous for her scary outfits and bizarre make-up, is the inspiration behind a new range of scarecrows for Hovis – thanks to one Brits-watching farmer.

Nigel Britten from Whelan Farm in Surrey is one of over 600 farmers growing premium wheat exclusively for Hovis as part of its move to using 100% British wheat. He came up with the idea after seeing Lady Ga Ga’s latest fashion creation at the Brit Awards.

Nigel said “We’ve been worried about the increasing audacity of birds on our farms for some time. The old ways just don’t seem to work anymore, so farmers are having to become more and more inventive. I was watching Lady Gaga at the Brits with my wife and the idea suddenly came to me!”

“I know it’s not the most traditional scarecrow, but I suppose we have to move with the times! I don’t know whether it’s the dress or the hair but the birds are terrified – they daren’t approach the field anymore. Though I suppose she does look pretty scary”.

Marie Davies, Marketing Manager at Hovis said “We’re very excited by our move to 100% British Wheat and are passionate about protecting our crops which have taken over five years to perfect. The Lady Ga Ga scarecrow is a little bit unusual but it’s been a great success for Nigel and it’s definitely something we’re now considering rolling out to all our Hovis 100% British wheat farms”

Hovis has made a milestone change to its entire product range baked in Great Britain by switching over to flour milled from 100% British wheat and supporting British farming. Hovis is the first major bread brand to make this change.

For more information visit www.hovisbakery.co.uk

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For further information please contact Frank PR on 0207 693 6999 or email hovis@frankpr.it

Monday, 22 February 2010

NEWS FROM NPOWER

FAMILY HARMONY FOUND IN THE TURN OF A THERMOSTAT
COLD SNAP MAKES BRIT FAMILIES SNAPPIER


One in four family tiffs over the recent cold snap were sparked by disputes over the temperature of the home, it emerged yesterday, with kids acting as the mediators.

Research conducted by npower Climate Cops among 2,000 homeowners found ‘it’s too hot, it’s too cold’ squabbles took place in millions of homes as Britain was struck by the lowest temperatures for nearly 30 years, with more bad weather on the way.

Surprisingly the survey showed that it’s being left to the kids to restore the peace and encourage parents to turn down the thermostat. The research also revealed that the ideal temperature for family harmony is 21 degrees Celsius.

Yesterday a spokesman for npower’s Climate Cops, the energy company’s education programme that encourages kids to think green, said:

‘’What’s really heartening is that the results reveal that it’s kids who are championing greener practices around the home.

“An encouraging 17 per cent of parents have been pressurised into turning down the thermostat by their kids in order to help protect the environment and a quarter are nagged about being more environmentally conscious.

“As many as four in 10 youngsters are taking it even further, entering into dad’s domain by sorting out the recycling at home and encouraging their families to stop wasting water or electricity.”

Parenting expert and author Lorraine Thomas commented:

“According to these results more than half (53 per cent) think that families have been grumpier because of the cold snap, with families having one squabble a week over the correct temperature for the home. Family disagreements are perfectly healthy but it’s great to see that kids are acting as mediators and working to restore family harmony.”

The survey found the typical family has at least four ‘niggles’ a day and at least one disagreement lasting 10 minutes.

A third have complained of feeling cold around the home. One in five are fed up of being told to ‘put another layer on’ and the same number have disagreed about the time the heating should come on in the morning.

But seven in 10 believe family disagreements are healthy and 87 per cent reckon it’s best to have everything out in the open so everyone knows how everyone truly feels.


WHAT FAMILIES ARGUE ABOUT
1. Household chores
2. What to watch on TV
3. Money
4. The temperature of the house
5. Who has the remote control
6. Replacing the toilet roll
7. What time the children go to bed
8. Being unable to find something in the house
9. Whose go it is on the computer or games console
10. Treating the house like a hotel
11. Taking each other for granted
12. Whose turn it is to wash up
13. Homework
14. What to have for tea
15. Feeling too hot or too cold
16. Taking someone else’s toy / book / game without asking
17. Constantly being asked for money
18. Getting kids to stop eating sweets
19. Putting an empty juice carton back in the fridge
20. Getting kids to eat vegetables
21. Whether someone is really ill or not
22. People spending too long in the bathroom
23. Leaving the loo seat up
24. Loud music
25. Who drank the last of the milk
26. Who should empty the dishwasher
27. Wanting a new toy / clothes / trainers
28. Who ate the last of the bread
29. Never ending sport on television
30. What time teenagers should be back home

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For further information and interview requests please contact:
Frank PR: 020 7693 6957


About npower
• npower is one of the UK's largest electricity suppliers and has 6.6 million customer accounts across the UK.
• npower sponsors the Test Match Series in England, Women's Test Series and the Village Cup.
• npower has been awarded platinum status in Business in the Community’s CR Index and is one of twenty-nine companies to have achieved the CommunityMark since its launch. All CommunityMark achievers have been recognised for demonstrating excellence in their holistic and strategic approach to community investment.

Friday, 19 February 2010

NEWS FROM PREMIER INN



Biggest Ever Premier OFFERS: 1 MILLION ROOMS at £29

The UK’s biggest budget hotel chain, Premier Inn has announced the release of 1 million rooms available from just £29 for over the Easter and Summer period.

The £29 rooms are the perfect way to have a well-earned, great value, quality break in the UK during the Easter holidays and throughout the Summer months.

With 584 hotels nationwide, Premier Inn is at more locations than any other hotel chain in the UK, and each Premier Inn room can accommodate a family of four. What’s more, guests can also take advantage of the All You Can Eat Premier Breakfast where children under 16 can eat for free! There are also great value ‘2 for 1’ and ‘Kids go Free’ deals on over 800 top family attractions including theme parks, museums and aquariums.

Premier Offers for Easter and Summer can be booked now at www.premierinn.com.






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For further information please contact:
Frank PR on 0207 693 6999 or e-mail premierinn@frankpr.it




TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Advertised rates are room only inclusive of VAT. “Rooms from £29 offer” is available for stays until 30.08.10 inclusive. Bookings must be made online at least 21 days in advance of stay. Offer valid for minimum 2 night stays Thursday to Monday inclusive except in relation to bookings which fall exclusively within the periods 12.02.10 until 21.02.10 inclusive, 26.03.10 until 18.04.10 inclusive, 28.05.10 until 06.06.10 inclusive or 27.08.10 until 30.08.10 inclusive when the offer applies to minimum 1 night stays on any day of the week. Offer also applies throughout the offer period to one night stays at participating airport and motorway service station hotels. No cancellations, amendments or refunds can be made. Offer is available at selected Premier Inns only and is subject to availability. Please check alternative dates if your selected date is not available.


Notes to editors:
Award-winning Premier Inn is the UK’s largest hotel brand with 584 budget hotels and more than 40,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland. Premier Inn bedrooms feature en-suite bathroom, TV with Freeview, and WiFi internet access. Premier Inn offers customers a money-back ‘Good Night Guarantee’ of a good quality room, comfortable surroundings and friendly service, which is unique amongst Britain’s leading hotel chains.

All Premier Inns feature a bar and restaurant; situated inside the hotel or adjacent, offering a wide range of food choices.

Premier Inn was the first Britain-wide hotel group to sign up with national tourist board VisitBritain; this means Premier Inn is now part of a new quality assessment scheme, specially created for budget accommodation.

In 2008 Premier Inn launched in Dubai and has just opened a hotel in India. On a domestic front, Premier Inn is set to be the largest provider of budget hotels in London by the 2012 Olympics.

Premier Inn is currently offering rooms for just £29 (restrictions apply). Visit www.premierinn.com for full terms and conditions.

NEWS FROM COMPARETHEMEERKAT.COM




Aleksandr Orlov launches new art-vertisement

Premiering on 12th February 2010 on Facebook, Aleksandr Orlov’s new advert, “PAINTING” sees Sergei polishing a grand painting in Aleksandr’s study as Aleksandr talks about the courageous journey his ancestors travelled.

Aleksandr explains: “Last week I send Sergei for 3 day expedition up to attic for retrieving of favourite rocking horse. After many day he return empty-clawed, but he did manage for find genuine ‘Meercasso’ painting of my ancestor. I like so much I hang above fire-place, but it is shame that only Sergei and I get to see such handsomeness. Then I have brainwave; why make arty telebox commercial? So, I decide to use oil painting in latest advertisement, in hope that such handsome painting will help small-brained peoples realise the troubles that my ancestor go through, and remember that compare meerkat and compare market are very different thing!”

The 20s advert follows Aleksandr’s recent movie epic “THE JOURNEY OF COURAGEOUSNESS” which went back to his family’s humble beginnings and saw him join Sergei as they traveled out of Africa on a desperate voyage that took them across the world to the barren wastelands of Russia.

The ad is part of Aleksandr’s ongoing mission to prevent people from confusing his business with comparethemarket.com - the website for cheap car insurance.

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Notes to Editors:

comparethemeerkat.com is cutting edge meerkat comparison website that was launch at the very beginnings of the internet. It is also first ever website to use latest computamabob technologies to make comparing of meerkats more efficient than ever before.

comparethemeerkat.com has over 1400 different shaped and sized meerkats to compare. If we can’t find meerkat right for you, I will eat my cravat.

Remember, comparethemeerkat.com cannot find you cheap car insurance. All timewasters please go to comparethemarket.com.

comparethemarket.com is a trading name of BISL Limited, Pegasus House, Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough, PE2 6YS. Registered in England No. 3231094.

BISL Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

NEWS FROM HOVIS



Get Ready For British Fashion ‘Wheat’
Erin O’Connor teams up with Hovis 100% British Wheat to bring bread back into fashion

As always promoting healthy eating amongst models is a priority, and for 2010, Hovis 100% British Wheat will be teaming up with the fashion industry to keep the models looking and feeling good.

Supermodel Erin O’Connor who founded The Model Sanctuary, an oasis for models away from the catwalk, is supporting the trend and has worked with Hovis to devise a ‘British Fashion Wheat’ sandwich using bread made from flour milled from 100% British Wheat which will be on offer to models at the secret location.

Erin said: “Fashion Week is the highlight of the year for models but it’s also an incredibly busy and stressful time. The Model Sanctuary offers a free, safe and relaxing getaway, staffed by a full-time nutritionist, psychologist and other experts on hand to help out the models. This year I’ve worked with nutritionists at Hovis to create the British Fashion Wheat sandwich specifically for our models to help keep them looking and feeling great during their busy week. It’s made from Hovis 100% British Wheat Original Wheatgerm bread, avocado, smoked salmon and sun-blushed tomatoes and contains a great balance of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.”

Continuing: “British fashion and culture is thriving as we continue to support our own fantastic home grown talent. Hovis is also cultivating British talent in its own, special way by switching to 100% British wheat which supports our farmers. ”

Lindsey Ormond, the Hovis nutritionist explains: “Diet and lifestyle play a huge part in keeping you looking your best. The ingredients in Hovis’ British Fashion Wheat sandwich contain vitamin E, which is an antioxidant which helps protect against free radicals, B Vitamins to help keep your skin healthy and Omega 3, all of which are key nutrients. It also provides energy to help the models recharge for their next catwalk appearance.”

Make your own Hovis British Fashion Wheat sandwich

Ingredients:

2 slices of Hovis 100% British Wheat Original Wheatgerm bread
3 slices smoked salmon
½ avocado, sliced
3 sun-blushed tomatoes
Unsalted butter to spread
Instructions:
Spread a thin layer of butter on 1 slice of Hovis Original Wheatgerm. Layer the slices of smoked salmon on the bread, top with the sliced avocado, followed by the sun-blushed tomatoes and finish with the second slice of bread.
For more information visit www.hovisbakery.co.uk

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For further information please contact Frank PR on 0207 693 6999 or email hovis@frankpr.it