14-Dec-2006

Britain's leading express operator delivered a thousand smiles in the run-up to Christmas while helping disabled and disadvantaged children throughout the UK.

Generating cash to help transform the lives of tens of thousands of youngsters has brought its own rewards for employees at TNT Express Services who are given time out of their working day to witness, first hand, how the £1.7 million they have raised, has been used by the Wooden Spoon children's charity.

Now into its tenth year of fundraising for the charity, Atherstone-based TNT encourages its people to engage with youngsters who are disadvantaged - mentally, physically and socially - under an initiative called Seeing Is Believing. 

Play time - Employees from TNT Express Services mark the occasion of the 1,000th company visitor to a Wooden Spoon project during this week's visit to Birkett House Special School.

Employees visit Spoon-supported projects such as medical therapy units, special schools and children's hospital wards and get to meet the youngsters who benefit from the money raised by TNT.

This week marked a milestone occasion when the 1,000th TNT employee participated in Seeing Is Believing as TNT employees visited the Birkett House Special School in Wigston, Leicestershire.

Helping hand - Justin Trotman, Depot General Manager for TNT Express Services in Wellingborough with one of the youngsters from Birkett House Special School.

Tom Bell, Managing Director of TNT Express Services UK & Ireland said: "To have had more than one thousand of our people engage with Wooden Spoon since Seeing is Believing began is very encouraging and can only serve to help galvanise our fundraising efforts for this wonderful charity."

Wooden Spoon Chief Executive Geoff Morris was on hand as the 1,000th TNT employee attended a Spoon project. He said: " Seeing is Believing is a fantastic way of showcasing what Spoon is all about and illustrating how we work in partnership with big business to help improve the quality of life for tens of thousands of deserving youngsters."

During the visit TNT employees sat with some of the Birkett House pupils and helped them make Christmas cards.

Steve Doig, Director of Marketing at TNT Express Services said:" It was a humbling and yet uplifting experience to see how the youngsters benefit from the money generated by our own people, our customers, contractors and suppliers. It was great to spend some time with the children. It helps put your own life in perspective and further emphasises why TNT does what it does for Wooden Spoon."