03-Dec-2007

Record-breaking fundraisers from leading express delivery company TNT have been seeing first hand how their efforts to generate cash for children's charity Wooden Spoon are helping youngsters with communications and associated learning and behavioural difficulties.

TNT Express Services employees from the company's head office based in Atherstone, Warwickshire visited The Bridge School in Telford as part of a groundbreaking initiative being championed by TNT and the Wooden Spoon. They witnessed how the money the company generated is being used to enable to school's pupils to both learn and have fun at playtime.

TNT Express Services is the biggest single contributor to the Wooden Spoon, raising well over £2 million in cash donations in the past ten years. In turn, the Wooden Spoon provides funding for children's projects across the UK to support youngsters who are disadvantaged physically, mentally or socially. Spoon - with the help of TNT - contributed £34,000 for various pieces of music making equipment which is designed to interact with pupils and provide a wide range of sounds for the school.

Una Van den berg of The Bridge School, said: "TNT and the Wooden Spoon have made a significant contribution to the well being of students here for which we are very grateful."

Well over 1,500 TNT employees have so far participated in a series of visits to see how the funds they help generate are used to benefit tens of thousands of disabled and disadvantaged youngsters around the UK. Entitled 'Seeing is Believing' the programme is designed to help further motivate them and build even stronger ties between TNT and Wooden Spoon.

Nick Atkinson, Divisional Sales Manager based at TNT's head office said: "Meeting the staff and youngsters at The Bridge School and seeing how our fundraising efforts are making a difference was a tremendously humbling experience."

Interim Chief Executive of Wooden Spoon Chris Gill said: "'Seeing is Believing' is a fantastic initiative that motivates all those taking part, but of course the real winners are the children who rely on the endeavours and generosity of the TNT Express Services workforce."