BT's Red Hot Days On Comic Relief's Red Nose Day



Comic Relief, UK -/2 March, 2005 - Wi-Fi Technology News/-Lenny Henry and Alistair Mcgowan count on BT 118 500 to raise money for Red Nose Day 2005, Calls to BT?s 118 500 directory enquiry service will help raise up to ?250,000 for Comic Relief. For every call made to BT?s 118 500 directory enquiry service ? up until Sunday March 13 ? BT will donate five pence to Comic Relief, up to a quarter of a million pounds (?250,000)*.

When callers dial 118 500, they will be greeted by the famous voices of Lenny Henry and Alistair McGowan, who will explain that BT?s directory enquiry service is helping raise money for Red Nose Day 2005!

The most famous face of Comic Relief, Lenny Henry, said: ?You?ve got to hand it to BT, they?ve come up with another brilliant idea that will help us get the Comic Relief message out to millions of people as well as raising a massive amount of money.

?Red Nose Day is all about Big Hair and Beyond ? asking people to change the way they look for a day to help transform someone else's life forever. Now we?re even changing the way that 118 500 sounds when you call it. I hope that Alistair and myself will make a big impression!?

Paul Elliott, chief executive of BT Directories, said: ?At 118 500, we?re used to providing numbers for people and with the help of Lenny and Alistair, we aim to provide Comic Relief with an outstanding number - ?250,000.? BT will also be supporting Comic Relief through its online shop on BT.com, where purchases of any BT product between (February 28 and March 13), will result in a ?1 donation to the charity, up to ?10,000. Visit http://www.BT.com/shop for more information.

As always, BT is providing the telephone network for the Red Nose Day 2005 donation line number 08457 910 910 (charged at local rates). BT's senior engineers and thousands of advisers in call centres up and down the country are volunteering their time to make sure everyone can make their vital donations on the big night.

Notes:

BT 118 500:
* Calls to 118 500 cost 15p a minute (billed by the second) plus a connection charge of 40p per call. Charges are from BT landlines. Mobiles and other networks may vary.

BT?s 192 directory enquiries service transformed into BT?s 118 500 service, following Oftel?s deregulation of the market in August 2003.

BT has operated a telephone-based directory enquiries service for 49 years.


Comic Relief registered charity 326568

History of BT and Comic Relief:

BT has supported Comic Relief since 1985 providing telephony, call centres, network management and thousands of volunteer hours, enabling the charity to take millions of pounds in pledges on Red Nose Day. For Red Nose Day 2003 BT turned its iconic BT Tower red to kick off the fundraising drive and raised ?200,000 through an initiative with the BT Speaking Clock.

Many of BT's 100,000 staff are getting into the money-raising spirit, with activities including dressing down, dressing up and face painting.

The all-important donation number this year is 08457 910 910 (lines are charged at local rates).

BT Directories
BT Directories is one of 15 companies within BT Retail's corporate venturing division. Led by CEO Ian Bull, BT's corporate venturing enables BT to take advantage of new technologies and create small businesses that can deliver new, rapid revenue growth. Each of the ventures is autonomous and each has its own decision making process while also benefiting from BT's brand, experience and buying power. As a result, new and innovative products and services can be brought to the market quickly to meet customer needs while also enabling BT to continually transform and expand its core business.

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