News Release
Miffy helps family charity raise funds
Home-Start is linking up with miffy - the classic children's character - in a national appeal to raise funds for its vital work supporting nearly 35,000 families across the UK.
During the miffy Home-Start appeal, specially designed
miffy zip pulls will be available for a suggested donation of £1 in more than 1,000
branches of the Halifax and Bank of Scotland (HBOS). The appeal runs throughout
March and aims to raise £20,000.
Home-Start is the UK's leading
family support charity it
recruits
and trains volunteers to support parents with at least one child under the age
of five. Its home visiting work is unique in the UK. Almost 16,000 Home-Start
volunteers visit families in their own homes - parents supporting other parents
in a variety of situations including isolation, bereavement, multiple births,
illness or disability.
Miffy, the little white bunny, was created as a
storybook character by the artist Dick Bruna over 50 years ago. Many British
people grew up with the miffy books in the sixties and seventies; those fans,
now parents themselves, have introduced miffy to their own offspring, whilst a
whole new generation of young mums and children have discovered the delights of
miffy and friends, the new CiTV 3d
animation series. As a result, after 50 years, miffy is just as popular with
adults as with young children, giving her the perfect profile to be an
ambassador for a family charity such as Home-Start.
Sue Peake-Redhead,
Corporate Fundraising Officer for Home-Start said, "More than 50,000 zip pulls
are being produced and we're delighted to get this opportunity to tell so many
people about our work. The zip pull pack includes a backing card giving details
of our work and information on how to volunteer."
The HBOS campaign is very much a test campaign for
Home-Start, it's the first time they have invested in a licence character and
run a campaign on this scale. "This is the perfect opportunity to bring the
work of Home-Start to the high street", said Sue.
-ENDS-
Notes to editor
Miffy was created in 1955, by
Dutch illustrator, Dick Bruna. Whilst on
a rainy seaside holiday in North Holland,
Bruna entertained his young son by drawing pictures of a bunny in the garden of
their holiday house. He made up stories about the bunny, and that bunny became miffy.
50 years on, the miffy books
have sold over 85 million copies, and are translated into more than 40 languages.
Dick Bruna is now 80, and still works everyday in his studio in Utrecht. He has published
over 115 storybooks for children, and his art is exhibited worldwide.
Miffy merchandise is
available across five continents, whilst the 3d animation series, miffy and friends is aired on television
channels in Europe, USA, and
Asia.
The brand is worth $US
300 million at retail.
Illustrations Dick Bruna © Mercis bv 1953-2008
Home-Start's Miffy counter appeal with HBOS
Home-Start is the UK's leading family support charity. We recruit and train volunteers to support parents with at least one child under the age of five. Our home visiting work is unique in the UK. The charity was set up in 1973 and now supports nearly 35,000 families and over 71,000 children each year. Almost 16,000 volunteers visit families in their own homes - parents supporting other parents in a variety of situations including isolation, bereavement, multiple births, illness or disability.
Contact details:
Jo McLeish, Press and PR Officer, Home-Start UK
Tel: 0870 220 6713
Email: jmcleish@home-start.org.uk
