Northern Rock

Samaritans is Northern Rock’s charity of the year for 2010. Staff at the bank have pledged to raise much needed funds for the cause through fundraising activities. The money raised will go towards 'Samaritans Connect', a new caller contact system which will allow Samaritans volunteers to answer 70,000 more calls each year, via telephone, email and SMS.

Northern Rock and Samaritans have a variety of fundraising activities planned, including dress-down days, taking part in the UK’s biggest half marathon - The BUPA Great North Run, and holding a Samaritans charity ball. Colleagues also plan to get involved in the charity’s national awareness day, 24/7, which will be celebrated on the week leading up to the 24th July.

As part of the partnership, the national Northern Rock branch network will link-up with local Samaritans branches, giving staff the chance to get involved in volunteering opportunities ranging from becoming a fully-fledged Samaritans listener to becoming a branch treasurer or getting involved in outreach work.

Gary Hoffman, Chief Executive of Northern Rock said:

We are delighted to support Samaritans as our new corporate charity for 2010. Northern Rock is committed to assisting customers who find themselves in financial difficulty and this is being reflected in our community work.

My colleagues across the company voted Samaritans as this year's charity and, with one-in-eight calls currently made to Samaritans being about financial stress, this is a good choice for us in the current economic climate.”