CELEBRITIES RELEASE 1000s of BALLOONS ACROSS MANCHESTER TO MARK THE LAUNCH OF BALLOONCARD as locally based ‘Once Upon A Smile’ is announced as ballooncard’s first chosen charity to support in our region.
Stars from the world of TV, including Waterloo Road, Emmerdale & Coronation Street are appearing at Piccadilly Gardens on Saturday 6th October to help launch ballooncard – a new and totally free discount card that has been created to support local business and shoppers. The card gives shoppers access to hundreds of moneysaving deals and discounts throughout Greater Manchester.
Over the past 2 years the recession has killed off a wave of local businesses and forced even national chains to slash store numbers. A report from industry experts the Local Data Company found 14.6% – around one in seven of all retail premises are empty. The North West is the hardest hit region, with just over one in five shops standing empty.
Marketing Director of ballooncard, Andrew Colwell:
“Ballooncard is all about supporting your local community-it helps local people save money-it creates new customers for local businesses & not forgetting gives valuable support to the NSPCC in Manchester and other locally based ‘children related’ charities”.
Whilst ballooncard is proud to be partnered with the NSPCC as the national charity they support, they will also be announcing on the launch day the first locally based charity they will be helping- Once Upon a Smile. The Manchester based charity offers a source of support to families who have suffered the loss of a child or parent (and have young children) to a long term or terminal illness.
Co-founder of Once Upon a Smile and former Emmerdale actor Danny Miller says:
“I am honored and proud of the work we have done as a charity and the difference we have made. I believe that with a working partnership with ballooncard, this will help us reach out even further. Not only a great product but with a great charity ethos ballooncard is the perfect partnership for Once Upon A Smile”.
The family fun launch event will take place this Saturday between 11am and 3pm by the Wellington Statue, Piccadilly Gardens which includes free mini cupcakes, a photobooth to get souvenir snaps, a balloon artist creating fabulous free models and also the ballooncard team who will be handing out cards and free balloons throughout the day.
At 1pm the celebrities attending will join ballooncard, Once Upon a Smile and the NSPCC in the Gardens area to release 1000s of balloons into the air to mark the official launch of ballooncard and their partnerships with the charities. Manchester City Centre’s skyline will become a sea of balloons!
Rowan Gill, NSPCC corporate fundraising manager for Manchester added: “We are thrilled that ballooncard have chosen to support the NSPCC as a charity partner. Our relationship with ballooncard is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of our work to protect children and young people from abuse across Manchester and around the UK.”
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