Wednesday 7 July 2010

– For Immediate Release –

The engine is well-oiled and is warming up in anticipation of the first-ever national Samaritans Smart Car tour, just days away from accelerating into action.

Sponsored by Admiral, Samaritans volunteers from across England, Scotland and Wales are in gear, ready to make this year’s 24:7 national awareness campaign the best yet.

Samaritans national awareness day is Saturday 24 July. The charity that helps millions of people in emotional distress and at risk of suicide will be raising awareness of its vital 24-hour service.

Motoring through England, Scotland and Wales, the iconic green Smart Car will zoom into action on Saturday 10 July and will be on the road until Saturday 24 July (24/7) when it reaches its final pit stop in Birmingham. *** See diary notice below***

Visiting over 175 Samaritans branches across the three nations and covering almost 5,000 miles during its two-week tour, the car will be driven by local MPs including Daniel Kawczynski and Andrew Jones. Mayors and celebrity supporters including the popular racing driver character The Stig will also take to the road.

The Smart Car will pull into Admiral’s head office in Cardiff on Friday 16 July where it will be greeted by over 1,500 employees who will be busy taking part in activities to raise funds for Samaritans.
 
Justin Beddows from Admiral said: “We are thrilled to be teaming up with Samaritans for this year’s 24:7 national awareness day. The car will take to the roads day and night, raising both awareness of Samaritans’ and Admiral’s support of its service.” 

Catherine Johnstone, Chief Executive with Samaritans said: “Saturday 24 July – 24/7 – is the perfect day to raise awareness of Samaritans’ round-the-clock availability. The charity is the only service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, offering support to anyone experiencing emotional distress. We hope that you will all keep your eyes peeled to spot the Smart Car racing around the UK.”

Call Assist are kindly sponsoring the break down cover for the duration of the journey.

Visit Samaritans’ interactive 24:7 map for information about the Smart Car tour and other events in your area: www.samaritans247.org

For more information or images from the event contact Claire Duncan on 020 8394 8345 or email c.duncan@samaritans.org

* * * * DIARY NOTICE * * * *

Who:  MPs, local mayors, celebrity supporters, Samaritans volunteers and Admiral employees

What: Samaritans 24:7 national awareness day - Smart Car tour 2010

When: Various times from Saturday 10 – Saturday 24 July

Where: 175 Samaritans branches across England, Scotland and Wales

Requirement: Please contact Claire Duncan on 020 8394 8345 or email c.duncan@samaritans.org to attend any photo call event or for more information

Notes to editors

About Samaritans

Samaritans' vision is for a society where fewer people die by suicide because people are able to share feelings of emotional distress openly without fear of being judged.  Samaritans believes that offering people the opportunity to be listened to in confidence, and accepted without prejudice, can alleviate despair and suicidal feelings.

Samaritans is a registered charity, founded in 1953, which offers 24-hour confidential emotional support to anyone in emotional distress.  The service is offered by 16,534 trained volunteers and is entirely dependent on voluntary support.  Across the UK, you can call Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 (1850 60 90 90 in the Republic of Ireland) email jo@samaritans.org, write to Samaritans at Chris, PO Box 9090, Stirling, FK8 2SA, or if you are deaf or hard of hearing use the single national minicom number 08457 90 91 92. Log on to www.samaritans.org for more information. Calls from BT will be charged at up to 2 pence per minute at all times. A call set-up fee of 7 pence applies to calls from residential lines. Mobile and other providers' charges may vary.

About Admiral
Samaritans is Admiral’s Charity of the Year.

1. Admiral, (a trading name of EUI Ltd) launched in 1993, and is part of Admiral Group plc. It was set up to target those motorists who traditionally pay higher than average premiums, including those under-35, living in cities or driving hot hatches.
 
2. Admiral writes its motor insurance business to a consortium of insurers, these being:
•        Admiral Insurance Company Ltd
•        Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited
•        Great Lakes Reinsurance (UK) plc
 
3. Admiral’s salesline is 0800 600 800 - open from 8am to 10pm on weekdays, from 9 am to 5pm on Saturdays, and on a Sunday between 10am and 4pm
 
4. Admiral’s web site address is www.admiral.com
 
5. The Admiral Group employs over 3,000 people, has 2.0 million customers