Make The Right Call - Oxfam Wants Your 118 Calls

Spiritel plc, telecommunications company and provider of traditional and VoIP communications services, has joined forces with Oxfam to launch a new directory enquiry service, 118 918, whereby 9p from each call dialed goes to help end world poverty.

The new 118 918 service hopes to provide users of established directory enquiry services with a strong motive to switch. By offering the same service at the same price as market leaders, the caller can give to a worthwhile cause at no extra cost to themselves.

Alastair Mills, CEO, Spiritel plc, comments, "In the last 12 months UK callers have spent £180 million on directory enquiry services. If everyone who called 118 services last year had called this new 118 918 number, over £32 million would have been donated to Oxfam. Appreciating that the charity pound isn't growing, there is an increasing need to promote charitable causes by capturing people's imaginations in different ways. With the launch of 118 918, we believe we've done just that. "

Spiritel plc applied for the 118 918 number from Ofcom and is using Kingston Communications, winners of the 'Best 118 Wholesale Provider 2005', as its provider of directory services.

Research carried out prior to the launch of the new 118 number indicated that current directory enquiry usage is, in the main, based on memorable numbers rather than brand loyalty. The research also showed that over seventy percent of regular 118 users said they would consider using a service, which benefited a charity in some way. This clearly suggests that given a choice, people would opt for a service that donates a proportion of the call cost to a charitable cause.

Edward Fox, Oxfam's Director of Fundraising welcomes the partnership and hopes the new 118 918 number will become the obvious choice for people using directory enquiry services regularly. "This is a great new opportunity to raise new funds for Oxfam and we urge UK consumers to take the number onboard and help us help others. So whether it's a plumber, a taxi, the nearest dry cleaners or just a tasty takeaway dinner that is needed, calling 118 918 is the easy way for people to give to Oxfam's life saving works."

To provide a snapshot of how calling 118 918 could make a difference in the future, a breakdown of directory enquiry usage from the past 12 months has been analysed across nine key regions of England. If all directory enquiry calls had been made to 118 918 this is an example of the invaluable assistance Oxfam could provide to those living in poverty.

London (London, Uxbridge, Staines, Lea Valley) £7,068,288
4,157 Classrooms could be built and furnished

South East (Berkshire, Kent, Southern Counties, Solent, Oxford) £4,966,728
465 Mango plantations
15,040 Farmers could be given training
13,431 Toilets could be built
36,977 Teachers kits
38,667 Emergency shelters could be provided

South West (Cornwall, Gloucester, Somerset, Wiltshire, Bristol) £2,793,498
360 Job opportunities for a village (tools, animals, seeds, trees)
19,220 Goats
315 Mango plantations
21,043 Toilets
48,579 Mosquito net sets

East Anglia (Essex, Norfolk, Cambridge, Suffolk) £1,973,367
437 Kits to filter water
18,720 Donkeys
20,721 Condoms kits
123,318 Text books

East Midlands (Derby, Leicester, Lincs, Northampton, Notts) £1,544,232
140,000 Buckets to filter and clean water could be supplied
13,056 Goats could be bought
137,607 Mango saplings
5,500 Farmers could get water supply
18,056 Condom kits

West Midlands (Coventry, Warwickshire, Hereford, Worcs, Shropshire, Stoke,
W.Midlands) £5,377,025
16,257 Tool kits for farmers could have been purchased
332,463 Sets of 12 school text books
6,516,600 School dinners
12,442 Donkeys
1,953 Fully equipped classrooms

Yorkshire & Humberside (York, Leeds, Humber) £2,791,201
72 Job opportunities for a village (tools, animals, seeds, trees)
93,690 Allotments (one allotment can feed one family)
8,968 Orphans or vulnerable children could be cared for

North West (Cumbria, GMR, Lancs, Merseyside) £3,161,064
435,000 Trees could be planted
153,150 School dinners for children could be provided
86,130 Goats could be bought and given to villagers
1,313,250 People could be provided with safe water

North East (Cleveland and Newcastle) £2,724,580
7,400 Villages could be given Medicine kits to provide essential medicines for the whole village
1,240 Mango plantations could be planted

The new 118 918 directory enquiry service has been launched by telecommunications services company, Spiritel plc in partnership with Oxfam.

Photography
Photography of the 118 918 public stunt - which involves nine giant 1p coins being rolled through the streets of London to highlight the new service - are now available for download from www.papicselect.com. Alternatively please contact Jason Bird, EuroPR on jbird@europgroup.com or 07939 131365.