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| Red Nose Day 2005 |
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Red Nose Day - 11 March 2005 Red Nose Night on 11th March was an amazing experience. Our call centre within the BT building in Southampton, one of 1000 such centres throughout the country, took pledges of over £100,000 with nearly 3500 calls answered in 5 hours. Free food and drink was donated by Domino's Pizza, KFC, Asda, Waitrose and Red Bull among others, keeping us fed and watered during the evening. The buzz was electric, especially at 7pm when the BBC1 telethon programme began and our phones went live. Pledges ranged from £10 to £1000 from all ages and classes of the population. Even after the millions that were donated at the time of the Asian tsunami disaster months earlier, the desire to give was very much present. Despite taking a call pledging £500, I was most impressed during the evening when an unemployed young man finding it hard to make ends meet, still donated £10. Also the many children calling to donate money without really knowing how they would do so, often requiring Mummy or Daddy to come quickly to the phone with the credit card... the thought always much appreciated! Of course you also get the well meaning but completely barking callers too. For example, the confused lady who rang to speak to "the Vicar" (BBC1 comedy 'The Vicar of Dibley' was on screen at the time along with the donation telephone number), or the many people asking if we were famous (both Children in Need and the 1980's ITV Telethons used celebrities to answer some of the phones), not to mention those calling post-pub who no doubt won't remember the event the following day! Waiting for your calls The tension mounts as 7pm nears and the telephones go live.
Concentrating hard As each call is taken, pledge forms are carefully completed with your details.
Round the table The fabulous people from Team D man the telephones.
Well under way Looking across the office as pledges at our call centre reach over £50,000.
Its all gone red Red clothing, costumes, wigs, facepaint and bizarre hairdo's take us 'Big Hair and Beyond'.
Counting the calls As the evening closes, local charity organisers look on at the 3000+ calls taken.
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