Media - 2007 press releases

Post Office® and National AIDS Trust Partner to Get People Talking this World AIDS Day

• Limited edition World AIDS Day international phonecards launched
• 50 per cent of profits to charity
• 118855 directory enquiries also donate to the cause

The National AIDS Trust is joining forces with the Post Office® to raise funds and awareness around World AIDS Day, 1 December. Under the slogan Lets Get Talking, the Post Office® will donate money from new World AIDS Day international phonecards and from 118855 directory enquiries, to the National AIDS Trust, their charity partner.

There are now 40 million people living with HIV worldwide and more than 70,000 people living with HIV in the UK. The partnership offers Post Office® customers the chance to show their support for people living with HIV and the Let's Get Talking campaign when connecting with family and friends.

The limited edition £15 World AIDS Day international phonecards are specially branded with the red ribbon and will be available throughout November. With each purchase the Post Office® will donate 50 per cent of the profits to the National AIDS Trust. Customers can purchase their international phonecards online from www.postoffice.co.uk.

The Post Office® directory enquiry service - 118855 - offers one of the most competitive enquiry services in the UK. At a fixed rate of 40p per call it is half the price of many providers. In the two week run up to World AIDS Day the Post Office® will make a donation to the National AIDS Trust from enquiries made.

Deborah Jack, Chief Executive, the National AIDS Trust commented; "Let's Get Talking calls on people to break the silence about HIV and visit www.worldaidsday.org to discover the facts about HIV for themselves. Communications is an important tool in the fight against HIV and our partnership with the Post Office® will help raise both awareness and vital funds."

Nick Gittens, Head of Corporate Responsibility and Diversity, the Post Office®, commented; "By offering these services we are making it easy for our customers to do their bit for World AIDS Day. Simply by choosing the unique £15 international phonecard or calling 118855 in the weeks preceding World AIDS Day, our customers will have contributed to the National AIDS Trust and shown their support for the millions affected by HIV and AIDS."

Notes to the Editor:

World AIDS Day

Twenty years ago, a summit of health ministers realised that a united global effort was required to halt the spread of HIV and AIDS. As a result, World AIDS Day emerged as the first international health day in December 1988. Now in its 20th year World AIDS Day aims to bring to people's attention the worldwide challenges and consequences of the epidemic- ultimately, preventing the spread of HIV and improving the lives of people living with the virus.

For more information please visit: www.worldaidsday.org

National AIDS Trust

The National AIDS Trust (NAT) is the UK's leading independent policy and campaigning voice on HIV and AIDS. It aims to prevent the spread of HIV, encourage early diagnosis, ensure people living with HIV have access to treatment and care, and eradicate HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

About The Post Office

Post Office Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Mail Group Ltd and operates under the Post Office® brand. Managing a nationwide network of around 14,300 Post Office® branches, we are the largest Post Office network in Europe and the largest retail branch network in the UK handling more cash than any other business.

Post Office® branches provide products and services that offer value for money and are valuable to customers' lives. Our reach means that over 94 percent of people live within a mile of a Post Office® branch and often visit us more than once a week - that's about 41 million customer visits.

In addition to our traditional role providing Government, Mails and Financial Services products, we also offer a wide range of popular telephony products ranging from our HomePhone and Broadband packages through to our Phonecards, Directory Enquiries and Mobile top-ups.

About Royal Mail Group

Royal Mail Group is unique in reaching everyone in the UK through its mails, Post Office® and parcels businesses - which employ185,000 people. Every working day Royal Mail collects, processes and delivers around 84 million items to 27 million addresses. Each week it serves 25 million customers through its network of 14,300 Post Office® branches and each year its domestic and European parcels businesses deliver some 337 million parcels.