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Pitney Bowes Pushes The Envelope to raise best ever total for National Literacy Trust
24 Oct 2008
Pitney Bowes’ annual Pushing the Envelope charity auction has raised £13,000 for the National Literacy Trust.
Now in its fifth year, Pitney Bowes Pushing The Envelope continues to go from strength to strength, with this year’s grand total beating all previous records.
Envelopes designed by some of the world’s top artists, writers, illustrators, musicians and personalities were auctioned on eBay from 7 to 17 October, in aid of the UK charity. With a total of 40 contributions, all of exceptionally high quality, bidding was frantic and prices soared.
Top seller this year was Welsh artist John Knapp-Fisher, whose brooding study of a mountain-side cottage netted an impressive £3,300. Close behind was Turner Prize winning artist, Grayson Perry’s colourful motorbike design which sold for £2,600.
The deliberate choice of artists and illustrators as contributors means that the event is becoming firmly established as a ‘must see’ amongst the art collecting community and general public alike.
David Jefferies, Marketing Director, Pitney Bowes, comments,The ongoing success of the event enables Pitney Bowes to contribute significantly to the National Literacy Trust and further cements our company-wide commitment to literacy.
The chance to win an original and unique design from your favourite celebrity or artist is rare, and the last minute bidding frenzy reflected the huge interest the event enjoys from the public.”
Jenner Fabian, fundraising manager at the National Literacy Trust adds, The response to this year’s Pushing the Envelope has been exciting to watch and a great indication of the event’s growing success. We’re thrilled by this, and grateful for the continued support from Pitney Bowes in running the auction and raising substantial funds for our work. These funds will help us to transform lives through literacy and offer those in the UK with poor skills the chance to greater confidence, employability and success.”
Visit Pushing the Envelope’s online gallery www.pitneybowes.pushingtheenvelope.info to view all envelope designs that were successfully auctioned in the UK.
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Notes to editors
About Pitney Bowes Pitney Bowes is a mailstream technology company that helps organizations manage the flow of information, mail, documents and packages. Our 36,000 employees deliver technology, service and innovation to more than two million customers worldwide. The company was founded in 1920 and annual revenues now total $6.3 billion. More information is available at www.pb.com.
The 2008 National Year of Reading (NYR) is being managed by The National Literacy Trust and lead partner The Reading Agency. Working with a consortium of partners, they have been allocated funds to establish a framework for delivering the campaign at a national and local level. A key priority is to develop a legacy which embeds reading, in all its forms, in our social culture and local authority planning and endures long beyond the end of the campaign itself. The NYR will promote reading as an enjoyable activity which is everywhere and is not just about books: it is about reading anything, anywhere at anytime.
The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity that changes lives through literacy. It links home, school and the wider community to inspire learners and create opportunities for everyone. The National Literacy Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, no. 1116260, and a company limited by guarantee, no. 5836486, Registered office: 68 South Lambeth Road, London SW8 1RL.
