Netcel helps MoneySpinners 1000 mile charity cycle with web 2.0 website

Sept. 25, 2009 - PRLog -- From today until 4 October 2009, around 20 industry leaders from the financial services sector, will complete a 10-day, 1000 mile cycle ride from Land’s End to John O'Groats under the name MoneySpinners. The target is to raise £100,000 for Naomi House Children’s Hospice and Help The Hospices, with Santander, the leading retail and commercial bank, generously donating £20,000 towards the target.

To encourage people to donate while following the cyclists’ progress, Netcel has created an interactive web 2.0 website, www.moneyspinners.org, which allows the cyclists to update and add content to the website throughout each day by using their BlackBerrys and iPhones.

Using their camera phones, the cyclists can upload photos through integration with Flickr, and video using YouTube.  Integration with Twitter allows cyclists to microblog using their mobile phones, so allowing their family, friends and colleagues to keep in daily contact with the highs and lows of the cyclists’ progress.

In addition, supporters are able to track the cyclists’ progress in real-time through a Google Map which has been integrated with the GPS of one of the cyclists.  Finally, a JustGiving widget displays recent donations along with the overall amount raised so far, all in real-time.

The result is an innovative web 2.0 website updated in real-time that provides an invaluable resource for supporters, family and work colleagues which in turn will generate more charitable donations.

Tim Parfitt, Managing Director at Netcel, said: “We are delighted to support this charity event by producing such an innovative and interactive website. It is a great example of how a website can utilise social media for a one-off charity event or campaign. All at Netcel will be following the progress of the cyclists with keen interest over the 10 day event.”

To pledge your support or to view the cyclists’ progress during the event, visit www.moneyspinners.org or for further information about Netcel, visit www.netcel.com

Contact: Sophia Robertson, 01727 736020, sophia.robertson@netcel.com

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Notes to editor
The MoneySpinners group departs from Lands End on Friday 25 September and arrive in John O’Groats on Sunday 04 October. For full information on the route, cyclists and charities then visit www.moneyspinners.org.

The riders taking part in the cycle ride are:
•   Anthony Thomson, Chairman, The Financial Services Forum
•   Chris Dean,   Partner, Legacy Group
•   David Evans, Sales & Marketing  Director, LV= Retirement Solutions
•   David Rowe, Partner, Talbot Hughes
•   Gary Hockey-Morley Marketing Director, The Post Office
•   Graham Campbell, Edinburgh Partners
•   Jeremy Nicholds, Executive VP, Commercial Development Group, Visa
•   John Deane, Chief Executive, Intermediary Division, Royal London
•   Keith Carby, CEO, Openwork
•   Nick Martin,   Managing Director, Acxiom
•   Otto Thoresen, Chief Executive, Aegon UK
•   Paul Feeney, Global Head of Distribution, Bank of New York Mellon
•   Paul Pester   Managing Director, Abbey Santander
•   Peter Dornan, Director of Partnership and Distribution Development, Aegon
•   Ramon Puig, Practice Principal, The Advice network
•   Roger Brosch, CEO, Foster Denovo
•   Sam Tesch,   Manager, Openwork
•   Steve Cave,   Openwork
•   Tony Smith,   CEO, Conation

Netcel
Netcel is a leading digital agency, designing and developing websites, intranets and digital solutions for companies, associations and educational organisations.

Specialising in content management systems using EPiServer, Netcel delivers flexible, future-proof solutions, within agreed budgets and timescales. The agency creates visually engaging, accessible websites that deliver ROI by providing solutions to achieve clients’ business objectives.

Formed in 1995, and based in St Albans, Netcel employs a team of over 20 web professionals, dedicated to delivering outstanding solutions to clients.

Netcel is accredited as a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and EPiServer CMS Premium Partner. Netcel is a member of Nominet and holds the Investors In People standard for investing and supporting staff development.

For more information, visit www.netcel.com

Naomi House
Naomi House is a purpose-built children's hospice that provides a homely environment for children and young people with life-limiting conditions that mean that they will not live to become adults.

Situated just north of Winchester in Hampshire, it offers one-to-one palliative care that includes respite, terminal and bereavement care and support to children and their families in central southern England. It is available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year and it costs around £2.5 million every year to keep this service running.

With just 10% of our income coming from government, Naomi House relies on the generosity of people in the community to continue its work. Their help and time allows Naomi House to provide these crucial care services, free of charge, to children and their families.

For more information visit, www.naomihouse.org.uk

Help the Hospices
Abbey and Bradford and Bingley, part of the Santander Group, chose Help the Hospices to be their charity of the year in 2009. Through branch, head office and customer fundraising, the group has pledged to raise over £100,000 to provide funds for the charity’s hospice information service and support local hospices across the country.

Help the Hospices is the national charity supporting over 200 hospices across the UK and they believe everyone with a life-limiting or terminal illness should have access to the best possible care. Hospices rely heavily on the support of the communities they serve and corporate fundraising partnerships help raise funds so that they can continue to provide this vital service.

For more information on Help the Hospices visit, www.helpthehospices.org.uk

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Netcel is a leading digital agency, designing and developing websites, intranets and digital solutions for companies, associations, charities and educational organisations. We specialise in content management systems, specifically EPiServer CMS.