Schools Press Release Template
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OrangeAid: a brighter day!
[Your school] has teamed up with UK development charity Practical Action to brighten up the school
day.
Practical Action has come up with the concept of a fun fundraising day, known as OrangeAid that
aims to brighten your day and improve the lives of people living in poverty overseas.
Inspiration for the idea comes from the charity’s brand colour and acts as an antidote to the
combination of the winter weather and post-Christmas blues that all combine to strike on the third
Monday of January.
Pupils and staff at [Your school] are donating £1 each to Practical Action and turning the place
orange - by donning orange wigs, tasteless orange clothes, fake tan even orange make-up!
[Your name and title] said: “We wanted to brighten up the school a bit on a miserable day. Practical
Action has given us the perfect excuse and by changing our clothes for the day, we are literally
changing people’s lives in the developing world.
“Practical Action has supplied us with some great activities to do during the day which are all orange
related and lots of fun! This is also a great opportunity for the pupils to learn more about different
countries and cultures. We’re really looking forward to some orangey fun!”
Amy Kilpatrick, Fundraising Executive at Practical Action, said: “We came up with OrangeAid as a fun
antidote to Blue Monday – traditionally know as one of the most depressing days of the year.”
“But on a serious note, it is all about asking people to put their problems into perspective. Although
you may be feeling low, at least you have a safe and secure home and a reliable source of food. The
people that Practical Action work with will wake up on Tuesday unsure of whether they can afford to
keep their children in school and where their next meal is coming from. By taking part in Orangeaid,
[your school] is helping Practical Action to help more than 1 million people across the world to
escape a life of poverty for good this year. You can show your support too by getting involved or
donating at http://practicalaction.org/orangeaid”
Practical Action: The facts
Practical Action uses technology to challenge poverty in developing countries.
Our strength is our approach. We find out what people are doing and help them to do it better.
Through technology we enable poor communities to build on their skills and knowledge to produce
sustainable and practical solutions. Thus transforming their lives forever and protecting the world
around them.
By doing this each year we help around a million people break out of the cycle of poverty ….for
good.
Fritz Schumacher formed Practical Action in 1965 and later published his influential book ‘Small is
Beautiful’ in which he outlines how the use of technology to support development can help bring
people out of poverty in a sustainable way.
For more information about Practical Action, log on to www.practicalaction.org
Press Enquiries Andrew Heath andrew.heath@practicalaction.org.uk 01926 634552
Interview Opportunities Amy Kilpatrick amy.kilpatrick@practicalaction.org.uk 01926 634513