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Wrap up against poverty 2012
Exclusive celebrity and designer clothing auctioned to raise vital funds

26th January – 26th February 2012

Wrap Up Against Poverty, an auction of unique items, donated by top celebrities and designers, hosted by charity Elizabeth Finn Care, has now opened on eBay.

At Elizabeth Finn Care, a national charity whose grants team offers financial support to those in need, we know people can struggle to afford the items of winter clothing they need to stay warm and healthy during the colder months. There are 13.5 million people living below the poverty line in the UK, among them 3.8 million children¹. Through Wrap Up Against Poverty, funds can be raised to help buy more people in financial need buy essential clothes. 

The inaugural Wrap Up Against Poverty campaign was launched in 2011. Over half the people the charity helps had to go without new clothes before they made the approach. By bidding for the fabulous pieces available, the public can not only boost their style credentials but also enable people in financial need survive the winter months. 

Each item available reflects both the style and personality of the individual or designer who has donated it. Bidders can go for the classic look of Sienna Miller’s Doma fleece coat, or follow in Dame Helen Mirren’s footsteps by opting for her striking Alberta Ferretti coat. Kimberley Walsh’s plush Louis Vuitton scarf will be up for grabs too, as will a beautiful Alexander McQueen suit from Fern Britton, and stylish winter coats from comedy heroes Mathew Horne and Ruth Jones. To add to a spectacular celebrity list, exclusive designer items including a golden Martina Spetlova shift dress have been donated alongside items from high street stores such as Ted Baker and Topshop.

Wrap Up Against Poverty was a huge hit in 2011, raising both funds and awareness of the fact that millions of people in the UK are living in financial need and many can’t afford to clothe themselves through winter. 

Malcolm Tyndall, Director at Elizabeth Finn Care, said: “We hope that, with the generous support of top celebrities and the fashion industry, not to mention an incredibly enthusiastic public, Wrap Up Against Poverty 2012 will enable us to help even more people find and access the help they desperately need.”

Speaking on her donation, model and presenter Lisa Snowdon said: “I’m so pleased to be able to offer something to the Wrap Up Against Poverty Campaign…by bidding in the auction everyone can help to change lives for the better.”

The auction is now live on eBay and is running until 26th February. For more information, please visit www.elizabethfinncare.org.uk/WrapUp 
 
- Ends -

For further information and images, please contact:
Emma Lamberton, Press Officer on 020 8834 9259 or emma.lamberton@elizabethfinn.org.uk.

Twitter: @elizfinncare  Facebook: www.facebook.com/elizabethfinncare

Notes to Editors

Photographs and footage

• Photographs and detailed descriptions available for all of the items.
• When using images please credit them with the following details: W Piotr Onak

Elizabeth Finn Care

• Elizabeth Finn Care is a national charity that helps people in financial need to improve their lives
• Elizabeth Finn Care gives direct financial support to people from over 120 occupational backgrounds, and through
• Turn2us helps millions more people in the UK to access the money available to them in welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help
• Since being founded in 1897, Elizabeth Finn Care has given away over £130m in direct financial assistance to people in need. In 2009/2010 over 3,500 British and Irish citizens received grants totalling almost £4m from Elizabeth Finn Care
• Elizabeth Finn Care is a charity registered in England and Wales: 207812 and Scotland: SC040987.

Turn2us

• 13.5 million people in the UK live below the poverty line (source - Households Below Average Income: An analysis of the income distribution 1994/95-2007/08). Yet latest annual figures show that around 16.8 billion of welfare benefits go unclaimed and there are also over 3,500 charitable funds available which distribute grants worth over £366 million a year.
• Turn2us helps people to access to the money available to them in welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help.
• The Turn2us free, confidential online service - www.turn2us.org.uk is designed to help individuals quickly and easily find welfare benefits, tax credits or charitable grants available to them - all in one place. The site has a number of tools to make the process simpler, including a benefits checker, grants search and ‘find an adviser’ tool to help locate someone to speak to. Over 3,500 charitable funds are listed on the website and people can apply online to many of the charities for help. In the last 12 months over 2 million people have used the website.
• Turn2us works in partnership with organisations across the UK, including AdviceUK, Association of Charitable Officers, Citizens Advice, Child Poverty Action Group, Home-Start UK and Money Advice Trust to develop our services and reach the many millions of people that need our help.

Reference

1. Department for Work and Pensions - Households Below Average Income (HBAI)