Pucker Up As Restylane Delivers Ultimate Lip Service

It’s no secret that soft, sexy, luscious lips drive men wild, so if your lips are in need of a subtle but sensuous boost in time for National Kissing Day on July 6th, help is at hand with the new Restylane Lidocaine lip plumping treatment with added anaesthetic.

Scientists have long known that gorgeous, plump lips greatly enhance the sexual attractiveness of a woman, so it is not surprising that Angelina Jolie was voted the sexiest woman on earth for her voluptuous pout. But for those who are not naturally blessed with a killer set of lips that would leave any man trembling, as Angelina clearly has, Riverbanks Clinic has the perfect answer in the form of the new Restylane Lidocaine with added anaesthetic.

“Restylane Lidocaine is a highly effective lip plumping treatment which gives a subtle, natural boost to the lip area. But we are not talking trout pout here, it is a gentle filler that creates fuller lips and helps smooth fine lines around the mouth and now contains local anaesthetic to make the procedure even more comfortable,” says Dr Ravi Jain, Medical Director at multi-award winning non-surgical cosmetic clinic Riverbanks.

The treatment takes just thirty minutes (including consultation) and is available from Riverbanks Clinic from just £350. And with swelling likely to last just twenty-four hours, it is being billed as the perfect lunchtime lip fix with minimum fuss.

Restylane Lidocaine is just one of a number of lip enhancing procedures available and muscle relaxing treatments such as Botox are also a popular choice to help alleviate fine lines around the mouth. Dr Jain recommends that anyone looking to undergo any kind of lip plumping treatment should seek expert advice first.

“As with any treatment, medicinal or cosmetic, it is important to assess the overall health of the patient to determine the most appropriate treatment. The lips are a very prominent feature and impossible to cover up if things go wrong, which is why it is so important to see a specialist who really knows what they are doing and can give you the best possible care and minimise the risk of adverse reaction,” advises Dr Jain.

Special Offer: Book any lip enhancing treatment in the month of July at Riverbanks Clinic and receive a complimentary skin brightening treatment worth £55.

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Teacher’s influence leads to Olympic success

An English school teacher who ran a voluntary rowing class for pupils was cited as the inspiration which led to local businessman Steve Turner pursuing a career as an Olympic rower.

Speaking at a training day organised by North Norfolk School Sport Partnership PLT Celebration Day on Monday 22^nd June, Olympic rower and owner of Norwich-based team development organisation Bramley Lakes revealed to over 40 local school teachers involved in voluntary-based sports activities how the efforts of just one teacher in his school days had a huge influence on his life and led to him competing  in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics, finishing 4th and 6th respectively and medalling (bronze) in the World Championships in 1989.

“It’s incredibly tough stuff being involved in voluntary activities as well as the normal demands of daily teaching life, but I wanted local teachers to know how much of an impact they are having on the pupils they are working with. My English teacher ran a rowing club for pupils was absolutely instrumental in shaping my future career as an Olympic athlete and there are many stars in the making who are relying on these teachers to help guide them on their future path,” says Turner, who was recently appointed a Gold Norfolk Sports Ambassador.

With National School Sport Week starting on Monday 29^th June, Turner is urging more schools to recognise the value that staff involved in voluntary work have on the performance of pupils and to ensure that more emphasis is placed on inspiring performance through sports and other extra-curricular activities.

“They desperately need to be recognised for their achievements, which may not always be academic and these teachers are absolutely fundamental in influencing, inspiring and motivating young people to achieve their best,” says Turner.

Turner is one of a handful of Sports Ambassadors selected to help inspire schools and sporting groups in the local area and Asa Saunders, Partnership Development Manager, North Norfolk Schools Sport Partnership said,

“The North Norfolk School Sport Partnership organised the training day for all of it’s Primary school PE Link teachers, all of whom have made tremendous efforts in developing PE and Sport for their pupils.  The teachers were rewarded with a fantastic motivational speech from Steve which I am sure will help inspire and create a sporting legacy to pupils in North Norfolk.”

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Editors Notes

Bramley Lakes specialises in performance management, providing the inspiration and motivation to help people (individuals and teams) achieve their goals and aspirations – performance management. With over 15 years experience, Bramley Lakes has worked with many different organisations and groups on aspects of personal and team development.

The team, led by former Olympic rower Steve Turner, brings a diversity of knowledge ranging from Global and European business, HR management, Outward Bound and Military to World and Olympic sporting medallists.  It is this breadth of experience which enables Bramley Lakes to help clients increase the performance of their team.

Bramley Lakes is based in Horsford, Norwich and also operates out of two purpose built facilities in Dorney Lake, Windsor and the prestigious Manoir Du Cervolet, France.

Through a partnership with The Table Group, Inc., Bramley Lakes has become the first UK partner to support team development and organisational health by leveraging the material from author Patrick Lencioni. Fortune Magazine said that Patrick Lencioni is one of the top ten guru’s that you should know and has been identified as a leader in his field of strategic management and team development.

For more information visit www.bramleylakes.com or for press enquiries, please contact Amy Larman on 01603 283 463 or email amy@medjajems.co.uk

ISACO to Become Regulated by the Financial Services Authority

Professional stock market investor and author, Stephen Sutherland, has announced today that his company ISACO, which specialises in ISA Trend Investing, is applying to become regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA).

‘We have decided that as our company goes from strength to strength we want to offer our clients complete peace of mind and seeking FSA regulation seems like a natural next step in our expansion plans,’ Sutherland explains. ‘We want to show our clients that we are completely committed to helping them achieve their financial goals.’

The news certainly seems to be going down well with Stephen’s clients.

Jeff Hall from Bucks said:” I am delighted that ISACO have chosen to become FSA regulated and this will strengthen their products & services. It also confirms my belief that I made the right choice in deciding to invest in them.”

And David Childs from Black Heath, London said: “I’ve learnt more in the last six months reading the daily reports than in the previous 15 years, they have my full support”

Another client, Declan Hughes (www.kidskickers.co.uk), from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, also spoke of his backing for Sutherland’s plans: “As a client I would just like to say that I am 100% behind ISACO’s decision to be FSA regulated. It will give the company a lot more respectability and clout.”
“Our mission as a company is to become the most admired and respected ISA Trend Investing Support Company in the UK. And our mission to our clients is to help make their financial dreams a reality, coupled with the complete peace of mind that FSA regulation will bring,” says Sutherland.

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Notes to Editor

Stephen Sutherland is the UK’s leading authority on ISA Trend Investing. Through his company, ISACO, clients get to shadow invest him, therefore making the same returns as him. Stephen’s clients include the original pioneer of health clubs in the UK, a leading authority in cosmetic, implant and restorative dentistry, a professional rugby player, a hedge fund manager and two serial property investors, who at the last count owned 150 properties between them.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Stephen to discuss his company, ISACO, please call 0870 757 8554  or contact Amy Larman on 01603 283 463, email: press@isaco.co.uk

Stephen’s book, Liquid Millionaire (AuthorHouse, Hardcover RRP £21.97) is available from Amazon.co.uk and ISACO.co.uk. Review copies are available to the media on request.

Echo E-Business reveals future of web content is personalisation for all

Businesses large and small will be given the ultimate lesson in web
personalisation at next week’s Online Marketing Show, thanks to E-business
strategists at Echo E-Business.
Echo E-Business’s Chief Strategist Deborah Collier, who recently released a
whitepaper on the ‘E-Business Evolution 2009’, with comments from John Lewis,
Cancer Research UK, PricewaterhouseCoopers, J.P.Morgan and Linden Labs, will
be revealing an easy method for achieving basic web personalisation. She will
include an Echo E-Business case study example of simple web personalisation in
practice, in the form of leading medical herbalist Deborah Grant, who will be
unveiling her new Herbal Medicine web sites at the show.
The hour-long workshop takes place at Day 1 of the Online Marketing Show, which
forms part of MarketingWeek Live. During the workshop, Deborah will address many
issues relating to web personalisation, as well providing an insight into why
behavioural targeting has implications for privacy and brand reputation. Deborah is
also keen to remind businesses why enabling customers to choose what products
and content they see not only helps build trust and enhance sales, but also increases
long-term brand loyalty.
“Personalisation has come to the forefront again recently, as organisations seeking
the competitive edge, maximise the value of their online presence, strengthen
customer loyalty and increase staff efficiency. I have been working on strategies and
solutions for web personalisation over the last few years, but it’s nothing new,”
reveals Deborah, who has 13 years experience supporting, advising, training and
developing online strategies for both SME’s and Large Corporations.
Despite previously developing, training or advising on e-strategies with companies
such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Kenwood and John Lewis, Deborah is keen to
point out that personalisation is not just for the big boys, but equally applicable to
smaller businesses too.
“Technologies, and more importantly ideas around leveraging those technologies,
have evolved, to allow smaller organisations the ability to engage their users in a
personalised way. Personalisation is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Even the
smallest of organisations can add a more tailor-made experience to their web site
visitors. It comes down to old-fashioned selling – who are your customers and what
is relevant to them,” she says.
Deborah’s ‘Customer Engagement Workshop – Learn how to engage visitors on your
web site so that they buy, subscribe and interact’, is taking place on Tuesday 30th
June from 11am-12pm. For more information visit www.onlinemarketingshow.co.uk
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Notes to Editor
E-Business Architect Deborah Collier is the managing director of Echo E-Business, a
consultancy specialising in e-business, digital strategy, e-marketing and
management.
Echo E-Business’ team of technology and marketing professionals are e-business
architects helping organisations to build, enhance and market their online presence.
Their unique service model, which focuses on expert strategy and planning, ensures
clients gain access to a wealth of design technology and development resources at
significantly less cost via their Authorised Supplier Network – EchoNet.
Deborah specialises in strategy and training for e-commerce, digital branding and
internet marketing. She has 13 years experience supporting, advising, training and
developing online strategies for both SME’s and Large Corporations such as
PriceWaterhouseCoopers, John Lewis, Kenwood and the Landmark London.
She runs an e-business advice column which has more than 2,500 subscribers, and
developed a thought-leadership article on e-business strategies in collaboration with
PriceWaterhouseCoopers, John Lewis, Linden Lab, Cancer Research UK and J.P.
Morgan.
For more information visit www.echoebusiness.com.
For all press enquiries please contact Amy Larman on 01603 283 503 or email
amy@mediajems.co.uk

Dust off employee surveys for insight into staff motivation

Personnel Managers are being urged to dust off their employee surveys as they could hold the key to motivating their workforce and eliminating the grapevine effect in dysfunctional teams.

Many companies may have conducted employee survey’s last year but due to the downturn have never got round to analysing the results and putting recommendations into practice, according to Performance Culture specialist Nigel Watson, MD of Q4 Solutions, who says that the views held within these survey’s could be critical in effectively managing staff and their performance going forward.

“We all know that the market went into freefall from November to March but has now levelled out, so now is the time to look at the results of those employee surveys. The information held within these surveys is absolute gold dust for Personnel Managers and will help develop an internal communications strategy about the present and future which will help eliminate the negative grapevine effect and provide a solid foundation for sustainable change in preparation for future upturns in business,” explains Watson.

According to Watson, when there is change or difficulty, the grapevine – or Chinese whisper effect – tends to kick in quickly as people try to predict the company’s next moves. This so often causes a temporary paralysis in performance as a result of inaccurate information permeating the business and generating unnecessary speculation, panic and fear, and may cause top talent to start looking elsewhere for a job. He claims that the biggest cause of team dysfunction and poor performance is the unknown and that simply communicating more effectively could radically improve performance levels in many teams.

Watson believes that employee surveys hold vital information in terms of key issues of concern within the business that management may not be aware of and gives the business an opportunity to address any concerns and provide realistic timescales for solutions.

“The problem with many organisations facing troubled times is that they want to come back to people with a solution, and often this solution can take many weeks to come to the surface. What these organisations fail to recognise is that people really do appreciate being given the chance to prepare. With the right communication strategy, even bad news can be good news if told early enough and will stop the grapevine in its tracks,” says Watson.

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Editor’s Notes

Nigel Watson is one of the most experienced performance culture specialists in Europe. He has been managing director of Q4 for almost a decade and has over 20 years experience in serving corporate household names.

Q4 Solutions delivers programmes of leadership development, workshops, facilitation and coaching. Using acknowledged leaders in their field, Q4 has assembled a formidable array of talent under the overall guidance of Nigel Watson.

Nigel’s career has been spent in the people, performance, process arena and he has worked with many prestigious clients, including: Alliance & Leicester, Augusta Westland, BP, BAE Systems, EDS, KPMG, Logica CMG, Selfridges and Vodafone. Nigel was also part of the company responsible for: training the skippers and crew for the BT Global Challenge Yacht Race, creating a joint civilian leadership school at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and for working with Sir Clive Woodward in developing the shift in behaviours and performance for the England 2003 Rugby World Cup Squad.

For further information visit www.q4-solutions.com

For press enquiries please contact Amy Larman on 01603 283 463 or by email amy@mediajems.co.uk.

The Sky’s the Limit for Latest Book Midwife Success

The sky really is the limit for one British Airways cabin crew member who has realised her dreams by launching her first book this weekend, thanks to the efforts of book coach Mindy Gibbins-Klein.

Writing had always been a passion for Premier Cabin Crew member Felicity Lerouge, whose inspiring novel Changing the Channel (£9.99, Ecademy Press) launches tonight in Notting Hill, but life ended up taking her in different directions and it wasn’t until 2007 that Felicity stirred her creative juices once more at a seminar by highly acclaimed self-help writer and speaker Tony Robbins.

It was then that Felicity met Mindy Gibbins-Klein, the founder of book coaching company The Book Midwife™ who went on to become Felicity’s writing coach last year. Earlier this year at Mindy’s recommendation, co-operative publisher Ecademy Press decided to take on the book and since then Felicity has never looked back!

“Mindy’s coaching was an essential part of Changing the Channel being written; she helped me define compelling reasons why writing the book was so important to me and how achieving this goal would enrich my life and, hopefully, the lives of others. This is what kept me focused and at my laptop, when the writing didn’t flow as easily as it might have done,” explains Felicity, who lives in London.

Felicity is one of six Book Midwife™ clients to have finished their books in recent months. Hot off the press are Change by Choice by Philip Cox-Hynd and The Trusted Advisor by Lee Clarke with others are on track to publish throughout July and August.

And as these literary passengers check out of their journey with the Book Midwife™, several opportunities now exist for serious aspiring authors to work with Ms Gibbins-Klein on a private 90 day consultancy program which guarantees to takes the author from idea to finished manuscript in just 90 days.

Mindy has helped over 300 people to write and publish their books

“90% of people who start a book never get round to finishing it and so the 90 day programme is great for people like Felicity who have that book on the tips of their fingers but just can’t seem to get it onto the page,” says Gibbins-Klein, who has helped over 300 people to write and publish their books.

In a survey conducted by The Book Midwife™ last year of 112 would-be authors of business and personal development books, 31% admitted they had started but not yet finished their book, whilst 40% had not even started to write their book yet .The survey found that the biggest barriers were finding the time, a lack of publishing and marketing knowledge and self-doubt and indecision.

“But racing at full speed into a ‘best-seller’ without any clear plan or direction can be equally as dangerous if the book ends up being more of a ‘brain-dump’ than a well thought through expression of the author’s values, experiences and beliefs. Most authors are too close to their work to make this distinction,” reveals Ms Gibbins-Klein.

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Notes to Editor

Mindy Gibbins-Klein, better known as The Book Midwife™, has helped hundreds of experts get their message out into the market by writing and publishing the best possible books, ebooks and articles, and through delivering high impact, relevant presentations and key note speeches.

An MBA graduate in International Business, Mindy is a trained coach and marketing consultant with over 18 years of experience in the corporate world, largely running marketing departments.

Mindy established The Book Midwife™ in 2001 so that she could fulfil her lifelong dream to provide personal and professional development services, and she has helped over 300 people to achieve their goals in writing their own books, articles and whitepapers quicker.

Publisher and founder of Ecademy Press, Mindy is the UK’s leading authority on writing and co-operative publishing, and passionately believes that every book deserves to be written and published, but only if it is the best book it can be.

Mindy is also co-author of Amazon’s number two best seller ‘BusinessWise’, has published her own book ‘A Dance in the Desert in 2001 and an e-book for people who are about to jump into self-publishing.

Mindy is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker and is a regular contributor to the business press on a variety of subjects, with an emphasis on the value of passing the expertise and experiences of current thought leaders on to the next generation of business leaders.

Information provide by Media Jems. For more information, images or to arrange an interview please contact;

Jenna Gould
Tel: 01603 283 503
Email: Jenna@mediajems.co.uk

Salespeople guilty of using social media to avoid cold calling

Business growth is being put at risk by salespeople using social media as an excuse to avoid cold calling and stop pro-actively going out and bringing in new business, warns sales expert Andy Preston.

The Manchester-based sales trainer claims that more Managers need to monitor the social media activity of their salespeople to ensure that it remains an extension of their sales and marketing efforts rather than a replacement for traditional selling techniques.

Preston, who is the founder of sales training company Outstanding Results, believes that social media has brought an interesting ‘extra dimension’ into the toolkit of a salesperson and should be used as a way of keeping people updated and attracting people towards the salesperson, their company and their product and services; but is concerned that without proper direction and focus, salespeople could fall into the trap of using it as way to wriggle out of tasks they find difficult, such as cold calling.

“The challenge faced by Managers when evaluating any form of networking is defining what returns it can bring for the efforts and the time invested. For salespeople reluctant to do the more challenging parts of sales, such as cold calling, social media can provide a great excuse to avoid that activity,” says Preston.

Preston claims that most Sales Managers and Directors view social media tools like Facebook as their worst nightmare, because for many salespeople it is genuine distraction unless they can be self-disciplined and focused. However, if used correctly, Facebook is an effective way to keep your network updated with what you are up to, as is Twitter.

But for the more risk-averse Managers, Preston advises that LinkedIn is probably the most suitable online tool for their salespeople.

“LinkedIn is by far the best social media platform for professional salespeople, particularly if you’re in recruitment, IT or the telecoms sector. Viewed as the most ‘business-based’ of the popular social media sites, LinkedIn offers you opportunities to contact people at high levels within large organisations – the sort of people that the average salesperson may struggle to get through to on a cold call for example,” adds Preston.

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For press enquiries please contact Rebecca King on Rebecca@mediajems.co.uk or 01603 283506

Facebook Chatter Helps Small Businesses Seal The Deal

A leading sales psychologist has claimed that social media sites likes Facebook are helping small businesses to fast track the sales process after revealing how one company landed two major contracts as a direct result of their Facebook activity.

Bryan McCrae, founder of Cognitive Sales, claims that social media is enabling businesses to speed up the relationship process as more information is now available online about the prospect via profiles on Linked In, Ecademy, Facebook and Twitter. He claims that all help to build a more rounded picture of the person and helps the savvy sales person to adapt their selling approach based on this new information.

“Thanks to social media, businesses are seeing real returns. For example, a company in the Events business saw one of its main clients implement a major redundancy programme. As a result it lost many of its sales contacts as they were made redundant or left the organisation to find other jobs. Whilst some of the contacts were maintained many were lost. Several of the contacts were in the age group 25-35 and were suspected to be users of social media so I suggested to the one of the younger people in my clients organisation that they searched for these people through their existing Facebook account (which had never been used for business) and if found, make gentle inquiries about whether they had managed to find another job yet and build new relationships with them through Facebook,” explains McCrae.

As a direct result communicating with the ex-employees via Facebook, the company managed to secure two major new clients wins for the company. McCrae suggests that those who do not utilise social media in the sales process could be missing a trick and reveals two of the many ways that sales people can use social media in their selling activities.

“When you get a new sales enquiry, as well as researching the company through the normal channels, use social media to build a profile of the individuals involved in the company from e.g. LinkedIn, Ecademy, Facebook to find some areas of common interest that can be dropped into a conversation to build affinity and the relationship more quickly. When looking for new contacts use social media to identify people who seem to be ‘hubs’ in their domains, with lots of well-developed relationships and contacts. These people make excellent clients as they have a ready made network that they can easily refer you on to,” explains McCrae.

But whilst social media is as way of fast tracking the psychology of relationship building, this is always going to be based on the assumption that what people portray on their digital profiles is a true reflection of them as real people.

“Social media as a set of useful tools? Yes, for sure, but be careful to look for real life evidence to back up what is portrayed in the social media and choose the right tool carefully to reach your sales targets.” advises McCrae.

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Ecademy helps ‘Banana Man’ feed 700,000 hungry children

On 13th June 2005, Kevin ‘Banana Man’ Allen started feeding over 800 orphans and impoverished children with fruit in schools in Zululand entirely out of his own pocket. Four years on, Kevin is now feeding over 1,500 Zulu children a day and has credited this success to joining business social network Ecademy two years ago.

Kevin Allen, 38, from the Wirral, started his incredible journey in February 2005, after seeing the terrible plight of aids orphans in South Africa on a TV documentary, which quite literally sent him bananas!

“I watched in horror as a young boy (called Sne) witness his father die of AIDS in front his of eyes. He had to walk miles back to his home, a filthy mud hut with no running water, gas or electricity. Distraught and starving, he soon broke down in tears – so did I. His mother had already died of AIDS and his brave sister, aged only 11, tried to comfort him in vain,” says Kevin.

Six days later and with less than £1,500 of life savings, Kevin found himself standing in rural Nkandla, Zululand, face to face with Sne and thousands of other hungry and desperate orphans, many of whom had AIDS.

As he travelled, Kevin bought hundreds of bananas and gave them to the hungry children he past on the roadside. The local Zulus’, and the nuns, started calling him ‘Banana Man’, a name which would later stick.
By January 2007, Kevin was feeding a thousand children a day and had provided over 400,000 school meals of fruit without any fundraising at all; but in reality, he was burnt out, at his wits end, and shamefully close to giving up.

“At that time I had no real idea how to help the children and I had no money, so used some of the proceeds from the sale of my home, and then took on an additional part-time job simply to maintain the food to school projects which I had set up. I then came across Ecademy and I can honestly say without the support of many of its members, I would have certainly failed,” says Kevin.

Kevin and his charity Banana Appeal have come leaps and bounds since joining Ecademy. One of many achievements includes publication of his book ‘Banana-Man’ (£9.99, Ecademy Press) for which every book sold feeds a hungry Zulu child for a whole month.

“Since February 2007, Ecademy members have helped us to feed 700,000 meals of fresh fruit to hungry children,” reveals Kevin who has recently returned from his latest visit to Zululand.

Banana Appeal is currently feeding over 1,500 children across 3 schools and Kevin is now hoping to raise funds for a fourth school, at which 750 children are currently provided with nothing.

“Our goal for 2009 is to feed one million school meals of fresh fruit. Many of these children owe their lives to the advocacy and support I have received from members of Ecademy. My deepest thanks to all those who have helped me over this time,” says Kevin.

“Kevin is a truly inspiring individual and we are proud that Ecademy has been so instrumental in helping him to achieve so much success with his work in Zululand. It confirms that Ecademy is a movement, not just a social business network,” says Thomas Power, chairman of Ecademy.

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Notes to Editor

About Banana Appeal

Banana Appeal is a registered charity, number 1122157.

Banana Appeal currently operates fruit to school programmes at three schools in Zululand, which feed 1,586 hungry children a day with meals of fresh fruit.

They want to increase this to ONE MILLION school meals per year by raising the £40,000 needed to do so. They will then move to more regions of Africa to feed the many more children in need. All monies raised go towards benefiting improvised and orphaned children.

For more information visit www.bananaappeal.org.uk

About Ecademy

Ecademy connects business people all over the world. It is a self-development, business and branding tool, which enable business people to achieve immediate visibility. The relationships, advocates and knowledge subsequently shared through the network provides individuals with the credibility they need to grow their business.

Ecademy’s core intention is to help business people to be more successful and promotes the values of a business community who no longer wish to be broadcast to, but demand engagement and conversation.

Founded in 1998 by husband and wife team Thomas and Penny Power, Ecademy is privately owned and sustains itself through subscription, with only ten percent of Ecademy’s revenue coming from advertising and partnerships. The Ecademy business model is a classic example of a 21st Century business, operating virtually, with minimal operational costs.

For more information visit www.ecademy.com

For press information, hi res images or to arrange an interview please contact Rebecca King on 01603 283 506 or email rebecca@mediajems.co.uk

Cycle Firms Rally Round To Support Million Pound Charity Challenge

With National Bike Week starting on 13th June, Cycle Clothing, Cycle2Job and Cycle Surgery are the latest brands to rally round comedy actor Steve Trister as he attempts to raise £1 million for The British Heart Foundation in time for the London to Southend Bike Ride on 19th July.

Essex born Steve Trister, 28, started The £1 Challenge two months ago, spurred on by a visit to a sick friend hospitalised by heart trouble. The £1 Challenge is a unique and potentially record-breaking campaign to raise £1 million through the pledging of 1 million unique donations of just £1. If this is achieved, the campaign will mirror the efforts of the Wesleyan Methodist Church over 100 years ago who raised £1,075,727 for charitable work between 1898 and 1904 through each supporting donating just 1 guinea each.

After hearing about the challenge, Cycle Clothing were the first to come on board and sponsor Steve’s sports clothes, followed by a pair of cycle shoes from cycle accessory chain Cycle Surgery and a shiny new Raleigh 200 bike courtesy of cycling commuter service Cycle2Job. On collecting his bike and his new shoes, Steve Trister was raring to go and ready to train hard!

But with just a few weeks left until the London to Southend Bike Ride and an intense few training sessions ahead of him,Jo Lunn, who practices at The Hale Clinic in London and at her own practice in Malvern, Worcestershire, contacted Steve and offered to provide him with Bowen treatment to help keep his body in optimum condition for training and to help avoid common injuries and strains associated with the repetitive nature of cycling.

Steve is overwhelmed with the support he has received from businesses like Cycle Clothing, Cycle2Job and Cycle Surgery as well as personalities including Kriss Akabussi, Fat Boy Slim and Eastender star James Alexandrou and after a hugely successful awareness campaign on Twitter this week, Steve is looking forward to smashing his target of £1 million.

“It is amazing how far we have come since the start of The £1 Challenge, and the more people who are getting the hear about it, the more support we are getting and the donations keep coming. We are asking everyone who donates their £1 to tell just five other people about the challenge and inspire them to get involved and with that kind of commitment, we know that reaching a million is entirely possible,” says Steve.

According to The British Heart Foundation, a donation of £1 million from a campaign like The £1 Challenge could fund 666 defribillators, 121 hours of scientific research or 20 portable echocardiograph machines.

To pledge your £1, simply visit www.1poundchallenge.co.uk, where you can donate via text, PayPal or online.

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