Millennium Dome - Children's Promise

Greenwich, 1 June 1998

New Millennium Experience Company Chief Executive JENNIE PAGE CBE, speaking at the launch of The Children's Promise at the Cabinet Office today, said:

"Today's announcement of The Children's Promise makes it clear that Britain's millennium celebrations will give everyone the opportunity to do a great deal more than just enjoy the biggest party in our history.

"The New Millennium Experience Company's responsibility to the Government and the Millennium Commission is not only to build and run The Dome at Greenwich - but also to make possible projects that will provide a lasting social legacy involving the whole nation.

"We developed The Children's Promise as one of the projects that will meet that objective - and we are delighted that Marks & Spencer, as our latest £12 million Founding Sponsor, is supporting such an imaginative national campaign, as well as the National Identity zone in The Dome.

"Marks & Spencer is a company known for doing things right. They have identified the need for a major millennium commitment and this announcement will, I am sure, encourage others to do the same.

"In developing our UK-wide programme of millennium projects, we were always clear that the children of the next millennium should be at the top of our list of priorities. The simple idea of donations from the public to mark the last hour of 1999 made it all click into place.

"NMEC approached the five largest UK children's charities, all of whom - as you have heard this morning - liked the idea and committed to the cause. We commissioned research with NOP showing that 63 per cent of the population would be prepared to take part.

"We had simultaneously been in discussions with Marks & Spencer about involvement in the Millennium Experience, since last October. Their own independent research - and this was one of my magic moments of the Millennium Experience project - confirmed that exactly the same figure, 63 per cent, would take part.

"The immediacy of the match was made obvious when Marks & Spencer's employees were consulted - they wanted the millennium to be a time for giving something back, for giving the whole community a chance to be involved and for investing in a better future - especially for the children who are our future.

"We know that when people think of the millennium they want to be involved in the celebrations - and Britain's will be the biggest and most exciting in the world. But they also want the millennium to be a stepping off point for a better future - and we are confident and convinced, that The Children's Promise, with other projects, is going to make that possible."

Organisations involved in The Children's Promise:

• Marks & Spencer's
• NCH Action for Children
• Barnardos
• ChildLine
• The Children's Society
• NSPCC.

Notes on The Children's Promise

1. The New Millennium Experience Company was formed in June 1997 to oversee the construction and operation of the Millennium Dome and an associated programme of events to mark the Millennium with public involvement throughout the country.
2. Marks & Spencer becomes the fifth founding partner to invest £12 million in The Millennium Experience. The others are: BT, BskyB, Manpower and Tesco. Most of Marks & Spencer's investment will go to promote The Children's Promise, but it is also a sponsor of the National Identity Zone at the Millennium Dome at Greenwich, where the company will showcase its special relationship with the British way of life.
3. As part of its philosophy to be regarded "at the heart of the community", Marks & Spencer is one of the largest corporate contributors in the UK, giving more than £10.5 million in the 1997/98 financial year. Of this £0.5 million was specifically for children's support programmes. The company also encourages its employees and their families to develop local interests and involvement. Marks & Spencer also helps by seconding its own employees to provide needed expert resource without cost, to help charities and community organisations. Following staff consultation, M&S has already become the first retailer to announce that all its stores will be closed to celebrate the Millennium on Saturday 1 January and Sunday 2 January 2000.
4. A recent report by the Child Poverty Action Group stated that over 4m children and young people (0-16 years) were living in poverty in 1993/94, as opposed to 1.4m in 1979. Children and young people have now overtaken the elderly as the largest age group in poverty.
5. The registered numbers of the charities involved are:

• Barnardo's: 216250
• ChildLine: 1003758
• The Children's Society: 221124
• NCH Action For Children: 215301
• NSPCC: 216401

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