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Press Release

Date: Immediate

SAFER 2002
Sexual Awareness Fundraising Educational Roadshow
Launched by the SEXplained… Foundation
in association with Choice FM

May 10th 2002 marks the official launch of the first Sexual Awareness Fundraising Educational Roadshow (SAFER) 2002 by the SEXplained… Foundation in association with Choice FM London. The SEXplained… Foundation formed in 2001, is a not-for-profit organisation, working with commercial organisations to raise their profile for social responsibility, as well as with registered charities to support their work in the UK and overseas. Choice FM is the UK's premiere Black led radio station, and has live links to Jamaica, New York, The Bahamas and Miami as well as being audible 24/7 via the Internet.

A percentage of the funds raised by the SEXplained… Foundation in association with Choice FM will be donated to one or more registered charities working in the related fields of contraception and sexual health.

The SAFER 2002 Campaign aims to challenge and change the behaviours and perceptions of young people to contraception and sexual health and, therefore, reduce the numbers of:

· Unwanted teenage pregnancies.

· Teenage single mothers and children facing destitution, misery and social isolation.

· Sexually transmitted diseases (STIs).

Gill Sampson, Director of the SEXplained… Foundation who is heading the SAFER 2002 Campaign comments: 'Enough babies to fill the equivalent of 500 jumbo jets are born each day(1) and one person in 11 catches a sexually transmitted infection every day(2). HIV in pregnant women continues to rise and transmission amongst gay men shows no sign of diminishing(3) (4). Over a quarter of 14 to 15 year olds in the UK think that the contraceptive pill protects against infection (5).

'You may well say, it's not my problem - but the implications and consequences for society of the lack of informed contraception and professionally delivered sexual health education is everyone's problem - parents, teachers, tutors, sexual health workers, employers and young people themselves, of course.'

As the SAFER 2002 Campaign commences, schools and youth organisations in the UK or overseas who have registered with the SEXplained… Foundation will receive free Sex Education Packs.

The Sex Education Packs will contain SEXplained… The Uncensored Guide to Sexual Health and SEXplained… 2 For Young People together with condoms, branded pens and other appropriate educational and promotional material. A list of the companies supporting SAFER 2002 by donating money, items or prizes to enable the SEXplained… Foundation to continue its work will be provided in each pack. Currently, the SEXplained… Foundation has received requests for more than 20,000 Sex Education Packs. In addition to being listed in the Sex Education Packs, companies supporting SAFER 2002 will be featured on the www.sexplained.org website. The more they donate, the higher their profile on the website.

Choice FM will publicise the Foundation's events, attract advertising and plug participating companies. Companies already standing four square behind the SAFER 2002 Campaign include: Condomania Ltd (UK), one of Europe's largest condom suppliers; Cool, the condom brand of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, (IPPF) European Network; Mertec Computers PLC, the leading Swansea based computer system and network solutions company in the Southwest; Bridgend Rugby Football Club; National Ambulance Service, a dedicated Patient Transport Service provider to prestigious NHS Trusts in England; Mediaburst Ltd, a leading provider of business class messaging services incorporating broadcast electronic message and document distribution in the UK; and RingtoneZone.co.uk, a subsidiary of StealthNET Interactive.

Companies supporting SAFER 2002 and the SEXplained… Foundation through sponsorship and advertising on Choice FM qualify for 100% tax relief for the nett cost to them of their involvement.

To help raise funds, the SEXplained… Foundation is holding an It's a Knockout competition and Fun Day provisionally booked for 14th/15th September in London. Schools and youth organisations are invited to send a representative and reserve player; fellow students will help them raise funds to support their school/organisation, which will then receive a number of Sex Education Packs equivalent to the amount they have raised. This will provide their school/organisation with a valuable resource to enhance their sexual health education programme benefiting even more students.

Local businesses will be invited to match fund these amounts and, by so doing, will be perceived as being socially responsible 'good neighbours'.

'This truly is a win-win situation for all those getting involved,' says Patrick Berry, Managing Director, Choice FM. 'As a leading voice in the Black community, we believe it's our duty to stand up and be counted and to play our part in proactive prevention. Therefore, we wholeheartedly commit ourselves to the SAFER 2002 Campaign. We urge others to do the same, in whatever way they can.'

'Together we can challenge young people's perceptions of contraception and sexual health - and really make that difference. This Campaign has been designed to help as many young people and businesses as possible. In addition to SEXplained... Foundation's publicity, we will be mentioning on air, all businesses supporting this Campaign. The more support a company provides, the more that company will be mentioned. No company considering itself to be socially responsible can afford to be left out, when all we are asking is for their support at nett cost, so that the SEXplained… Foundation can generate more Sex Education Packs to help young people here and overseas.'

Although SAFER 2002 is being co-ordinated from London, individual campaigns will be run across the UK, commencing with Wales and Manchester. Substantial interest is being generated from other areas as diverse as Scotland, Tobago, Johannesburg and San Francisco. Raffles, auctions and other competitions are just some of the other events being planned.

ENDS

Contact: Gill Sampson, SEXplained… Foundation, PO Box 6969, Chiswick, London W4 3WX - UK. Tel: +44 (0) 20 8742 3910
E-mail: sexplained.foundation@virgin.net
Website: www.sexplained.org

References:
(1) Professor John Guillebaud - Contraception - Your Questions Answered - ISBN 0-4430-6153-x - p2
(2) World Health Organisation
(3)+(4) DOH - Prevalence of HIV and Hepatitis Infections in the UK 2000 Report on the Unlinked Anonymous Surveys Steering Group DOH Dec 2001
(5) Health Education Authority - Young People and Health, HEA 1999

Note to Editors:
Transparency
Members of the Board of SEXplained... Foundation include:
Mr Archie Garbutt, retired; Ms Gill Sampson - Teacher and Healthcare Consultant; Ms Sarah Lennon, District Nursing Sister. Mr Garbutt and Ms Sampson formerly worked for Schering Health Care Ltd and have wide experience of the educational problems faced by SEXplained... Foundation. They each have a keen interest in promoting such education to the public, here and overseas. As a not-for-profit organisation, SEXplained... Foundation is set up to fundraise and work for the benefit of the community. It is not a registered charity and as such outright donations to the Foundation do not qualify for tax relief. The Foundation can, however, provide advertising and promotional services in order to raise funds for its purposes, e.g. showing a company logo and promoting a third party for their involvement with its fundraising activities.
These are legitimate business expenses and qualify for tax relief as a deduction against profits. No directors of SEXplained… Ltd are on the board of SEXplained... Foundation. SEXplained... Ltd is one of several corporate supporters of SEXplained... Foundation. All revenues generated from the Foundation's activities are used to promote the Foundation's activities. No salaries, commissions, or other payments are made to the members other than legitimate expenses.