Tracey McAleer and Julie McConnell from Omagh College who both answered the call from BT to help out on the night
VOLUNTEERS at Enniskillen’s BT call centre took thousands of calls – helping to raise over £14 million – for the ‘Stand Up To Cancer’ campaign on Friday night.
The campaign, a joint fund-raising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4, first began in 2012, and Friday night culminated in a ‘star studded’ night of television.
The Enniskillen Contact Centre at Broadmeadow Place was one of four BT sites around the UK – and the only one in Northern Ireland – which handled thousands of incoming calls from people making donations during the TV event.
Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy, Noel Gallagher and Kate Moss.
In Enniskillen, duty manager Anita Maguire reported that around 110 volunteers took thousands of calls between 7pm and midnight at the town’s call centre.
Volunteers came in the form of locals and other BT workers across the North.
“We have done in the past Red Nose day and Sport Relief. This is the first time we’ve done Stand Up To Cancer. It was a different feeling because you felt that people were there because they had a friend, family member or neighbour affected and they’d all their own stories.”
Anita described the atmosphere in the call centre as ‘upbeat’, ‘big party atmosphere’.
“There’s pizza and food coming in. We’d a table quiz ongoing. Some of the people brought older kids who helped with tea and coffee. We’d also three students studying event management at the South West College ho helped us out.”
And why was Enniskillen chosen?
“We have ran successful ones in the past and we have the infrastructure for it. We’ve done them before successfully. They want a site that’s stable.
“Not every location would be as able to get the volunteers in but our volunteers have been great – Northern Ireland people like to give.”
As totals were announced, volunteers were given a round of applause after a night of hard work.
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