Coronation Street star launches Buy Our Heroes a Drink campaign

13th December 2010

Back to News

Britain’s most famous landlady, Coronation Street’s Liz MacDonald, is leading an army of real-life licensees looking to bring some cheer to troops away from family and loved ones this Christmas.

Actress Beverley Callard, who’s stepson has been serving in Afghanistan, has launched the Buy Our Heroes a Drink campaign organised by the military charity The British Forces Foundation.

All 23,000 servicemen and women on operations over the festive period, including those on the frontline, will receive a free drinks voucher which they can cash in for a bevy, whether a beer  or a coffee, at their local on their safe return home during the New Year.

Now Beverley is urging members of the public to get behind the campaign and show their support for the troops: “With so much focus on injured personnel there’s a risk of heroes on the frontline feeling forgotten. I know how important it is to the guys out there to know that the people back home are thinking of them”.

“All you need to do to buy one of our deserving heroes a welcome home drink is text the word HEROES to 70099. Text messages cost £3 plus one message at your standard network rate.”

The British Forces Foundation has teamed up with ten breweries and pub companies throughout the UK who will redeem the drinks vouchers. SA Brain, Diageo, Enterprise Inns, Everards, Punch Taverns, Shepherd Neame, St Austell, Wadworth and Yates’s  (Town & City) have all signed up.

Money raised from HEROES texts will help cover the cost of the campaign and any extra will be used to fund The British Forces Foundation’s other morale-boosting projects, including its shows for troops on the frontline. The charity is taking Katherine Jenkins and James Blunt to entertain servicemen and women in Afghanistan just a few days before Christmas.

Texts cost £3 plus your standard network rate. From most users BFF will receive over £2.90 from each text donation with a minimum of £2.40 received dependant on your network operator. **Donations from handsets registered in UK and Northern Ireland only.

The campaign has attracted generous support from media companies including, Clear Channel, Boomerang Media, Primesight, and KBH on Train Media. They have all given free advertising space to the campaign so the public can get involved across the UK. Posters showing the text HEROES number will appear at train stations, roadsides, health clubs, shopping centres and cinemas throughout December and January.

Primesight Sales Director Nigel Clarkson said: “We are very happy to be able to support the BFF for this great cause – helping make the life of British soldiers a little better while they are serving abroad. The campaign will hopefully capture the strong public support for our amazing forces and allow them something to look forward to when they get back to the UK."

Martin Kelway-Bamber of KBH On-Train Media, said: “We are delighted to be involved in helping to raise the awareness of such an important charity.”

Click here for more