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World Cup SOS - online charity challenge in aid of orphans worldwide now LIVE

Friday 19 May 2006

An exciting new World Cup challenge to raise funds for SOS Children’s Villages – the Official FIFA World Cup Charity - is now live online, and will be launched in London’s Docklands this afternoon Friday, 19th May.

www.sosfootball.org is an attractive, accessible website created by XOR, a leading provider of educational technology systems based at the University of East London (UEL) Docklands campus, where the launch event takes place.

The website offers the chance to take part in a World Cup 2006 quiz and predict the winners of each and every World Cup game as the drama unfolds. The participants who score highest win great prizes donated by SOS Children’s Villages ambassadors, including an official world cup shirt signed by the England squad.

To register to take part, simply log on with your £3 donation to SOS Children’s Villages, the world’s largest orphan charity that cares for over 59,000 children within its 440 children’s villages worldwide and supports half a million people through community outreach programmes, schools, medical centres and emergency relief efforts.

The prediction project is the brainchild of John O’Sullivan, a lifelong football fan and founder of XOR Ltd, a learning and technology consultancy that specialises in developing software that enhances education and the learning experience, based at UEL’s Knowledge Dock.

John developed a prototype for the 2002 World Cup for friends, colleagues and clients, and for Euro 2004, had staff from clients including the Department of Work and Pensions, Argos, Homebase and Whitbread joining in via word of mouth - it ended up attracting over 2,000 players and raising several thousand pounds.

The organisers hope to raise £1 million this year, which means recruiting 333,333 participants around the world. They have already secured heavyweight assistance from leading political consultants Neil Stewart Associates, who will be promoting the project to their clients and contacts in the run-up to the World Cup.

John O’Sullivan said: “I’m delighted to be able to help. It’s a great way to combine supporting your team while doing something worthwhile. We’ve designed the site so that it’s quick and easy to use and, if you play use the questions and the Jokers well, you can stay in contention until the final, even if your predictions don’t always work out.

”At £3 to enter there’s no reason not to play. As well as placing your prediction the site also offers many other feature including ‘Global League’ and a ‘Local League’ where you and your mates can develop a syndicate, and options to donate prizes. The regular updates will keep players involved so that they can be part of the competition as it progresses”.

The launch event includes a keepy-uppy competition with young footballers from local clubs and the performance of a new World Cup song by Air Hammer.

Participants can register on www.sosfootball.org from Friday 19th May until the first match on Friday 9th June.

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For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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