Rise to charity challenge

The competition invites performers to step into the spotlight and video themselves for a chance to win a share of more than £3,000.

They can upload videos at www.furnessbs.co.uk/charitychallenge to compete for a place in the final on February 8 2013 at the Lancaster Grand Theatre, and a share of the big cash prizes for their charity.

The ultimate winner will also get to be a ‘Star for a Day’ with a VIP recording session that could put them on the road to fame and fortune.

Preston music and drama student Rebecca Duckworth won the last Charity Challenge and £1000 for St Catherine’s Hospice.

The competition is organised by Furness Building Society and the clips will appear on the website www.furnessbs.co.uk/charitychallenge, and on the internet pages of local media partner lep.co.uk.

The sooner they enter, the longer the videos stay live on the sites and YouTube, and the more awareness they create for the work of their nominated charity or good cause.

Closing date for entries is December 1 2013, when judges pick acts to perform at the live final for a £1,000 top prize or runner-up prizes of £750 for second place and £500 for third place. Every other finalist will receive £100 cash for their chosen charity.

Furness Building Society Director of Sales and Marketing Martin Cutbill said the competition was a natural extension of their company’s community ethos.

He said: “As a mutual building society we are part of the communities we serve – providing products and services needed to buy and protect homes, keep savings safe and secure. We don’t have shareholders, our first priority is our customers.

“Supporting communities is part of our commitment to those customers, and each year we give away more than £360,000 to good causes through our charity savings accounts.

“The Charity Challenge is a fun way of drawing attention to the work of those charities.”

For more on the Charity Challenge competition go to www.furnessbs.co.uk/charitychallenge or call in a local Furness branch at 8 Lune Street, Preston, 9 Queens Square, Poulton-le-Fylde, or 2 Lancaster Gate, Lancaster and pick up a leaflet.