‘Shanty’ girls immortalisedin new comic book issue

The Post Office is celebrating the charity heroics of people across their network as part of the Be A Hero theme of this year’s campaign, immortalising the achievements of the Post Office Fantastic Fundraising Five.

The team of Fionnuala Dobbins, Jackie Morrin, Julia McIntyre and Rachel McCallion of Shantallow Post Office in were prime candidates to be honoured following their novel and fun fancy-dress fundraising efforts.

The Post Office has now created a one-of-a-kind comic book cover to illustrate manager Fionnuala and the self-proclaimed ‘Shanty Girls’ efforts to raise hundreds of pounds for BBC Children in Need.

The ‘Shanty Girls’ will be presented with a commemorative framed issue of their comic book cover this week, and Fionnuala told of her excitement at being able to do something a little bit different for BBC Children in Need.

Branch manager Fionnuala said: “We are honoured to be recognised in such a special and unique way. Our office has become well known for striving to fundraise for charities and Children In Need is a charity very close to our hearts.

“We are hoping to outdo the brilliant effort made last year not only in the amount raised but also in the weird and wacky way of doing it – so watch this space.”

Shantallow Post Office also received a special commendation from the Post Office’s Executive Committee for their efforts.

Post Office Chief Executive Paula Vennells said: “We wanted to recognise the amazing work that heroes across the Post Office network do for BBC Children in Need every year, and this seemed like the perfect way to do it. Not many people can say they are the stars of their very own comic.

“We would urge all of our customers to get behind our friends and colleagues who are raising money for this fantastic cause again this year by buying a Be A Hero badge at their local branch.”

Be A Hero badges are on now sale for just £1 at over 10,000 Post Office branches across the UK, with all proceeds going to BBC Children in Need.

The Shantallow Post Office team are now one part of the Post Office’s Fantastic Five alongside just four other parties that have proven themselves as fundraising heroes for BBC Children in Need. Teams at two other Post Office branches in the UK have also been immortalised – Felixstowe Post Office and Boscombe East Post Office in England - as well as Yorkshireman Rod Ismay and Motherwell’s Jamie Haugh and Iain Patton.

Post Office was BBC Children in Need’s biggest fundraising partner in 2013, raising over £1.2million for the charity, and the company hopes to better that total this year as the in-branch campaign kicks into top gear.

Shantallow Post Office, an integral part of the community around it, was modernised in the summer of 2013 as part of a multi-million pound investment scheme that has seen over 100 Post Office branches across Northern Ireland refurbished over the past two years.