News
21/10/08 - The Co-operative Bank sponsors Rankin exhibition
A new outdoor exhibition sponsored by The Co-operative Bank which brings the faces of those caught up in Congo’s war-zone to London’s South Bank opens tomorrow, (21 October 2008).
The photographer to the stars, Rankin has joined forces with Oxfam to bring his free exhibition, Cheka Kidogo to the outside of the National theatre. His celebrity portraiture is being used with entirely different subjects – the residents of the Mugunda camp, home to 17,000 people displaced by Congo’s harrowing violence.
There are approximately 23,000 cardholders of the Oxfam credit card, which is provided by The Co-operative Bank. Oxfam receives £15 for every account opened and a further 25p for every £100 spend on the card which goes directly into the mainstream of funds used to support their work.
Simon Carolan, Charity Partnership Manager from The Co-operative Bank said: “We have been working with Oxfam now for fifteen years and this exhibition helps to highlight the often forgotten situation that is occurring in the Congo. At The Co-operative Bank we provide an Oxfam credit card, which to date has raised over £4 million to support the work of Oxfam.”
The exhibition’s name meaning ‘laugh a little’ in Swahili, celebrates the spirit of the Congolese people in the face of adversity, but was also the phrase people called out to their friends being photographed.
- Ends-
Notes to editors:
ISDN facilities are available for broadcast media interviews.
The London exhibition is comprised of 32 images mounted on 7ft stands outside the National Theatre and will be running until 21 December 2008. The portraits will be displayed together with video screens playing footage of Rankin at work in the Congo and interviews with people in Mugunga camp. The exhibition is free.
The Co-operative Financial Services is part of The Co-operative Group, which is the world’s largest consumer co-operative with over 3 million members. CFS currently has 5.5m customers and employs over 8,000 staff. It has 116 retail and corporate branches/centres and over 1,000 face to face financial advisers. It has £38bn of assets under management across its retail and corporate business areas.
In 2008 The Co-operative Financial Services was awarded the prestigious title of Company of the Year in the Business in the Community’s Awards for Excellence.
The awards identify and celebrate companies having a positive impact on the community, environment, marketplace and workplace. Peer-assessed and independently assured the Big Tick award is the most respected endorsement of responsible business practice. Now in their eleventh year, they are the UK’s leading Awards for responsible business practice.
For further information contact: 21 October 2008
Catherine Turner
The Co-operative Financial Services Press Office
Tel: 0161 903 3833
Fax: 0161 903 2751
e-mail : catherine.turner@cfs.coop
