Lady GaGa to volunteer for Orange RockCorps

Today Lady GaGa will visit an Orange RockCorps volunteer project in Manchester to help a charity handpicked by the performer. The pop sensation will join 50 young people at Body Positive North West, a support centre for people affected by HIV. In return for four hours voluntary work at community-based charity projects, volunteers will earn a ticket to an A-list gig in their home city. Lady GaGa will play to 3,000 volunteers at the Manchester Apollo on 13th July in the first Orange RockCorps gig of 2009.

Swapping the mic for paintbrush, Lady GaGa will help turn a bare car-park into a lush vibrant garden open to anyone living with or affected by HIV, including partners, children, family and friends. Tasks will include painting a mural, planting vegetables and building a seating area.

Stephen Greene, RockCorps co-founder and CEO comments: “Lady GaGa is an incredible artist.  It's thrilling that she’s bringing her unique energy and passion to one of our community projects. By doing so, she will inspire many others to volunteer.  Plus - we all can't wait for the gig at the Apollo.”

In its second year, Orange RockCorps has expanded its music-led volunteer programme to give people in Manchester and London the chance to earn a money-can’t-buy ticket.

N-Dubz and The Enemy will join Lady GaGa on the line-up for the gig in Manchester on 13th July. The Orange RockCorps programme will continue with a series of four-hour projects in London followed by a gig for volunteers at The Royal Albert Hall on 25th September, the line-up for which is to be revealed.

Last year, 5,000 young people in the UK took part in Orange RockCorps, earning tickets to see the stellar line up Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, The Automatic, John Legend, Feeder, Lethal Bizzle and Guillemots perform at the Royal Albert Hall. Collectively, volunteers worked 20,000 hours at 55 projects, helping 41 charity partners. 96 percent of those who took part last year intend to volunteer on an Orange RockCorps project again, and 57 percent said they would volunteer for their local community without the incentive of a ticket.

The Orange RockCorps programme will also be amplified via a partnership with Sony Ericsson and Channel 4, who will broadcast the volunteer work and UK gigs during a summer of programming on T4.

Volunteers wishing to take part in Orange RockCorps can register by visiting http://www.orangerockcorps.co.uk

-Ends-

For more information, please contact Phil Drew at Unity on 0207 405 0974 ex 204 /07725986509 or phil@hellounity.com or Gemma Hunt at Unity on 0207 405 0974 ex 203 / 07974139884 or Gemma@hellounity.com

Notes to editor

Orange RockCorps:

The Orange RockCorps programme, a partnership between Orange and RockCorps, inspires young people to volunteer within their local community by producing concerts for which you can’t buy a ticket.  Rather, you must do 4 hours of volunteer work in a RockCorps volunteer project to earn a ticket to the gig.  All volunteer projects are completed in partnership and for the benefit of local charity partners. Research has shown that over 96% of the participants would volunteer with Orange RockCorps again, and 57% would volunteer in their local community without the incentive of a ticket.

RockCorps:

RockCorps launched in 2005 to affect social change and act as the bridge between communities in need and the young adults who want to make them better. Since that time, RockCorps has combined the power of music, community and volunteerism to expose young people to simple ways they can proactively contribute.

This is much more than a series of volunteer events and concerts; it is a way to connect young people with dynamic charities already doing great work in the local community.

For more information: www.orangerockcorps.co.uk, www.rockcorps.com

Orange:

Orange is the key brand of the France Telecom Group, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators. With 123 million customers, the Orange brand now covers Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the Group operates.

At the end of 2008, France Telecom had consolidated sales of 53.5 billion euros (12.7 billion euros for the first quarter of 2009) and at 29 April 2009, the Group had a customer base of almost 184 million customers in 30 countries. These include 123 million mobile customers worldwide and 13 million broadband Internet (ADSL) customers in Europe. Orange is the number three mobile operator and the number one provider of broadband Internet services in Europe and, under the brand Orange Business Services, is one of the world leaders in providing telecommunication services to multinational companies.

In the UK, Orange provides high quality GSM coverage to 99% of the UK population. At the end of March 2009, Orange had almost 17 million customers in the UK – 15.8 million active mobile customers and close to one million fixed broadband customers.

Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Personal Communications Services Limited.

For more information: www.orange.com, www.francetelecom.com, www.orange-business.com

For further information, call the Orange press office on 0870 373 1500 or email: Orangepr@golinharris.com or visit www.orange.co.uk/newsroom

Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson is a top, global industry player with sales of around 97 million phones in 2008. Diversity is one of the core strengths of the company, with operations in over 80 countries including manufacturing in China and R&D sites in China, Europe, India, Japan and North America. Sony Ericsson was established as a 50:50 joint venture by Sony and Ericsson in October 2001, with global corporate functions located in London.  For more information about Sony Ericsson please visit www.sonyericsson.com.

Channel 4

Channel 4 Television Corporation is a statutory corporation, without shareholders, established by the Broadcasting Act 1990. Its remit requires the provision of a broad range of high quality and diverse programmes which:

•       Demonstrate innovation, experiment, creativity in form and content

•       Appeal to the tastes and interests of a culturally diverse society

•       Include programmes of an educational nature

•       Exhibit a distinctive character

Channel 4 is the core public service channel available on the UK’s main digital broadcast platforms. The channel’s licence obligations include annual quotas on original, independent and regional production and weekly quotas governing news and current affairs and schools programmes. Year-to-date in 2007, Channel 4 has an 8.2 % share of the total TV audience.

XFM

Is the UK’s pioneering new music station, with an innovative music policy XFM champions new musical talent and embraces the UK’s passion for live music through gigs, live events and club nights.

Choice

Is a lifestyle brand for London’s 16-29 year olds who love hip hop and R&B and love music!  The music proposition is supported by entertaining, real and relatable presenters, and its specialist output keeps Choice at the forefront of the UK Urban music scene.

Body Positive North West

Body Positive is a support centre open to anyone living with or affected by HIV. This includes partners, family and friends of people living with HIV. Body Positive North West was established in Manchester in the mid-1980s, as one of a number of HIV self-help groups. Growing throughout the decade, Body Positive North West became a registered charity and limited company in 1991. In 1997, following substantial growth and with the help of funding from the National Lottery Charities Board and the Monument Trust, Body Positive North West has grown and relocated. For more information, visit http://bpnw.org.uk.