Glasson Recycling has today (Monday, 26th October) announced the launch of The Gold Appeal, a unique new fundraising partnership with leading Irish charities, including Barnardos, Concern Worldwide, Oxfam Ireland and the Irish Hospice Foundation.

Rather than simply asking for cash offerings, The Gold Appeal (www.ForgottenGoldAppeal.com) calls on the public to donate their unwanted old gold jewellery so that it can be recycled and turned into much needed funds for the charities involved. The initiative is specifically designed to help charities to take advantage of the current high price of gold.

Glasson Recycling is the Irish company behind www.ForgottenGold.com, the first gold recycling service in Ireland, which has been a fantastic success since its launch in March. Thousands of Irish customers have turned their old gold jewellery into cash using the market leading service.

"We wanted to get charities involved, while the price of gold is at all time highs. There is millions of Euro worth of forgotten gold in jewellery boxes around the country", said Niall Marren, Glasson Recycling MD, "and while lots of people are delighted to get money from recycling their old gold, there are a lots more people who would be willing to donate their old jewellery to benefit a worthy cause and now they can".

Tim O’Dea, Head of Fund Raising for the Irish Hospice Foundation, commented: "We are hugely dependent on the generosity of supporters. By donating old gold jewellery, our supporters will be helping the Irish Hospice Foundation to continue our valuable work."

Ruth Guy, Director of Fundraising and Marketing with Barnardos, added: "We rely on companies like Glasson Recycling to help us continue the vital work we do for some of the most vulnerable children and families in society. We hope that our supporters will donate some old gold jewellery to Barnardos. Even small items are valuable and can be turned into funds to support our services for the children who need it most."

Liz Yeates, Head of Corporate & Major Donor Fundraising with Concern Worldwide, added: "We are delighted to be part of The Gold Appeal which will help us to make a difference to the lives of the poor and vulnerable communities with whom Concern Worldwide works throughout the developing world. This is a novel way by which people can pledge their support to Concern and which will enable us to continue our vital work."

KD Ryan, Fundraising Manager at Oxfam Ireland, commented: "This is a great idea, something very different. As well as a fantastic way for people to raise vital funds for life-saving work overseas, it also saves the environmental damage that arises as a result of gold mining. We are delighted to be involved with this new venture and urge our supporters to search their homes for any unwanted gold jewellery: even small items could change a child's life in Africa."

www.ForgottenGoldAppeal.com is very easy to use. The Donor simply logs on and chooses their preferred charity from the list provided and requests a Gold Appeal Recycle Pack via the website or by phoning Lo-call 1890 630 630. They put their donated old jewellery into the secure, insured and post paid pack and post it. When the pack arrives, the ForgottenGold Appeal Team calculates the recycle value of the donated jewellery and adds a 10% bonus, which is Glasson Recycling’s contribution to the charity. The proceeds are paid to the charity selected and the Donor receives an acknowledgement of their generous donation including the value generated from their old gold.

To find out more please visit www.ForgottenGoldAppeal.com or contact Niall Marren, Managing Director, Glasson Recycling on 091 704 842.

Notes to Editors:

• The Gold Appeal is open to registered Irish charities. Charities interested in participating should contact Niall Marren, MD, Glasson Recycling.
• Glasson Recycling operates from Galway Technology Centre, Mervue, Galway.
• The company currently employs 6 people and plans to increase numbers to 10 by the end of 2009.
• Gold recycling is good for the environment. Gold mining is one of the world’s dirtiest industries. It uses cyanide, generates heaps of wastes and leaves a long-lasting scar on landscapes and communities. The gold required to produce just one gold ring generates over 20 tons of waste. 80% of all gold is used to make jewellery so it makes sense to recycle old gold jewellery so that the gold contained within the jewellery can be reused.