Archived press release

Donate as you download and get exclusive Johnny Borrell playlist

5 July 2010

Music-lovers can donate as they download following the launch of a new partnership between Friends of the Earth and ethical music download site fairsharemusic - and get an exclusive playlist put together by Friends of the Earth supporter and Razorlight frontman Johnny Borrell.

The green charity's partnership with fairsharemusic allows customers to donate to its vital work to protect the planet when they download - at no extra cost to them. Long-time Friends of the Earth supporter Johnny Borrell has provided an additional incentive for music lovers by putting together his top ten tracks which are available exclusively through Friends of the Earth's fairsharemusic portal, foe.fairsharemusic.com

Friends of the Earth is a founding partner of fairsharemusic, where the more you download, the more donations your charity receives. With over 8.5 million songs and prices starting at 79p per track, fairsharemusic is similar to other popular music sites - you pay the same for your music but half the profits from every track you download go to Friends of the Earth.  

Friends of the Earth supporter Johnny Borrell said:

"Friends of the Earth's campaigns help you to make a real difference by calling on politicians - the people who can change the law - to tackle climate change and protect the planet's resources.

"Friends of the Earth's partnership with fairsharemusic offers you a great new way to support its campaigning work without paying extra when you're downloading music."  

Friends of the Earth's Executive Director Andy Atkins said:

"Green music lovers will be really excited that they can download music and donate to Friends of the Earth's vital work, at no extra cost.

"Buying your music from fairsharemusic supports our vital campaigning work to tackle climate change and protect natural diversity."

"Having worked on high-profile charity projects such as Live Aid and the Children's Party at the Palace, we know that great things can be achieved by harnessing the power of music to help others," said Lee Cannon, Cofounder of fairsharemusic.  "By offering the same quality experience and value that people have come to expect from established music sites, we're giving them the opportunity to make a difference - without doing anything differently."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. Switching to fairsharemusic for your downloads will make a big difference to Friends of the Earth. It's really easy to create an account, start downloading, and begin helping us continue our important work.  To find out more about this brilliant new fundraising tool, just visit foe.fairsharemusic.com - the home of feelgood downloads.

2. fairsharemusic gives charities access to a new music-based fundraising tool, enabling them to reach and engage a broad demographic of music lovers.  Leveraging the power of micro donations, it promises to make a difference without requiring significant goodwill or generosity from donors.

3. Razorlight frontman Johnny Borrell has been a Friends of the Earth supporter since spring 2007, when he recorded the song 'Funeral Blues' in a solar-powered studio as part of an eco-solutions day. Most recently Razorlight took part in Friends of the Earth's LIVEstock 2009 comedy and music event in support of its campaign to fix the food chain.

4. Friends of the Earth joins an impressive line-up of founding partners to help make fairsharemusic a success.  These include Amnesty International, British Heart Foundation, British Red Cross, Centrepoint, Great Ormand Street Hospital, NSPCC, Oxfam, Sue Ryder Care, Teenage Cancer Trust and WWF.

5. Friends of the Earth believes the environment is for everyone. We want a healthy planet and a good quality of life for all those who live on it. We inspire people to act together for a thriving environment. Over 90 per cent of our income comes from individuals so we rely on donations to continue our vital work. For further information visit www.foe.co.uk.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Limited