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Foreign Currency Coins to Make a Change for Charity

The Post Office's174; is urging people to donate their leftover foreign coins to Barnardo'ss children'ss charity, as it reveals that more than 's163;510 million* in unwanted foreign cash is lying around in UK homes - an average of 's163;11.07 per adult.

From today, special Barnardo'ss collection boxes are available on the counters of more than 750 UK Post Office's174; branches - offering holidaymakers and customers the chance to drop in any unwanted foreign coins for a good cause.

More than a quarter (27.5 per cent) of people said they hang on to foreign currency (http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/jump1mediaId=19300210's38;catId=19300207) when returning from a trip abroad, while 26 per cent do change their notes back into sterling.*

Helen Warburton, Post Office's174; head of travel services, said: We'sve all come home from holiday and put any left-over coins in a drawer and forgotten about them. But we'sre inviting people to think about what better use they can put that cash to.

By bringing all the unwanted currency together, people can make a huge difference to the lives of some of the UK'ss most vulnerable children. And it'ss not restricted to coins - customers can also donate unwanted foreign notes and even sterling if they so wish.

Barnardo'ss's vision is that the lives of all children and young people should be free from poverty, abuse and discrimination. Previous foreign coin collections at the Post Office's174; have raised more than 's163;1.1million and with so much currency lying idle in peoples's homes, the hope is that this year will be the greatest coin collection fundraiser yet.

Liz Cox, Barnardo'ss Director of Fundraising (ops) said: This is an ideal opportunity to clear out that loose change that is cluttering up people'ss drawers. We'sre asking people to please take their foreign coins down to the local Post Office's174; and make a real difference to the lives of children who really need our help. Barnardo'ss works with 100,000 children and their families throughout the UK, who are affected by today'ss most urgent issues, such as poverty, disability and abuse.

Customers can buy currency over the counter at over 8,000 Post Office's174; branches nationwide. The full range of currencies is available on demand at 1600 branches, euros and US dollars are available on demand at more than 2,500 branches and 3,800 branches sell euros over the counter. Customers can pre-order currency for next day collection at any Post Office's174; branch in the UK.

Holidaymakers coming home with leftover foreign notes can change them back into pounds sterling easily using the commission-free buy-back service at all Post Office's174; branches.

To find your nearest Post Office's174; bureau de change branch call 08457 223344 or visit postoffice.co.uk.

Notes to editors

*This is an estimate calculated using the number of UK adults aged over 20 in mid-2007 (the latest available data from the Office of National Statistics). Figure of 46,238,500 multiplied by 's163;11.07 - the average amount UK adults say they have lying around the home in foreign currency according to an omnibus poll of 2009 people, carried out by the Post Office's174; Panel in September 2008, to obtain 511,860,200. The Post Office's174; Panel is a specially recruited group of consumers, nearly all of whom are Post Office's174; customers. They provide regular and in-depth consumer insight into spending patterns and trends within the UK to the Post Office's174;. The Post Office's174; Panel is comprised, in part, of some of the 24 million customers who use the Post Office's174; each week and reflects every social demographic within the UK, as Post Office's174; customers do.

About Post Office's174; Travel Services

The Post Office's174; is the largest bureau de change provider in the UK, offering over 72 different currencies with 0% commission on all foreign currency and travellers's cheques. The Post Office's174; pre-paid Travel Money (http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/jump1catId=19300207's38;mediaId=26800661) Card offers customers a secure and convenient way to carry their holiday money.

The Post Office's174; Credit Card charges 0% commission for all purchases made overseas and also offers customers the flexibility to pay for two large purchases at any time at a discounted fixed rate - ideal for splashing out on holiday!

The Post Office's174; was voted best foreign exchange (http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po) provider for the second year in a row at the 2008 British Travel Awards, and best travel insurer for the third concurrent year.

Customers can buy currency over the counter at over 8,000 Post Office's174; branches nationwide. The full range of currencies is available on demand at 1600 branches, euros and US dollars are available on demand at more than 2,500 branches and 3,800 branches sell euros over the counter.

Customers can pre-order currency for next day collection at any Post Office's174; branch in the UK.

To find your nearest Post Office's174; bureau de change branch call 08457 223344 or visit postoffice.co.uk.

For further information contact:

3 Monkeys Communications

Redzi Mangwana / Edith Barton-Harvey

020 7009 3100

Post Office Ltd

Hayley Fowell

020 7250 2417

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