What makes you happy?
(by peter & susie)
A press release landed in our inboxes today which we thought interesting enough to reprint in its entirety (see below).
It concerns an Italian pink sparkler named Millione, the brain-child of wine industry stalwarts Jerry Lockspeiser, Mike Paul and Cliff Roberson. It’s backed by the Millione Foundation, a not-for-profit business working in partnership with ActionAid.
Dubbed ‘wine with a conscience’, the project aims to raise £1m to build 20 new community-run primary schools in Sierra Leone, West Africa, which will educate 10,000 children a year. For each bottle sold, £1 will be donated to the cause (the bottle costs £8 and is available in Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Tesco, Morrisons and Laithwaites).
As a hook for the launch, a special survey was commissioned to find out what makes people happy.
While a snowball fight, the sound of the sea and winning money all featured, the poll-topping response was, ‘Helping someone who needs you’. The idea is to impress your sweet-heart this Valentine’s day with a gift that shows how much you care…
If you’re interested in celebrity reviews, you can see what the likes of Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, Jack Dee and Phil Jupitus think of the wine on their website by clicking here.
For our part, we think this is a soft, gentle fizz that is incredibly approachable and drinkable. It’s not the most complex of wines, but it has pleasant aromas of stewed strawberries and herbs, with a gently fizzy, just slightly off-dry profile. Succulent and moreish. And all for a great cause…
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A Valentine’s Day gift that tickles the taste buds and helps people in need is the best way to a loved one’s heart, finds ActionAid and the Millione Foundation
What do you give your loved one on Valentine’s Day to show that you really care? Anti-poverty charity ActionAid and the Millione Foundation say it’s wine with a conscience Millione, a charming, lightly sparkling Frizzante rosé from Italy.
New poll findings released by ActionAid show that loved ones are more likely to be impressed with a gift such as Millione than any amount of chocolate, teddy bears or flowers.
ActionAid asked 1,000 people what made them feel happiest. The most popular response was helping someone in need. ActionAid and the Millione Foundation point out that Millione does just that.
For every bottle sold, £1 goes towards building community-run primary schools in Sierra Leone, West Africa. The aim is to sell one million bottles to raise £1 million. With that, ActionAid and the Millione Foundation will build 20 new primary schools that will educate 10,000 children a year.
In the nationwide poll, ActionAid also found that hearing an unexpected compliment was second on the list, followed by listening to the sound of the sea.
ActionAid spokesperson Charlotte Matier said: “Valentine’s Day celebrates love and happiness and our research shows that helping someone who needs you makes people happiest.
“ActionAid reckons that giving a Valentine that helps children in Sierra Leone in addition to giving pleasure to a loved one should double the chance of love being reciprocated.”
Millione was created by three friends who have spent their lives working in the wine industry. Jerry Lockspeiser, Mike Paul and Cliff Roberson have over 100 years’ wine business experience between them.
Jerry visited Sierra Leone with ActionAid. He came back determined to raise desperately needed funds for primary education by doing what he does best, creating a new popular wine brand.
The not-for-profit Millione Foundation was born and now, Jerry, Mike and Cliff are asking lovers everywhere to become ‘One in a Millione’ on Valentine’s Day.
“ActionAid’s poll shows that helping others makes people feel happy,” said Jerry Lockspeiser. “Not only is Millione pink, lightly fizzy and great to drink, it helps others too. That’s brilliant news for lovers who want to impress their sweethearts.”
The ActionAid poll top ten answers to what makes people happy:
1. Helping someone who needs you
2. Receiving an unexpected compliment
3. Hearing the sound of the sea
4. Sitting in the sunshine
5. Listening to music
6. Eating your favourite food
7. Hearing happy laughter
8. Winning money
9. Going for a walk on the beach
10. Having a snowball fight
Millione is available in most supermarkets or online from Laithwaites.co.uk. Find out more at www.oneinamillione.com