London. Wednesday 21 March, 2001 - To mark the clock change to British Summertime (Sunday 25 March), famous celebrities have designed clock faces to be auctioned on Yahoo! UK & Ireland for the UK’s Multiple Sclerosis Society. 176 clocks will go online on Yahoo.co.uk from 21st March until 30th March.

The ‘MS Famous Faces’ campaign kicks off with a unique offline auction at Phillips Auctioneers on 20 March for a clock face designed by Damien Hirst.

Following that, the online auction will commence at midday on the 21 March. Celebrities including Jools Holland, John Travolta, Cindy Crawford, Al Pacino, Chris Tarrant and Richard E Grant have designed ‘Famous Faces’ to go under the virtual hammer.

Bids can be placed at http://auctions.yahoo.co.uk. Bidding closes on 30th March. The proceeds for the UK based auction will be donated to the MS Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Potential bidders can see the actual clocks in a stunning window display on Oxford Street, (Old C&A store, 501-519 Oxford Street, Marble Arch, W1A).

The MS Society is the UK’s major funder of research into a disease which strikes 50 people in the UK every week – usually around the prime of life when career and family responsibilities are at their most demanding. Three women are diagnosed to every two men. As yet, there is no cure for this unpredictable and devastating disease.

Peter Cardy, Chief Executive of the MS Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland commented “This is a great opportunity to mark the clock change to British Summer Time with renewed energy and resources, so we can continue to fight this crippling disease. We are also thrilled to be working with Yahoo! UK & Ireland again, as this is a unique way to raise funds and a fantastic opportunity to reach a huge audience via the Internet.”

Lindsay Biggart, Brand Manager for Yahoo! UK & Ireland adds “ Yahoo UK & Ireland are delighted to be involved in such a worthwhile cause. We are hoping that through Yahoo! Auctions and its huge audience, we will be able to maximise awareness and therefore contribute to the prevention of Multiple Sclerosis.”

For further information, please contact:
Kate Sloan or Hannah Montgomery
Yahoo! UK and Ireland Press Office
020 7 306 9188
sloank@fleishman.com montgomh@fleishman.com
David Harrison or Adrian Ellis
Harrison Bergman Limited (on behalf of the MS Society)
020 8738 2680
07836 523495(mobile)

About Yahoo! Auctions

Yahoo! Auctions is an exciting and convenient way to buy and sell things over the Internet by providing a service that promotes communications and exchanges amongst users. All you need to do to get started is to register, absolutely free of charge, as a Yahoo! User. You need to register with Yahoo! Auctions before you can submit an item or bid on an auction.

Once registered, you can search or browse the various categories of auction items including: Antiques & Collectibles, Arts & Entertainment, Business & Office, Clothing & Accessories, Computers, Electronic & Cameras, Home & Garden, Sport & Recreation, Toys & Games, or Travel & Transportation. When you find something that you want, simply click to bid!

Listing an item with Yahoo! Auctions is easy and it's free. In order to sell on Yahoo! Auctions you must first register and submit your credit card number, which is used only to verify your identity. Browse through the auctions hierarchy to the category that is most appropriate for your item. Once you've decided where to place your item for sale, you'll need to fill out the submission page.

About Yahoo! UK & Ireland

Yahoo! UK & Ireland provides commerce, communication and media services to meet the needs of local consumers. Yahoo! UK & Ireland is staffed by local nationals and is headquartered in central London.

Yahoo! UK & Ireland is part of Yahoo! Inc, Yahoo! Inc. is a global Internet communications, commerce and media company that offers a comprehensive branded network of services to more than 342 million individuals each month worldwide. (September 2000 – ABC Electronic)

Yahoo! has the highest reach globally, at home with a unique audience of 84,882,000 home internet users, each spending an average of 58 minutes 47 seconds with Yahoo! (Nielson/Netratings Global Internet Index December 2000)

As the first online navigational guide to the Web, www.yahoo.com is the leading guide in terms of traffic, advertising, household and business user reach, and is one of the most recognized brands associated with the Internet.

The company also provides online business services designed to enhance the Web presence of Yahoo!'s clients, including audio and video streaming, store hosting and management, and Web site tools and services.

The company's global Web network includes 23 local World properties outside the United States. Yahoo! has offices in Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Canada and the United States, and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is one of the most common neurological conditions and certainly one of the most unpredictable and variable diseases of them all. It usually strikes in the prime of life, just when family and job responsibilities are at their most demanding.

Many people with MS simply don’t know how they will be from one day to the next. On Monday they may feel fine. On Tuesday they may quite literally not be able to get out of bed. Or they may have lost their sight. The time can come when the ‘good days’ are gone and progressive disability sets in.

Symptoms vary considerably, affecting movement, sight, speech and continence. Pain and debilitating fatigue are common. Though there are now treatments which can help some people with MS, there is no cure.

The Multiple Sclerosis Society is the nation-wide organisation which aims to ensure people affected by MS have the highest quality of care and support they need in their daily lives. It is also a major funder of bio-medical and applied research.

The Society has its base at the MS National Centre in north London. This fully-accessible building welcomes visitors to a comprehensive library and information centre, and is used for meetings, conferences and exhibitions. Within the organisation, Multiple Sclerosis Society Scotland and Multiple Sclerosis Society Northern Ireland have offices in Edinburgh and Belfast respectively.

There are more than 370 local branches of the Society, run by volunteers, as well as professionally-staffed respite care centres and holiday homes.