Charity begins at Syscap PDF Print E-mail

Leasing World - 10/12/07

Syscap, (www.syscap.com) the UKs leading independent IT finance provider, has announced the first charity to benefit from its charitable arm, the Syscap Foundation. Express Link-Up, a childrens charity that brings technology to sick and disadvantaged children, will receive 75 percent of the total funds raised by the Syscap Foundation throughout the 2007/08 financial year.

Established in April 2007, the Syscap Foundation was set up to support charities that use technology to help people. Most Syscap Foundation funds are raised internally through sponsored staff events, including raffles, competitions and sports events such as marathons and triathlons.

Express Link-Up is a charity that provides computer equipment, Internet links and teaching resources to schools within childrens hospitals and to sick children who are housebound in the UK and in other countries across the world.

Robert Eggleston, Syscap Foundation Chairman and Director of Strategic Development at Syscap, says: As a company heavily involved with IT, we recognise the value of technology and how it can improve peoples lives. Many Syscap employees have children but most of them are fortunate enough to have their health and the support of their families. Express Link-Up does a fantastic job in helping sick and disadvantaged children from the UK and across the world communicate, learn and play, so it is a fitting charity for us to support.

Pat Ryans, CEO of Express Link-UP, says: 'It is always gratifying when an IT company adopts a charity such as ours, which is aimed at children in hospital, whose education is improved by access to IT on the wards or in the hospital classrooms.

'Express Link-Up provides this support for all the hospital schools in the UK, but our partnership with Syscap will target some special projects: The Royal Marsden Children's Cancer Unit in Sutton, Surrey, the four HIV/AIDS After-School IT programmes in New York for teenagers who were abandoned or orphaned and the Holy Cross Convent in Cape Town where nuns are running literacy programmes for parents and children, using the equipment and software we have donated.'

The remaining 25 percent of the Syscap Foundation funds will be distributed amongst similar charities in the UK and abroad. The next fundraising events to be held are a Christmas raffle, taking place on 14 December, in London, and Syscap's annual survey to customers and partners, which will generate a donation to the Foundation for each completed survey.

Ends.

About Express Link-Up

Express Link-Up was established in January 1997 to provide computer equipment, Internet links and teaching resources to UK hospital schools and children who are sick at home. Its activities have expanded to bring technology to underprivileged children around the world. To date, it has helped 247 hospitals in the UK and abroad.

The charitys patron is Carol Vorderman, and lists Cherie Booth QC is among its supporters.

About the Syscap Foundation

The Syscap Foundation was founded in April 2007 to support charities that bring technology to children in need. Its chairman is Robert Eggleston, Director of Structured Finance at Syscap, and its patron is Lord Mitchell.

About Syscap

Syscap is the UKs leading independent IT finance provider. Syscap works directly with clients and in partnership with industry-leading IT vendors, equipment suppliers, ISVs and other business service providers. Through tailored, innovative finance solutions, Syscap enables commercial, professional and public sector organisations of all sizes to acquire the business assets and resources they need, without traditional budgetary constraints.

Founded in 1990, Syscap now employs over 110 people across the UK and Europe, has annual revenues in excess of 135 million and 300 million of assets under management.

For further information or images, please contact:

Lindsay Back/Ben Bush
The Crocodile
Tel: 020 7749 4400
lindsay.back@thecroc.com/ben.bush@thecroc.com

or

Philip White
Chief Executive Officer
Syscap Limited
Tel: 020 8254 1800

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