All employees from managers, to fork lift drivers, to packers, all earn the same wage to fulfill a Christian Biblical principal of equality.

Being committed Christians (see our church website) means more than just our Sunday faith - to us it is a way of life and it shapes our company ethics, our dealings with each other, our suppliers, and with you - our customers.

Our ethics cover our product lines that we sell and why we sell them, and it means we deal fairly and justly with everyone.

As a health food wholesaler and retailer of natural products we had a fantastic range and we were constantly being asked to send specific products to the remoter parts of the UK, especially for people on a special or restrictive diet who couldn't get certain items locally.

As the internet grew in popularity "GoodnessDirect" was born making this service available to everyone everywhere. We closed our retail shops and concentrated on the service you are now familiar with: "GoodnessDirect - Healthy Shopping made easy".

We enjoy and believe in what we do. We hope you do too.

PRESS RELEASE: 01/07/2008

GoodnessDirect has been rewarded for fostering a culture of giving in the workplace with a Gold Award, the highest Award available through the Payroll Giving Quality Mark programme. GoodnessDirect is joining the Institute of Fundraising in calling on employers to follow suit by making Payroll Giving – the tax-effective donation scheme - available to employees.

The Payroll Giving Quality Mark aims to provide sustainable income sources for UK charities by increasing participation in Payroll Giving. The scheme recognises and rewards businesses for making Payroll Giving available to staff, providing them with a certificate and use of a logo which enables them to publicly demonstrate their commitment to good causes. Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards are allocated to organisations that demonstrate excellence in fostering a culture of giving in the workplace through Payroll Giving. The Payroll Giving Quality Mark is funded by HM Government, managed by the Institute of Fundraising and administered by the Payroll Giving Centre.

By setting up Payroll Giving, employers enable their employees to give to any UK charity straight from their gross salary and to get immediate tax relief of up to 40% on each donation. Payroll Giving has minimal administrative requirements or costs and is an ideal way for organisations at all budget levels to generate a regular, reliable income stream for good causes.

Rt Hon Jane Kennedy MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, says: “The voluntary sector performs a key role in driving change and delivering essential services. Payroll Giving generates a long-term income stream that enables charities to plan ahead and budget for the future. This provides the opportunity to charities to operate more efficiently.”

For more information, contact the Institute of Fundraising’s Payroll Giving Centre. Call the hotline on 0845 602 6786 or visit www.payrollgivingcentre.org.uk

MEDIA QUERIES

For further information please contact:

Lesley Cutts

Tel. 0871 871 6611

Email. info@goodnessdirect.co.uk

Institute of Fundraising Press Office

Diana Mackie

Tel. 020 7840 1027/ 07793 802 852

Email. press@institute-of-fundraising.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. The Institute of Fundraising (www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk)
2. The Payroll Giving Quality Mark (www.payrollgivingcentre.co.uk) recognises and rewards organisations of all sizes for making Payroll Giving available to their staff. The scheme is funded by HM Government, administered and promoted by the Institute of Fundraising.
3. Organisations that sign up to Payroll Giving receive a Quality Mark (comprising a certificate and logo), and a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award, depending on the level of staff participation they achieve:
   • Bronze Award - 1% employee participation in Payroll Giving
   • Silver Award - 5% employee participation in Payroll Giving
   • Gold Award - 10% employee participation in Payroll Giving, (plus the employer must either pay the administration charge, match donations or have carried out an active promotion of Payroll Giving during the past 12 months).
4. Payroll Giving enables employees to donate to any UK charity straight from their gross salary, giving immediate tax relief. This means that £10 donated each month will only cost employees paying basic rate income tax £8 (£6 for higher rate taxpayers).