Hello
FYI - Please see email below - something to watch out for and avoid by the sounds of it.
Many thanks
Sue Tailby
Susan Tailby
E-Learning Resources Facilitator | Library & Learning Resource Centre
Sparsholt College Hampshire (incorporating Andover College Campus)
Sparsholt | Winchester | Hampshire | SO21 2NF
Sparsholt College Library: 01962 797232
Sparsholt Reception: 01962 776441 | Andover Reception: 01264 360000
email: [log in to unmask] | web: www.sparsholt.ac.uk and www.andover.ac.uk
Please think of the environment before printing this
-----Original Message-----
From: Lis-educ: Library services for education [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ian Hunter
Sent: 13 January 2012 11:02
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: U1 Reading Marathon
Dear All,
I would like to bring to your attention the content of an email I received this week. It claims to be promoting the 'U1 Reading Marathon', an attempt to break the Guinness World Records for the most entrants to a marathon and most children reading with an adult. It asks schools, libraries and parents to encourage children to enrol on the scheme in order to receive a sponsorship pack. They should then attempt to read as many books as possible over 26 days 385 minutes and collect sponsor money for doing so.
For a number of reasons, I am dubious of the authenticity and legitimacy of this scheme:
1) The website (u1readingmarathon.co.uk) looks very amateur and mentions, for example, a ‘partnership with Kindle’, which doesn’t make sense - it should be 'partnership with Amazon'.
2)The Twitter account (@u1marathon) is inactive and has just one follower.
3) The only Google results for U1 Reading Marathon link to its own site, except for one school that has signed up.
4) The website is supposedly owned by Sahara International Trading, which does not seem to be a real company.
5) They ask for money up front via PayPal in order to process registration, which is unconventional to say the least.
I would be interested to find out if anyone else has been contacted by U1 Reading Marathon, and if anyone has any further information or thoughts on any action that should be taken. Please visit u1readingmarathon.co.uk and let me know what you think.
Regards,
Ian Hunter
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Learning Resource Centre Manager
Wyedean School and Sixth Form Centre
Beachley Road
Sedbury
Gloucestershire
NP16 7AA
Tel: 01291 625346
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