Your War Is Not With Me

War Child is delighted to announce an innovative fund-raising initiative with Sports Interactive (SI) and SEGA Europe, the companies behind the smash hit computer game Football Manager 2005.

This relationship will not only net War Child proceeds from every copy of Football Manager 2005 sold around the world, but also from all other games created by Sports Interactive (the creator of the best-selling Championship Manager series) and published by SEGA Europe.

Mark Waddington, CEO of War Child warmly welcomes the addition of the expertise and creativity of Sports Interactive, SEGA Europe and its vast family of supporters to the support of the War Child cause:

"In 2005 War Child launches 'Your War Is Not With Me': what we believe is a hard-hitting campaign that Sports Interactive and SEGA Europe are throwing their weight behind. Like us, these are organisations that strongly believe that children should not be affected by war, regardless of the justification for it."

"When Sports Interactive and SEGA Europe agreed that a percentage of the revenues raised from our games would go to an agreed charity. The only question was which charity we would work with", commented Miles Jacobson, MD of Sports Interactive. "We considered a number of options, but as soon as we made contact with War Child it was clear that we had found our partner. War Child does a difficult job and does it well - we hope that we can help the team to achieve their goals through financial backing and by helping to spread the word through our active and enthusiastic fan base."

"Football Manager 2005 was SEGA Europe's fastest-selling release with extraordinary sales across Europe, SEGA and SI are proud to be in a position to bring continued support to War Child from the success of their games", commented Mike Hayes, President & COO of SEGA Europe.

Furthermore, War Child, SI and SEGA are all agreed that the relationship will extend beyond the simple 'handing over of a cheque' and are currently developing a series of initiatives for 2005 that will be designed to raise further funds for (and awareness of) the charity and its work.

The first of these initiatives will be the release of a series of 'football chant' audio add-ons for Football Manager 2005, which will be made available as digital downloads via War Child's music download website, www.warchildmusic.com (where visitors can also browse a selection of exclusive tracks from the biggest and best names in music, including Radiohead, Keane, Pet Shop Boys, Ash, Spiritualized and Razorlight).

War Child supporters and Football Manager 2005 aficionados alike should make sure they are registered with either www.warchild.org.uk or www.sigames.com for news on other exciting happenings and events throughout the year.

War Child is launching its 'Your War Is Not With Me' campaign in 2005, and this partnership with Sports Interactive and SEGA Europe and their huge, ever-growing legion of gamers will be the starting pistol to voicing a common stand on the moral code - that children should never be affected by war.

Notes for the editor:

About War Child:

Established in 1993, War Child offers prevention, protection, emergency relief and livelihood support to children displaced, orphaned, injured or traumatised by war. It aims to give children around the world a voice to challenge war farers by saying 'Your war is not with me'. Currently, War Child is active in Bosnia (running a music therapy centre), Iraq, Afghanistan, Occupied Palestinian Territories and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

A story from DRC:

At the age of 10, Fiston was offered a way out of poverty - a new, attractive lifestyle that included clothing, three square meals a day, a routine and, far more sinisterly, access to guns, girls and drugs. He was 'invited' to become a child soldier - although we'd reasonably term it press-ganging, or perhaps kidnapping. Subtly desensitised to conflict and violence that has sadly detailed the lives of so many youngsters in DRC in recent years, he actively participated in it.

In August 2004, DRC was mobilising to defend its Eastern borders in the increasingly confused and violent dispute with its neighbour Rwanda. War Child field officers were at the air strip, literally pulling child soldiers - including Fiston - off the transport planes, under threat of violence from commanding officers, being spat at by other soldiers. Following disarmament and a programme of social rehabilitation, War Child has now rejoined Fiston with his family.

For more information about the present status of War Child in DRC, as well as Iraq, Afghanistan, Occupied Palestinian Territories and Bosnia: www.warchild.org.uk.

About SEGA^®

SEGA Europe Ltd. is the European Publishing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA Corporation, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. SEGA Europe's web site is located at www.sega-europe.com.