Conservation charity WWF has launched its own Mobile Virtual Network, to help raise funds for its conservation work.
The service will initially run as a Pay As You Go service, and runs on the Vodafone network. 10 percent of all revenue raised through the service from calls, texts and data from users on Wildlife Mobile will go straight to fund the work of the charity.
WWF hope to launch a contract version of Wildlife Mobile at a later date, and the services will be marketed to existing supporters of the charity through existing channels.
The SIM only PAYG service promises costs that are up to 30% cheaper than standard Pay As You Go tariffs, with calls starting from 5p per minute. A range of monthly bundles starting from just £9.50 per month will also be made available, called Penguin, Aardvark, Hippo and Rhino. Each package will be tailored to suit the needs of various customers, with inclusive bundles of minutes, texts and data
The aim, say WWF, is to raise millions of pounds from the service, to fund protection for endangered species such as Tigers and Rhinos, as well as work for the environment.
According to figures from the WWF, two weeks of regular usage of Wildlife Mobile would be enough to cover the cost of a three person anti poaching community to work in the field for one day, protecting Tigers and Rhinos in Nepal. The target for WWF is to have its customers making two million minutes of calls by the end of the year.
Tom Aldrich, Communications and Fundraising Director for the WWF, said: “Most people use a mobile phone, so this is an innovative and easy way for people to do their bit for conservation. If you are passionate about the environment and wildlife, it won't cost you anything to raise vital funds for the WWF whilst you use your phone.”
For more information and to sign up for the Wildlife Mobile service, visit www.wildlifemobile.co.uk