IMMEDIATE RELEASE 28th January, 02
NATIONAL MARRIAGE WEEK SEARCH FOR BRITAIN'S LONGEST MARRIED COUPLE
10 - 17 February 2002
A national quest is being launched this week to find Britain's most enduring marriage. Winners of the search being carried out by National Marriage Week 2002 - will be guests of honour at the high-profile launch of the national campaign, which takes place in London on 8th February.
National Marriage Week, which this year celebrates its sixth anniversary, aims to motivate and empower people to support marriage in the community and to promote marriage as an important basis for stable family and community life.
Richard Kane, founder of National Marriage Week and director of the Futureway Trust explains: "Whilst it is true that all marriagetype relationships are fragile, recent research suggests that cohabiting relationships are much less stable and short lived than a relationship defined by marriage. We are really excited about the opportunity that National Marriage Week presents to profile some great marriage success stories. Marriage Week is all about equipping and encouraging couples to persevere when things get tough and enabling them to emerge stronger and more in love than before."
Once again National Marriage Week is receiving widespread support from top political and religious figures including Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor and Chief Rabbi, Dr Jonathan Sacks who are both speaking at the launch event, the Lord Chancellor's Department and experts in the field of marriage and relationships.
Fiona Phillips, GMTV presenter, who is supporting National Marriage Week says, "To agree to love and honour another human being and hear the same back is a wonderful feeling. However, there is no denying that marriage is a big step and that it can take a fair bit of work to make a success of it. I'm delighted to back National Marriage Week because it celebrates the joys of marriage but also helps equip people with the necessary skills to make it a success."
Spearheading this year's pro-marriage campaign is a specially commissioned book based on the cartoon couple entitled "A Year in the Life of Jon & Japonika". The 80-page illustrated book, written by award-winning author Clive Price, tells the story of a post-modern couple who, through their own experiences, reveal the truth behind seven commonly held marriage myths. Priced at £4.95, it will be published to coincide with the launch of National Marriage Week.
If you would like to contact National Marriage Week about your marriage or would like to nominate a long lasting marriage that you know of, please call the NMW press office direct on 020 7450 9053 and speak to Gemma Crosland. To find out more about National Marriage Week visit www.nmw.org.uk.
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For further information and interviews please contact Gemma Crosland at Oasis Media 020 7450 9053 or via email gemma.crosland@oasismedia.co.uk.