Blues season-ticket holder Mary Woods is looking forward to a dream holiday to Orlando after winning a prize draw organised by the club’s shirt sponsor and principle partner EZE Group.

Mary, from Warwick, won the Florida prize at the end of the season after submitting regular nominations for the EZE Group Birmingham City FC Player of the Month awards.  All fans who nominated a player for the monthly award during the season were entered into the draw to win a trip for two to Florida.

Blues young midfield star Callum Reilly made a surprise visit to Mary’s home in Warwick to present the prize and she is now looking forward to visiting the sunshine state with daughter Sarah who has also been a season ticket holder for the last four years.

Originally from the east end of London, Mary started supporting the Blues when she became the landlady of a popular pub in Birmingham City Centre.  “I’ve been following Blues for 10 years and ever since I became interested in football after chatting to regulars in the pub,” explained Mary.

Commenting on her holiday success, Mary said:  “I’m absolutely amazed as I’ve never won anything in my life.”

Dominic O’Reilly, chief executive of EZE Group, said:  “As a company, we are all about providing memorable lifestyle experiences, so it’s great to be able to treat a loyal fan like Mary.”

There is always an element of sadness when a football season ends, but one of upsides of this period in the footballing calendar is the fact that events such as ‘Bring Your Boots’ take place.

‘Bring Your Boots’ was a tournament sponsored by Eze Group, comprising of six teams made up of fans.

The six-team competition saw Clarity Copiers lift the silverware after defeating Jossy’s Giants in the final. Some really great football was witnessed as well as some: tough tackling, hard knocks and a lot of fun.

All in all the players and spectators (and Eze Group) had a fabulous day.

Tough tackling

Modern professional football, with its highly paid players, can sometimes come in for criticism – justified or otherwise – so it was great to see a variety of abilities and playing styles prove that the ‘beautiful game’ can be highly enjoyable to watch, even when practiced by players somewhat closer to the grassroots of the game.

We at Eze Group are very proud to have been able to get 6 teams onto the hallowed turf of St Andrews and left a lot of players, family and friends with some great memories.

Glittering Prizes

Nearly 800 people were in attendance as the Eze Group hosted a fabulous night at the Birmingham International Convention Centre. A host of awards were on offer to mark the great performances produced by Blues players this season.

Football and Fun

Incredible skills from a seated position

Guests were greeted by a fabulously skilled young man with an array of football juggling artistry    (shoudn’t we be trying to sign that boy up?)
 
 
 
 
 
 

Meet the two Squads

Eze Group have had a highly enjoyable time this season and hope to continue their association with this great club and great city.

Some of the Eze Group party – Liam O’Reilly, Daniel Darias (MD Eze Group) his partner Noelia Cabrera, Dominic O’Reilly (CEO Eze Group), Kerry Harper, Sharon Moules, Michael O’Reilly, Matt Harper (Sales Directory Eze Group) and Andy Moules.

Birmingham City FC – A great squad blending youth and experience

Youth, talent, enthusiasm and a few wise old heads to boot

Beyond compere -

Birmingham’s own broadcasting legend Tom Ross kept us all entertained and kept the proceedings moving in his role as compere of the night’s events.

The legend that is Tom Ross

Player of the year – Curt Davies receives his award as Players Player of the Year

Daniel Darias Managing Director of Eze Group presents Curtis with the first of his awards

Justly rewarded – a proud Curtis Davies shows off his awards from both fellow players and supporters

The fans and fellow professionals agree about one thing

Don’t forget our award!

Lee Clark presented Eze Group with a memento of their time as sponsors of Birmingham City FC

Liam O’Reilly, Lee Clark and Dominic O’Reilly (Eze Group CEO)

Help Harry -

Harry Moseley’s mum Georgie thanking Eze Group for their support. Georgie has worked tirelessly to keep up the legacy of charitable fundraising started by her brave son Harry.

Thanks Eze Group for their great support

One of many highlights -

The shirt worn by Curtis Davies during the Nottingham Forrest game – a game when Eze Group gave up their branding in favour of the charity Help Harry – was auctioned for £2,500 lucky (for the Eze Group Charitable Foundation) two players had their eye on it and a second shirt was produced to keep both players, and charity, happy to the tune of £5,000 pounds.

Birmingham City executive Amelia Reeves with the shirt that raised £5,000

Thank you all so much -

Steve Dann, Eze Group PR Officer thanks the club, the supporters and the supporters group; together they’ve made this season a fabulous experience for all of us at Eze Group – thank you.

A hearty thank you from Eze Group was delivered by Steve Dann

Personal finance writer Gemma Hughes shares her top money saving tips when exchanging foreign currency.

Personal finance writer Gemma Hughes shares her top tips for buying foreign currency.

1. Don’t buy too far in advance

If you buy currency a long way in advance you risk losing potential interest on it and gamble on how much the exchange rate may change before you travel. You may decide to have £100 or £200 in cash to use when you arrive in your destination, but you are better topping this up by using a cash machine than exchanging large sums. However keep in mind that not all debit or credit cards can be used abroad, and your bank or credit card provider may charge you a fee for taking money out overseas.

2. Keep spare foreign currency

If you travel a lot, especially within Europe or the United States, it is worth holding on to any leftover cash each time you travel so you don’t need to buy as much for your next trip.

3. Debit cards

When you need cash abroad, the cheapest, easiest and most flexible way to buy will most likely be with your debit card in a cash machine. You will usually be charged a fee (normally 1.5-2 per cent) and the exchange rate used will be ‘loaded’ against you by as much as 2.75 per cent. However it is still likely to work out cheaper than, or just as cheap as, buying cash from a bureau de change. It is also useful to note the minimum fee for cash withdrawals – it could be more cost effective to take out a larger sum at once than lots of small amounts. Be careful using your debit card for purchases as well, some banks now charge you each time you use your debit card to buy things abroad.

4. Credit card

If you don’t pay off the balance of your credit card every month, common sense will tell you to use it as little as possible. It is also not advisable to use your credit card to take money out from a cash machine as you will pay a ‘cash advance’ fee on this.

However, if you do pay off the balance on your credit card every month and as a result don’t accumulate substantial charges, there are benefits to using a credit card abroad. Firstly, you will get free credit until you need to pay off your balance, and secondly you will get a competitive exchange rate without extra commission charges.

Thirdly, you get additional consumer rights and protection. You are covered against the insolvency of a company that charges you for goods or services in advance, and under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act if you buy something with a credit card abroad and it turns out to be faulty, (and you are unable to get a replacement) you can claim a refund from your credit card provider.

5. Currency cards

Currency cards are credited with a fixed amount of sterling or foreign currency before travelling, and are like electronic travellers’ cheques, although more flexible as you can use them to directly pay for goods in shops and restaurants or use them to withdraw money from cash machines. You usually have to pay a registration fee, but the idea behind the cards is to help you budget, by setting a fixed amount of spending money. They also protect against fraud, although no more than a credit or debit card.

As these currency cards can be topped up by friends and family in Britain, they could be very useful for younger travellers or those on a gap-year looking to have an emergency reserve.

Gemma Hughes writes on personal finance issues for Money Advice Service Scotland.

Why not try your hand at quad biking?

Tenerife is generally associated with year-round sunshine, warms seas, sandy beaches and package holidays. The perfect place to relax and enjoy a fortnight’s break.

However there is a wilder, more adventurous side to the island too. With everything from plummeting canyons to volcanic caves, towering mountain peaks and lush pine forests, Tenerife’s stunning landscapes provide a backdrop for a wide variety of mountain activities.

Whether you’re up for a leisurely walk through the wilderness or a challenging rock climb, there are mountain activities for every taste and level of expertise. Get out there and explore! Those looking for an action-packed getaway should not dismiss Tenerife. Here we’ve listed our favourite action-packed activities:

Hiking

The highpoint for walkers on Tenerife is the caldera of the immense volcano called Mount Teide. This amazing active volcano is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a national park. Join a party of walkers to explore the vast, rugged region surrounding the imposing volcano or, for the more adventurous, scale the magnificent edifice itself.

Diving

Tenerife is recognised around the world as a centre for first-rate diving. There are several Professional Association of Diving Instructors courses available on the island that will teach you the basics to diving, and allow you to dive into the glorious, warm waters just off the island.

Biking

For those who enjoy extreme mountain biking, Tenerife is the place for you. Some of the isolated mountainsides of the island are off-limits to mountain bikers, but there are many that offer fantastic riding in amazing weather conditions. Bike hire is available all around the island, so you will have no excuse not to jump in the saddle and take on the mountains.

Quad bikes

If you prefer a bike with four wheels and an engine, then quad biking could be the sport for you. Tenerife has two quad biking options, Quad Park, which gives you the chance to take local tracks to experience the thrill of quad biking, or the Quad Safari that takes groups off-road into the rugged mountains. Instructions and safety equipment is supplied.

Ocean kayaking

Why not explore the stunning volcanic shores of Tenerife from an ocean kayak? Available from as little as 10 euros an hour, you can explore the inlets and rocky coves from your very own kayak. Tuition is available for the inexperienced from El Cardon at Punta de Teno. They will also organise equipment hire and can give you information on the best places to explore.

Tenerife may have a well-earned status as an island holiday paradise, but look below the surface and a volcano of thrill-seeking fun awaits. Do not overlook Tenerife when planning your action-packed holiday.

Kieran Stanley meets Marlon King as part of his EZE Wish.

EZE Group granted another deserving Blues fan an EZE Wish last month, as part of our EZe Wish Campaign.

Blues fan Kieran Stanley was given a rare chance to see behind the scenes of important pre-match preparations, prior to the recent fixture at home to Sheffield Wednesday. He had the opportunity to assist the club kit manager before the match.

Kieran is sixteen and lives in Sheldon and has courageously battled Cystic Fibrosis from age one. He is a regular supporter in the Tilton Road Stand, along with his dad John, who nominated Kieran for his EZE Wish. After the game Kieran was treated to VIP hospitality in the EZE Group executive box.

Kieran has to undergo physiotherapy twice a day, but still gets on with his life as normally as he is able to. His dad John says, “He was diagnosed when he was just one, but despite everything he has never complained and has just learnt to deal with the illness. Kieran is a fitness fanatic and the doctors are amazed at how well he has done.”

Since he started supporting Birmingham City, Kieran has hardly missed a game at St. Andrew’s and he and his dad regularly travel to away fixtures.

John added, “It’s brilliant for him to help the kit manager prepare the dressing room and a great gesture by EZE Group and the club. Kieran lives and breathes the Blues and I’m sure it is something he will cherish for the rest of the life.”

EZE Wishes are part of a campaign to recognise those supporters who have shown outstanding loyalty to the club, have overcome hardships or are extraordinary members of the community. If you know a deserving Blues fan, you could grant their wish to meet players, be a mascot on match day or enjoy VIP hospitality in the executive box.

La Palma, often called La Isla Bonita

Eze Group is lucky enough to have strong ties with the beautiful Canary Islands. The fifth largest of these stunning islands is La Palma, a great holiday destination if you are looking for a hidden gem.

La Palma isn’t on most people’s radars but that is part of its charm. Known as ‘Isla Bonita’ it is largely unspoilt and underdeveloped, offering a peaceful and authentic picture of the Canaries.
Located 200km west of the Moroccan coast in the Atlantic Ocean, the 728 square kilometres that make up La Palma are home to around 80,000 inhabitants, many of whom are employed in the subsidised banana plantations. Banana plantations are prevalent on the island, especially in the coastal regions. If you visit the island you will see bananas growing pretty much everywhere you go!

La Palma is considered very steep for its land mass, with many areas growing steeply upwards from coastal regions to volcanic tips. It is the most volcanically active of the Canary Islands and around half a million years ago, the volcano, Taburiente, collapsed with a giant landslide, forming the Caldera de Taburiente, which is definitely worth a trip to see.

The three main tourist areas of the island are Los Cancajos on the east coast, and Puerto Naos and Tazacorte on the west coast.

Los Cancajos

Los Cancajos

Los Cancajos is the main resort on the island, and services as the main beach area and seaside town for the capital, Santa Cruz de La Palma, located 4km away.

It’s a relatively new resort (there was no village or harbour here prior to the hotels being built) and features hotels, bars and restaurants, grocery stores, sun loungers, showers, a children’s playground and three black sand beaches, separated from each other by rocks.

Los Canajos is a small and quiet resort compared to its other Canary Island counterparts, but offers all you need in one place with easy access to other parts of the island.

Watersports are popular here, and it is recognised as one of the best places on the island to snorkel and dive. Although it does not have the best weather on the island, it does have more constant temperatures due to the cloud cover caused by the prevailing wind from the north-east.

Many coach excursions leave from Los Canajos so you will be able to pick up a tour to visit the rest of the island. There is also a regular bus service to Santa Cruz.

Puerto Naos

Puerto Naos

Puerto Naos is situated on the south-west coast and has one of the best beaches on the island which is formed from ground volcanic rock. It was originally a traditional fishing village and had a small landing place for boats carrying bananas, but little remains to be seen although the village itself is still fairly underdeveloped.

This is a popular tourist area due to the beach and the climate (Puerto Naos has good temperatures all year round making it a popular winter spot).

It mainly consists of privately owned apartments, but there is a wide range of bars and restaurants, tourist shops and a few supermarkets. At the end of the beach there is the hotel Sol La Palma.

Tazacorte

Tazacorte

Tazacorte is located on the west side of the island and claims to be the warmest place of the island. It is split into two main sections, Tazacorte and Puerto Tazacorte.

The town of Tazacorte is situated approximately 1km above the coast and overlooks the ocean and the banana plantations. It is the main centre and houses the shops, supermarkets, government buildings, as well as new and old houses.

Puerto Tazacorte is the village around the beach and harbour and is very attractive with a black sand beach and promenade. It has may cafes, bars and (fish) restaurants along its long boulevard.

Around 85% of the land in Tazacorte is used for banana plantations, as crops grow well due to Tazacorte having the greatest number of hours of sun in Europe during the entire year.

The harbour at Tazacorte is the base for private yachts, dolphin watching trips, the local fishing fleet, a cargo ferry and the fish farms off the coast.

Simon Whitlock sporting the Eze Group sponsorship logo.

ITV had a huge impact on the popularity of darts when then cancelled its World of Sport programme marking a very dark time for the sport. When they dropped all coverage after the World Masters tournament in 1988, professionals began to worry about the lack of interest and sponsorship money coming in. Sponsors didn’t want to commit to the dingy and dour image the sport was portraying.

Fly forward nineteen years and darts is now one of the largest commercial and sporting triumphs, despite the tough economic times we are living in. The PDC (Professional Darts Corporation) are arranging more and more tournaments all over the world. The reputation of darts has not only improved in the UK, but is gaining popularity all over the world. Sky Sports have just started their new season of McCoy’s Premier League, bringing in more and more commercial success and awareness. Darts sponsorship is also at a record high. The British Darts Organisation Lakeside tournaments are still being broadcast on the BBC in January every year, and the people competing in that organisation are just as famous as their wealthier colleagues in the PDC.

So what has changed the perception of this sport? One of the features that made darts so unpopular in the 80s could be the reason for its triumphant return. Since the Sky Sports revolution, the pub has become an important place for those who want to watch live sport on the TV. And, remembering that the venue of darts tournaments is essentially a large pub itself, with beer, banter and camaraderie why wouldn’t it be a popular day out for live sports fans? There is a lot of enjoyment gained from watching darts today.

Players shirts are now overloaded with sponsors, there are advertising boards competing for attention around the venues and we even have celebrities turning up for a good night out. New sponsorship money has resulted in prize funds increasing at a spectacular rate, with the PDC championship carrying a prize fund of one million pounds – something that would never have been envisioned in the late eighties.

Darts has created sporting heroes. James Wade, Adrian Lewis and Phil Taylor have become household names in the sport. Phil Taylor even came second in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2010, beating Jessica Ennis and David Haye. People are able to relate to these stars, feel they are able to engage with them and stand in awe of their mathematical skill and the accuracy with which they throw on a consistent basis.

The world has fallen in love with the simple game of arrows. It has transformed from a simple past time between mates into a global brand in little over two decades. But when you strip back the money, the show business and the glamour, the game is still one we can all relate to and while that’s the case, the full house signs will be up in arenas all around the world for years to come.

Blues duo Nathan Redmond and Callum Reilly help kickstart a mass bracelet making session at Harry HQ.

This weekend’s home game against Nottingham Forest will be dedicated to Birmingham’s Official Charity Partner to raise awareness and funding for Help Harry Help Others. This follows on from the charity’s first fundraising boost at St. Andrew’s in October, which raised an incredible £7,500.

All money raised will aid the charity in achieving its aim – help cope, help care and help cure cancer.

The Help Harry Help Others logo will also be shown on the matchday shirts alongside the EZE Group logo. EZE Group have also donated VIP hospitality for 10 people and their collection allocation to the cause. To help kick-start fund raising for Saturday’s game, Blues players Nathan Redmond and Callum Reilly visited the charity’s HQ in Church Road, Yardley where they joined volunteer supporters in a busy bracelet making session. HHHO have free reign of the stadium at the game and will be doing a bucket collection in and around the stadium, as well as continuing the mass bracelet session with an army of selfless supporters.

Bracelets, in the Blues colours, will be available on Saturday from a HHHO collector or throughout the season from the Kop Ticket Office, Blues Superstore and the Kop Reception.
Help Harry Help Others was founded in 2009 by Harry Moseley, a courageous boy who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour at seven years old. Despite being ill, Harry set up the Help Harry Help Others campaign and made bracelets to raise money, so that he might be able to find a cure for brain cancer and prevent others being ill. Bracelets are now a powerful symbol for the charity.
Harry devoted the last few years of his life to raising money for research into brain tumours but sadly lost his battle with cancer at eleven. During these last years he managed to raise over £650,000 in his fight to make a difference and support others.

After Harry’s death his family ensured Harry’s hard work and legacy would live on and made his dream of having his own charity come true. As a result of their determination Help Harry Help Others is now a registered charity which embraces Harry’s values. Harry was a generous, caring boy who not only wanted to raise money for cancer research, but wanted to inspire other children to do good things and help others.

Harry’s mum and HHHO chairman and founder Georgie Moseley, said: “Harry was a big Blues fan and St Andrew’s was one of the first places he visited to sell the bracelets. We are extremely grateful to the club and sponsors EZE Group for the support they have provided and are really looking forward to the support of Blues fans at the game on Saturday.”
If you would like to find out more about the charity please visit http://www.hhho.org.uk follow: @harry_moseley or like their Facebook page. You can also donate £5 towards this worthwhile by texting ‘Harry’ to 70800.

Birmingham City are also running a competition to win one of four sets of family of four tickets to the upcoming Blues v Watford fixture. To be in with a chance of winning, they are asking fans to tweet a picture of you and your friends wearing your Blues Help Harry Help Others bracelet to @bcfcdotcom with the hashtag #HHHODay by 9pm on Saturday the 16th of February. Anyone under sixteen must have parental permission before sending in photographs. The winner will be announced on Tuesday 19th February.

EDWARD’S TRUST LOOKING TO SCORE WITH BLUES FANS

Edward’s Trust, the Birmingham based bereavement charity, is hoping for a big result with Blues fans this weekend.

A  match-day collection  is taking place at the Brighton & Hove Albion fixture on Saturday, January 19  thanks to a special partnership the charity has formed with the Birmingham based EZE Group Foundation.

As well as being Blues shirt sponsors and principal partners EZE Group also supports a number of local charities through its Foundation.

Edward’s Trust was established in 1989 by Peter and Hilary Dent after the death of their son, Edward, aged just 7 from cancer. During the past 23 years the charity has helped thousands of children and families from Birmingham and the West Midlands during serious illness and bereavement.  Edward’s Trust provides:

• Support for anyone affected by the death of a child aged under 18 years.
• Support for any parent affected by the death of their own child – no matter what the age of their child or the cause of death.
• Support for children aged 4 to 18 years, bereaved of a primary carer, either at Edward’s Trust or through outreach work in schools.
• Training and consultation for professionals working with bereaved families.
• Complementary therapies and respite bereavement care for parents and carers.

Stephanie Bradbury, Fundraising and Development Manager at Edward’s Trust, said:  “We are enormously grateful to the EZE Group Foundation, BCFC and all the fans for supporting our collection. We hope to raise much needed funds to allow us to continue our life changing work. The Trust needs to raise at least £1,000 each and every day of the year to maintain the services currently available. We do not receive any government funding so we are urging supporters to give as much as they can afford.”

Fans can make a difference by texting Kite19 £5 to 70070.