One Stratford-upon-Avon Charity gets the chance to 'Pass Go'

“A game for Stratford-upon-Avon – a game for the world"

Public polls for Stratford-upon-Avon's MONOPOLY 'Bard' are closing on Saturday, the dice will have been rolled and those 'die' cast.

But today the makers behind the new official board for the town say due to the 'overwhelming response' of the public they are to re-open polls for one week - starting next Sunday - specifically for charity nominations.

"One Stratford-upon-Avon based charity will appear on its' very own Community Chest square," announced Natasha Rebuck today in Stratford. Ms Rebuck is from the makers of this new board London-based Winning Moves UK.

And it's not just ANY square – it's one in the very posh part of town! And as there is no price tag on a Community Chest square adds Ms Rebuck: “You won't be able to put a price on this charity."

To qualify the charity has to already be registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales.  And it must be local to the Stratford-upon-Avon.

Polls for general landmarks to appear on the multi-coloured sites - made famous on the London board including Mayfair and Park Lane - close on Saturday (April 30^th).

The board will be themed in sets including 'heritage', 'tourism', 'leisure', 'arts', 'education' and – of course – 'Shakespeare'. The board is being dubbed a MONOPOLY 'Bard', though the makers stress it will celebrate and immortalise the town 'past, present and future'.

It is also announced today that the board is proving so popular that the following retailers have already confirmed they will stock the board and some have already put in 'huge pre-orders', reveals Ms Rebuck:

• Boots
• WH Smith
• Asda
• Argos
• TK Maxx
• The Works
• Wiggler
• Card Stop
• Curtis Brae
• WH Smith
• Waterstones
• Magpie
• Debenhams
• BHS

The board will also be widely for sale online – including amazon – making it, according to Ms Rebuck “a world game for everyone – Stratfordonians, the hundreds of thousands who visit the town each year and ex-pats."

She adds: “We received the most wonderful suggestions and nominations in their thousands spanning everything from Shakespeare to shopping and tourism to tearooms," adds Ms Rebuck.

“Thank you to everyone who voted. We are starting designing and putting the board together from early next month and it will be finished and complete and on shop shelves in October, very mysteriously in time for Christmas."

Ms Rebuck would not be drawn on which landmarks and organisations would appear on the board. “We are keeping it under our trademark MONOPOLY top hats until the launch and in any case we don't know just yet as we are only just designing the board and still going through every vote and suggestion."

But it was reported just prior to polls closing that the following five landmarks were faring extremely well in polling:

• Anne Hathaway's Cottage
• RSC
• Shakespeare's Birthplace
• Stratford upon Avon Rugby Football Club
• Tudor World.

“We would like to formally thank each and every person who has voted,"adds Ms Rebuck, who is Custom Games Executive at Winning Moves UK.

“There are 22 of the exclusive multi-coloured property locations up for grabs replacing the London MONOPOLY originals from Mayfair and Park Lane to Whitechapel and Old Kent Road. There are also some others like train, utility sets and Community Chest and Chance squares that will be given a town makeover so 34 squares in total will swap hands from London to Stratford-upon-Avon.

“We shall shortly be studying each and every suggestion that has come in and an extremely BIG thank you to everyone who has either voted or nominated a favourite landmark or street."

The official board is being made by Winning Moves UK under license from MONOPOLY owners Hasbro. Votes to stratford@winningmoves.co.uk or via the official Stratford-upon-Avon Monopoly Facebook page at www.facebook.com/stratforduponavonmonopoly  or by traditional post to MONOPOLY STRATFORD-UPON-AVON EDITION, Winning Moves UK, 7 Praed Street, London W2 1NJ. Polls for charities start on Sunday May 1^st and close at midnight on Saturday 7^th May 2016.

Issued by 6 Star PR Ltd on behalf of Winning Moves Ltd.