Charity launches nationwide campaign to find the most talented variety acts in the retail sector.
Retail Trust, the principal charity for the retail sector is calling on everyone from independent retailers to big name chains in its Search for a Star campaign and will be touring the country to find the UK's most talented singers, dancers, bands, comedians and other variety acts.

A soon-to-be announced panel of judges, including celebrity and retail figures, will preside over the competition.

The campaign will kick off with an auditions roadshow, followed by an online public vote, with the live grand final held at the Retail Trust London Ball on January 25, 2010.

The Search for a Star roadshow will take place in Manchester on September 26-27 and in London on September 29 to October 1, 2009.

Retailers and the public will then be able to text vote and view their favourite acts online at www.retailtrustsearchforastar.com, with the top four acts announced on December 7.

The live grand final will take place at the Retail Trust London Ball at Grosvenor House, London.

Retail Trust ceo Nigel Rothband said: "Search for a Star will be a great opportunity for the Retail Trust to raise awareness on the shop floor and let everyone in retail know that we are there when they need us."

He added: "We also want to give the sector something to celebrate and enjoy."

The campaign is being supported by some of the biggest names in retail, including Marks & Spencer and House of Fraser.

The Retail Trust offers support to the UK's 3m retail workers, many of whom have faced tremendous difficulty over the past year. Its London Ball in 2009 raised just over £1m, which has helped to fund the £1m worth of hardship grants planned to be given away this year and its newly launched ReWork programme.

For further information on the Search for a Star campaign, visit the Retail Trust's website or call Angela on 020 8358 7252.