Recognizing the consistency and the sheer power of personality that Sanath has on and off the field, Mr. Mike Cooke, the Chairman and Managing Director of the Mike Cooke Group of companies approached Sanath during the batsman’s recent stint for Lancashire in the English County Championship. After several weeks of discussion, the agreement was finalized during a ceremony at the MCG offices in Colombo on the 03rd of September. As part of this long term commitment with the Mike Cooke Group of Companies, Sanath Jayasuriya will travel to various locations around the world on behalf of the company endorsing the entire range of Group services in between bringing glory to Sri Lanka cricket.

Mr. Mike Cooke, commenting on this landmark signing, said, “My roots are in Sri Lanka’s rural heart of Anuradhapura and I take great pride in what my company and I have achieved internationally. This is something I share with Sanath Jayasuriya, a simple boy from Matara, who, today, doesn’t need any introduction to the global Sri Lankan community nor to the international cricket-loving public. His supreme skill on the cricket field, consistency over nearly two decades of service to Sri Lanka Cricket, integrity and valour in the face of numerous obstacles have been incomparable. The values of quality and integrity that Sanath stands for are the same values that the Mike Cooke Group has long subscribed to and I believe this is a perfect partnership. Sanath’s image and personality will undoubtedly complement my organization as it expands and consolidates its’ positions in the various sectors that it is involved in.”

For Sanath Jayasuriya, a man who has promoted some of the subcontinent’s most famous brands and has become the face of Sri Lankan cricket around the world, the agreement with MCG is a natural evolution. “MCG has always been at the forefront of the expatriate Sri Lankan community in the United Kingdom and elsewhere and it’s an absolute pleasure to be part of the company’s excellence. The company’s association with me personally and with Sri Lanka cricket as a whole goes back some way. I was invited to be featured on the cover of the first issue of UKLanka Times and of course the company was one of the sponsors of Sri Lanka’s successful tour of the British Isles in 2006.”

Established in 1999, the Mike Cooke Group of companies has become synonymous with a wide range of high quality services, with a particular emphasis on serving the large Sri Lankan expatriate communities in the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States. The company has seen unprecedented growth, particularly over the past 4 years; a result of its’ exhaustive marketing and promotional activities which will no doubt be augmented by the signing of one of the world’s most explosive cricketers as brand ambassador. Among MCG’s most recognizable services is Fastcash, the number 1 Money Transfer service to Sri Lanka from the United Kingdom and Australia with a customer base of in excess of 40,000 expatriate Sri Lankans. The company today also includes Holiday Air, launched a mere 6 months ago and already the most talked about Sri Lankan travel services provider in the UK and Australia. Among MCG’s other notable brands are BEST EXCHANGE, the company’s staple retail and wholesale Foreign Exchange operation, UKLanka Times, the premier, glossy, Lifestyle publication for expatriate Sri Lankans as well as UKLanka.net, the foremost news and information portal for UK based Sri Lankans. Also in the MCG stable are House of Lanka, a unique gift delivery service to Sri Lanka and MC Entertainments, the MCG events management and music publishing arm.

Hatton National Bank, which was named Sri Lankan Bank of the Year 2007 by Banker magazine, identified the need of providing housing finance a decade ago, pioneering the concept amongst private sector commercial banks. Over a period of time HNB has introduced various value additions and incentives in granting Home Loans. The recently introduced “Tripartite Agreement” with tested property developers has immensely helped Sri Lankan expatriates, to purchase condominium apartments and own a 2nd home in their native country.

The Mike Cooke Group is the largest privately owned Sri Lankan business group in the United Kingdom. Its primary line of business is Fastcash, one of the most recognizable names among Global Money Transfer service providers in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1999, Fastcash has established itself as the UK’s premier Money Transfer service to Sri Lanka with a customer base of more than 40,000 expatriate Sri Lankan customers.

Mike Cooke, the Chairman and Managing Director of the Mike Cooke Group commenting on the new deal, said, “Fastcash has constantly strived to provide our customers in the UK better and more varied services aside from our staple Money Remittances. What’s more, and unlike other ethnic minorities, expatriate Sri Lankans tend to maintain strong connections to their roots back home. Hence this agreement between MCG and HNB is an ideal opportunity for those looking to further strengthen that connection in a convenient, secure and reliable manner. Thousands of Sri Lankan expatriates come to the UK to work hard and better their lives; they should all be given a helping hand to put down their roots in Sri Lanka. I feel privileged to be a part of providing that assistance in partnership with a reputed and respected institution as Hatton National Bank.”

For more information on the Shanthi Home Loan scheme, contact Fastcash on 020 8886 4488

A Memorandum of Understanding sealing the new alliance is set to be signed at this year’s Festival of Cricket on Sunday 15th July. Soon after the signing of the MOU, customers will be able to utilize this expanded service for transferring money to Sri Lanka.

Fastcash is a subsidiary of the Mike Cooke Group of companies, home to a stable of well established and reputed brands that have served the Sri Lankan community in the United Kingdom with distinction since 1999. Aside from Fastcash, the Group includes Holiday Air, the most talked about Sri Lankan travel agent in the UK, House of Lanka, the novel gift delivery service to Sri Lanka, UKLanka Times, celebrating 2 years in print in 2007 as the premier Lifestyle magazine for UK-based Sri Lankans, as well as of course uklanka.net, the most popular Sri Lankan news portal in the United Kingdom. The Group and its companies have been at the forefront of innovation, constantly evolving in an attempt to provide a more cost effective and convenient service to customers.

For more details of this new partnership, please contact the Fastcash office in London on 020 8886 4488.

The Currency Exchange Corporation has announced a new strategic alliance with Western Union Money Transfers through one of its’ main country agents, London-based Financial Services Group ISI.

The new alliance will augment CEC’s existing Fastcash Global Money Transfer service with Western Union transfers now becoming available at CEC branches in North London and London’s West End. CEC officials say its’ new Western Union service will help reach those global locations where Fastcash has limited access, including parts of Africa and South America.

The Currency Exchange Corporation is a member of the Mike Cooke Group of Companies, a multi-disciplinary business group based in North London. MCG is engaged in a wide variety of services, chief among which are its’ retail and wholesale foreign currency trading operation, Fastcash global money transfers as well as publishing, real estate, transport and e-commerce.

ISI Group is a leading supplier of a wide range of financial services for young people with a particular emphasis on immigrant and atypical workers; from Mortgages for purchasing a home to Personal Loans, from Money Transfer to Ethnic Publications, Life Insurances, a leader Web Site for foreigners, up to telephone services to migrants belonging to several ethnic groups.

The Currency Exchange Corporation and its’ branches, Oakwood, Edmonton, Mayfair and Oxford Street will add to ISI Group’s existing portfolio of more than 8500 locations spread out throughout Europe serving over 2 million customers. Commenting on the new partnership, Mr. Mike Cooke, Chairman and Managing Director of the Mike Cooke Group said, “This new agreement will certainly expand the existing services that we offer our customers; opening up Western Union’s vast network of more than 17,000 official agent locations around the world for money transfers. This is one more move in our continuing efforts to offer a better and wider base of services to our valued customers.”

Since its' establishment in 1999, Fastcash Financial Services has emerged as the leading remittances service to Sri Lanka with a customer base of more than 120,000 in the UK, Australia and the United States. That success has been enhanced by its' partnerships with Sri Lanka's leading banking institutions, including Commercial Bank, Hatton National Bank and Bank of Ceylon. Fastcash New Zealand is set to join similar subsidiaries in Cyprus and South Korea, servicing the large Lankan expatriate communities in those countries. Company officials also disclosed that final preparations are underway for a new remittance partnership between Fastcash and one of the leading banks in Mauritius, aimed at servicing the large Mauritian expatriate community in England.

The Mike Cooke Group has expanded in its' other business sectors as well; the Currency Exchange Corporation, the wholesale and retail Foreign Exchange trading arm of the Group has opened its' latest branch in Golders Green in North London and plans are afoot for three further locations in Greater London this year. And MCG Travel subsidiary Holiday Air recently launched 'Sun Ocean Holidays', a specialist luxury tour operator dedicated to Sri Lanka.

For more information visit www.cecltd.com

The FSA license caps off a remarkable 4-year period for Fastcash and its' parent company, the Mike Cooke Group. The company has extended its' overseas network outside of Europe with the opening a wholly-owned subsidiary in New Zealand, adding to existing offices in Australia and the United States. The company's worldwide client base has expanded rapidly with more than 160,000 Sri Lankans around the world now utilizing Fastcash to remit money to Sri Lanka. Plans are currently underway to open Fastcash offices in Mauritius and South Korea. Perhaps most significantly – particularly in a time of wider economic difficulty – the company has continued to invest in offering an excellent service to its customers with a state-of-the-art online based remittance system as well as other services such as sms alerts for beneficiaries in Sri Lanka.

Mr Mike Cooke, Chairman and CEO of Fastcash commented, "The FSA license is the culmination of all the hard work put in by the team at Fastcash and the result of our long-stated ambition to champion only legitimate money transfers to Sri Lanka. The FSA has recognized the steps we have taken to only carry out remittances that will not only benefit our customers but our country as well; illegitimate money transfers are a blight on our community and our country and no doubt the new FSA guidelines will bring an end to this. Our customers can feel further secure that their hard earned money is safe with us."

For more information visit www.efastcash.biz