Posts Tagged 'Charity'

Running for Haydn

FraiserStorywc25

2013 will be the first time Richard Weymes steps up to run his first London Marathon.

Richard began running for the charity Unique, after his son, Haydn, was born in October 2003 with a rare chromosome disorder known as 18q deletion. The disorder means that a major part of his genetic data is missing from each of the billions of cells within his body.

Haydn was born with two holes in his heart and he was unable to breathe initially without oxygen pumped into his incubator. Sadly he is unable to walk, talk or take most foods orally and he is fed special milk through a gastric tube in his tummy via an electronic feeding machine. He requires numerous medicines at various times of the day.

We caught up with Richard to understand what motivates him to run:

“When Haydn was born we knew there was something seriously wrong and those first few days were crucial. He is a real battler and despite everything I could not wish for a better son.

Unique have been so helpful to us as a family and this is why I wanted to raise funds and awareness for them in my first Virgin London Marathon.

“I have set up a Virgin Money Giving page so that people can donate and help me raise my target of £2,000.

“Every single step I run I will be thinking of Haydn and that will drive me on. He is a special little boy and I can’t wait to see him when I cross that finishing line. People say the London marathon is a tough run but when you have been through what Haydn has been through the marathon will be a piece of cake in comparison.”

200 miles in running events in 2012, even more this year!

Crossland

Some fundraisers have really got the running bug!

Not content with tackling 200 miles in events in 2012, Helen Crossland has set herself an awe-inspiring challenge for 2013.

We heard from Helen about her journey:

“In 2009 I decided I would get back into running as I used to enjoy all the sports and events at school.

Getting back into running a good 20 years older wasn’t going to be easy and just like any beginner I found the thought of even attempting to run 5 kilometres an absolutely daunting task.

I knew I would put of any training if I could so I booked myself into some local events to make myself train.  The embarrassment of walking the finish line was not going to happen, I would make it and I will finish whilst running.  My stubborn personality has seen my ability to run long distance go from strength to strength.

If anyone had even hinted that I would be running a marathon in 2013 I would have laughed and called them bonkers for even thinking such a thing.

“It’s now 3 years later and I’ve run various local events of 5 kilometre, 10 kilometre and last year I even got to do more than one half marathon.  That’s 22 kilometres or 13.1 miles.  Either way – it’s a very long way to run.

“This is my second year at this whole fundraising stuff.  2012 I managed to complete over 200 miles of events.

“This year I’ve set myself a much bigger challenge.  Completing all those events in 2012 was hard work.  How could I continue to earn donations by entering running events and keep it a challenge?  I wanted to show that I am going to work much harder this year.

“My 2013 challenge is 5 Marathons (26.2 miles) and 2 Ultra’s (50 miles).  This takes the event mileage to over 300 miles for this year.  To run 26 miles only once is daunting but to attempt it five times in a year has got to be a challenge worth some hard earned pennies.  For those who don’t think 26 miles is far enough the Ultra’s will hopefully show I’m utterly bonkers!

“Milton Keynes Marathon in May 2013 will be my first attempt at marathon distance in an event.

“It’s not going to be easy this year and I want to show that I’m going to earn every penny of donation towards the four charities I’ve selected this year.

  • Make a Wish foundation – having children myself I completely support this idea for the children and their families to have those special moments to cherish.  Nuff said.  I’m welling up with tears.
  • RSPCA – To help them support animals.  I donate to them monthly already and I will for a as long as I can.
  • RNLI – Unsung heroes to our rivers and coastlines.  I will do my best to raise a few pennies for you guys.
  • Cancer Research – Since I started running I have raised money for them each year.  This year I’m doing it through Virgin Money Giving and I hope whatever money I raise will continue the fight against cancer.

There’s not much more I can say other than I’m going to try my hardest to beat last years fundraising effort.

Thank you Virgin for setting up fundraising pages like this to help.”

Make Your Mark – the final winner

MYMv2A huge congratulations to Tricia Bath from Maidstone – our final winner of the Make Your Mark competition held in 2012.

Tricia was fundraising for Homeless Charity Crisis, setting up a Virgin Money Giving page but also volunteering her time during Christmas.

Crisis at Christmas is really popular. I didn’t register my interest quick enough in 2011, so last year I was determined and registered in November.”

Tricia was stationed at The Hub, a Crisis distribution centre in Bermondsey, south east London.

She spent the day distributing items to Crisis Skylight centres all over London as one of 33 volunteer drivers.

“I drove everything from small cars to large refrigeration vehicles.

“We were transporting all sorts – food, donated clothing, even massage tables people had loaned out for the cause so the charity clients could get a treatment if they wanted.

“The scheme is brilliant because over five days it gives the clients a thorough health check and access to a few luxuries, which is the sort of thing we take for granted. All in all it was really satisfying and I would recommend it to anyone. I’m going to register in September this year to make sure I can do it again this Christmas.

“I was absolutely amazed to hear that I’d won the donation from Virgin Money Giving, especially as I hadn’t even realised there was a prize draw happening!

It was Crisis that had suggested I fundraise through Virgin Money Giving, so I’m over the moon, and look forward to volunteering again next Christmas.”

Well done to Tricia – who received a £2,012 donation to her page.

Tips from the Help Desk – choosing your charity

Virgin Money Giving Help Desk

Our forums are a great way of keeping in touch with fellow fundraisers and to ask us questions.

Over the past few months there have been some popular topics that you’ve been keen to find out more about, including APIs , fundraising tips and making changes to fundraising pages.

We’re going to be  picking up some of these on our blog over the next few weeks.

First in our series is your choice of charity. A few fundraisers have asked if it is possible to change who you choose to support.

Once you’ve  created your fundraising page , you won’t be able to change your chosen charity, or the donation split if you’re fundraising for multiple causes.

It’s really important that you choose the right charities when you set up your page.  But if you do need to make a change to the charity you picked, you will need to close your fundraising page and set up a new one. You only need to close the page, not your Virgin Money Giving account.

If you have raised any money on the closed page, this money will make its way to the charity you chose first.

If you want to display this money on your new page to show everyone how well you have done, you can list this in the ‘offline fundraising’, and if you want to publicly mention or thank the donors, you can do this in the ‘about me’ section.

When you sign in to your account you will still see the closed page, but don’t worry, no-one else will see this.

If you need any help with closing, creating or amending pages, please contact the team on 0845 6 10 10 45 or email us on  theteam@virginmoneygiving.com

Upgrade your Virgin London Marathon

Virgin London Marathon Green Start

Are you running the 2013 Virgin London Marathon and fundraising for charity using Virgin Money Giving?

If you set a fundraising target on your page you could be in with a chance to win one of eight upgrades to the celebrity ‘Green’ start on race day.

As well as mingling with the stars you’ll benefit from less crowds, no queues and better loos.

To be in with a chance to win one of these prizes all you have to do is set a target on your fundraising page.

Terms and conditions apply.

A New Year, a new fundraising challenge

Start your 2013 challenge at virginmoneygiving.com
Now it’s 2013  lots of you will be head first into your New Year resolutions.

Had you thought about combining your New Year resolution with a fundraising challenge and raising money for your favourite charity?

If you’ve challenged yourself  to get fit why not sign up to an event like the Blenheim Triathlon, or London to Paris bike ride and  create a Virgin Money Giving page, and ask your friends and family to sponsor you.

There’s lots of organised events to choose from, 5k all the way up to Ultra Marathon’s.

Inspired by the Great British Bake off? Or received a fabulous recipe book for Christmas? Why not make more of your kitchen and take your cooking to a new level this year. You could hold a bake sale for your friends or at work, or host a Come Dine With Me challenge, charging your guests a donation to experience your culinary skills first hand.

Determined to try something a bit more daring – like white water rafting, abseiling or skydiving?

If your New Year resolution has got you fundraising let us know, we’d love to hear from you!

The countdown to the Virgin London Marathon

It’s less than 100 days until the 2013 Virgin London Marathon – a perfect milestone to let your friends, family and colleagues know that you’re taking on the 26.2 miles for charity and to point them in the direction of your Virgin Money Giving page.

If you’ve yet to set up your page, it’s quick and easy. Just follow these simple  steps.

Why not keep us updated on your fundraising and training efforts on our Facebook, Google+ or Twitter- You’ll want to follow us as we’ve got some exciting competitions coming between now and race day.

Oh and don’t forget as soon as you receive an online donation to your Virgin Money Giving page we’ll send you an exclusive Virgin London Marathon kitbag.

Enter My Christmas Wish and be in with a chance to win £2,012

One less card could make all the difference

Christmas is fast approaching and with the festive period now in full swing you can make a real difference by joining our ‘My Christmas Wish’ event.

We all spend money on sending Christmas cards to friends and family, but why not use that money to make a longer term difference and give it to your charity.

The idea is simple.

  • Instead of buying Christmas cards and stamps this year, set up a fundraising page and donate that money to your charity.
  • Tell your friends and family what you’re doing by sending them a link to your page.
  • Encourage them to visit your page and leave a donation along with their Christmas wish to you.

By joining the ‘My Christmas Wish’ event and making a donation, you automatically get entered into the ‘Make Your Mark’ competition where you could win £2,012 for your charity.

Remember, this is the last month for taking part in our ‘Make Your Mark’ campaign. If you’ve already set up a page and are getting involved in a fundraising activity by the end of the year, good luck! As soon as you receive your first donation, we’ll automatically enter you into the draw to win the last £2,012 donation.

If you need some inspiration take a look at our festive fundraising blog.

 

Festive fundraising

SantaDashChristmas is fast approaching and we’ve seen lots of fundraisers take on festive fundraising.

If you’re looking to hold your own Christmas inspired fundraising event, or take part in a organised event but are struggling for ideas, we’ve put together a few suggestions.

Let us know what you’re getting up to.

  1. Take part in a Santa Dash: One of the most popular events for keen runners and fans of fancy dress is the Santa Dash. You can find details of your nearest run here.
  2. Christmas Cake Sale: Why not bake some mince pies and other festive goodies and take them into work. Your colleagues could leave a donation for each mince pie they munch on!
  3. Christmas donation. Instead of Christmas presents, you could ask your friends and family to donate to your favourite charity. Alternatively you could ask for donations instead of Christmas cards.
  4. Donate your time to help charity. Perhaps your charity is holding a volunteer day or you could help at the local old people’s home in setting up for Christmas. Some charities are also holding wrapping days.
  5. Boxing day dip. If you’re a keen swimmer and not afraid of the cold weather, lots of swimming clubs and lidos have Boxing Day dips. Check with your favourite charity, or local swimming centre to see if they have any Boxing Day dips or swims planned.

Don’t forget to send us details and pictures of your festive fundraising – and remember if you’re taking part in a fundraising event in December you could win a £2,012 donation to your chosen charity.

Make your mark – we have another winner

ShamptonHospA huge well done to Stephen Preston who was the winner of our November ‘Make Your Mark’ prize draw, winning £2,012 for his chosen charity, the Southampton Hospital Charity.

Stephen asked for donations instead of gifts to celebrate a family birthday. We heard from Stephen about his reasons for choosing the charity – and from the charity about how the donation will be spent:

“When Adeline [our daughter] was born, she had a malformation known as a TOF (tracheo-oesophageal fistula with oesophageal atresia) meaning she couldn’t swallow. She needed an operation when she was 10 hours old to correct it. After this she spent nine days in the neonatal unit.

“Theodora was born at 31 weeks (nine weeks early) weighing just 755g (1lb10oz).

“She spent just under three months on the unit until she was ready to come home, including her first Christmas.

“Despite being early and very small, she has come through it without any major problems.

“As an example of how they went “above and beyond”, at Christmas, every one of the 43 babies in the unit had their own stocking including a comforter blanket embroidered with their name, and parents received hand made cards with their baby’s footprints.

“The surgeons, paediatricians, obstetricians and nurses were superb – caring, knowledgeable – really expert in their fields.

“They continue to follow-up the children to make sure they stay healthy.

“We were lucky to be looked after by such an amazing team and I wanted to be able to give something back.”

Suzie Simmonds, fundraising officer at the Southampton Hospital Charity was delighted that one of their fundraisers won the November £2,012 draw:

“We are absolutely thrilled that Stephen has been one of the Make your Mark in 2012 competition winners.

“The £2,012 that Stephen has won will be going to our neonatal Unit where Stephens girls were cared for. The money will make a real difference to the babies and their families on the unit and will go towards helping us make their experience on the unit as best as we can.

“The money may be used to help expand the parental accommodation facilities which are being fundraised for currently. This project will enable more parents to stay overnight near their babies, to be on hand to help care for them at whatever hour of the day.

“Our thanks go to Stephen for his fundraising and to Virgin Giving Money.”


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