Week 3, Day 5 - The Things I Do For Asthma UK

So, today is a rest day - I've turned my thoughts to fundraising.

I've accepted what is known as a "Golden Bond" place in the FLM for Asthma UK. Basically, charities "buy" places from the FLM organisers, in order to pass them on to people who will (hopefully) raise a decent amount of mulah for them. Being as I've accepted one of their places, and paid the entry fee, I need to raise at least £1,500 for AUK. And, being a bit ambitious, I'm really hoping to raise £2,000.

Obviously, this kind of money is not going to just drop into my lap. In previous years, when I've poked/prodded/bribed people into running the AUK 10K in Windsor, we've managed to raise a decent amount of sponsorship between the team* simply by the traditional badgering-people-method, with an online sponsor page at Just Giving. This time, though, I think I'm going to need a bit more than that.

I'm just about to email a lady who works for Virgin Vie, Mr Branson's cosmetics company, to ask if she's still happy to do a "party" for me at some point next month. She's done a couple for my friend in order to raise funds for an animal charity, and I had a word with her at the last one regarding holding another party for my marathon attempt. Hope this one comes up trumps!

I'm in the process** - as I type - of printing out some business-style cards with my Just Giving address on. I'm hoping to hand these out to people so they can take them away and give due consideration to sponsoring me, without me pressuring them on the spot!

Other thoughts that have crossed my mind: bag-packing, a dance/disco, mass emailing (working on this one)...the Facebook option is already active, and any other ideas are welcome.

Right, off to calm down the husband, who's screaming at the printer. Laters, folks.


*Not meaning to blow our own trumpets, or anything, you know, but as a team we were one of AUK's top three fundraisers for the 10K in 2008 - I estimate in the end we raised about £2K.

**Well, I've done all the design work, but now the printer's playing up, so Steve's sorting that bit out :-)