Online auction fundraiser - a great success!
Kate is one of our dedicated team leaders who is supporting her team of fundraisers all the way to the summit of Kilimanjaro in August 2018.
This August, myself and my team of Newcastle and Northumbria University students will be climbing Mt Kilimanjaro - the largest freestanding mountain in the world with a trek that encompasses terrains from jungle to glacier, in order to raise awareness and gain sponsorship which will help Dig Deep achieve their goals- to provide clean water and sanitation, as well as health education, in rural Kenya!
I first decided that I wanted to fundraise for Dig Deep when I read about their projects and the way in which they run them. They listen very closely to the needs of the local residents, and work alongside the local governments to ensure that the solution they provide is as beneficial as it can be. Not only that, but they stay with the project for five years after its completion to ensure that it is working to its full capacity. With this grassroots approach, the difference they can provide is essential to development, and I am very thankful I get to play a part in this process!
Alongside committing to climbing Mt Kilimanjaro, I have been hosting fundraising events, the most recent of which was an auction. Thanks to the generosity of the bidders, and of course the kind companies who donated prizes to be auctioned, I managed to raise £240 for Dig Deep through this one event!
I am very grateful to all the companies who were able to assist me in raising the £240 for Dig Deep, and I would like to take the time to thank each one for their generosity!
Radical Sportscars They invited the winning bidder and a friend to Silverstone, home of the Formula One British Grand Prix, to drive the incredible SR3 RSX racing car which includes one-to-one race coaching from a Radical instructor!
Experience Days They kindly donated a £50 Voucher which can be used for a short break, bungee jumping, animal experiences, supercar racing and so much more!
Will Bratley Will is an amateur photographer and kindly offered two of his original photography prints; one of a long exposure of the Millennium Bridge in Newcastle and the other a black and white scenescape of a boat at Flamborough Head.
They donated two £50 giftcards to use at their Yorkshire and Edinburgh venues for full use of their giant open trampoline area, dodgeball court, air bags and slam dunk zone!
The lovely Alicia, who is a beauty therapist working at the Village Hotel Spa in Newcastle, kindly donated an hour of her time to offer any 1 hour full body massage and a foot pedicure with leg massage as a home treatment!
Quilliam Brothers They donated a beautiful tea set and loose leaf tea. They proudly advertise themselves as the purveyors of the finest tea, and as a longstanding customer I must suggest that if you’re ever in Newcastle you should give their teahouse a go!
They generously donated 24 tubes of professional protection toothpaste
Charlotte Crosby Our final prize was one of the first donations we received! After getting in contact with the Geordie Shore star’s agent, we were sent a signed copy of Charlotte’s latest book, 'Live Fast, Lose Weight'!
My top tips for other fundraisers interested in organizing a charity auction are:
Don’t be afraid to ask - Prior to setting up the auction, I approached lots of companies to ask for their support of which many were very generous! If possible, pop in the see them in person to ask for their support!
Use your links - I would suggest a good starting point would be using your own contacts in order to ask for prizes. The companies who employ you, your friends or your family members may have great links with organisations which can help you out so don't be afraid to ask. It was via this method that I was kindly given my top prize – the track day for 2 at Silverstone from Radical!
Anything goes – Remember that the donations don’t always have to be products! People can donate their time, their skills and talents, as well as vouchers to help you raise money.
Connections matter – Companies who have a connection to the cause may be more likely to donate! For example, the brothers who own Quilliams have been to Kenya, and so have a personal connection to the country.
Make it personal - Remember to use names where possible, and to personalise each request rather than sending out a blanket email.
Thank you so much to every single person who helped me put this auction together, and I am extremely grateful for everyone’s generosity. The money raised by the donations from the above companies, and the generous bids made by those taking part, will make a huge difference to the communities where Dig Deep work.
Since Dig Deep were founded 10 years ago, they have built taps and toilets that are serving over 27,000 people at any one time and rolled out training directly to over 26,000 people. In the next 5 years they expect that these taps and toilets will benefit more than 46,000 people and the training will contribute to improved hygiene for as many as 219,000 people. In the next 3 years they aim to double their impact and, along with the help from the organisations/people named above, I am proud to be helping them achieve this target.
Thank you for doing something amazing.