Planning the pub quiz...

Raffle prizes, check
Charity Buckets, check
Change, check
Invites out, check
Chutneys made – …
Chutney ingredients bought, check
Who’s baking what list, check
Pick up baking – on the day
Raffle prizes, check
Charity buckets, check
Raffle prizes, check
Charity buckets, check
Raffle prizes, check
Charity buckets, check
Raffle prizes, check
Charity buckets, check
….ARGH
..Of course, write pub quiz questions… need to check

I cannot tell you how many times, I wrote, checked, rechecked and rewrote my checklist for the pub quiz. The date was closing in, it was Jan all I had was the venue, a list of people who said they would help and a whole list of things to get done. Having never organised anything like this before, what did I even need to add to the list? Then there were the sub lists, raffle prizes, which shops in which areas could I approach? Who did I need to phone, email or see in person? Who did I need to chase? What did I need to buy? What did I need? What did I not need?....Frankly I went a little list crazy, but somehow it came together and before I knew it I had a clear list of things I needed on the day and remaining tasks. All I needed to do; was do them.

Calling upon my beautiful friends I got myself some posters made by the lovely Paul Rudeforth and Christopher Green, picked up charity buckets from Rob Turner (Local Macmillan Representative), had a day of chutney making with Amy and Paul (I have never chopped so many onions in my life!) and went on a very successful raffle prize hunt with Tara Bhatia.

Along the way I learnt how to secure a raffle prize, how to make tasty chutneys and the basics on how to run a charity event, 3 things I didn't know before and hope to use them all again in the years to come. This being my first event, it was a steep learning curve with definite moments of panic, other moments of clarity and definitely some tears along the way – both happy and sad.

The Back Story

Welcome to the  £10,000 Challenge.

I lost my Dad to Myeloma, a cancer of the blood, in Jan 2011 just weeks before his 56th birthday. He had only been diagnosed 4 months prior to this and had every fighting chance going for him to beat the cancer. Sadly during treatment he caught the flu, at the worst time he could have caught it and couldn't fight it. In those 4 days he had the flu, I have never seen anyone try harder to fight anything, he could have given up on day one but he didn't and it make me so incredibly sad, for him, that it got the better of him.  This fighting spirit has inspired me.

Throughout my Dads life he did a lot for charity in one way or another, sponsoring people, getting involved in events, even dressing up as a fairy (my Dad was 6ft 4" and of a rather large build) with charity buckets....losing Dad will have left a whole in these charities pockets and I want to ensure I pick up from where he left off and make sure this gap is not felt.

I want this to be a positive outlet for my grief and something I can use when facing sad and hard days, if I can distract myself for an hour or two organising or planning something when feeling blue, it can only be a good thing.  I have plenty of ideas brewing and been inspired by previous events my Dad has been part of and even my Granddad, ideas and events I never even knew they had done until going through my Dads belongings. To find out more about these, watch this space!

If anyone else is inspired to join and wants to do some fundraising, feel free to add get in touch on phillippacheshire@yahoo.co.uk and see if it is something we can do together/if you have an idea you want to share.

I hope to make a scrap book for this, so any stories people have on charity events Dad took part in, please please let me know, I’d love to add them!

xxxxxx