A mammoth fundraising year for Isabel Hospice!

It will not have escaped your notice that, in 2019, we were involved in a spot of fundraising for Isabel Hospice. And this has culminated in a presentation ceremony at the Hospice where we were delighted to hand over a cheque for more than £11,000.

As part of Cariad’s 10th-anniversary celebrations, we set a challenge to raise £10,000 over the year. Once we’d announced the decision, we then had to sit down with sweet tea panicking about what we’d let ourselves in for. Three packets of biscuits later, we’d regained our composure and started planning a strategy.

With such a huge amount to raise, we thought it sensible to spread events throughout the year and to have one big event as well as lots of smaller activities.

How we did it

If you’re planning some fundraising ideas of your own, please feel free to use our ideas as inspiration.

The big event was something the entire team pulled together for, our Drag Bingo night. The gorgeous Lady B was in charge of the balls, and the splendid Copleys was in charge of catering, donating their time so more money could go to the cause.

Running alongside the Drag Bingo was our charity auction. The big prizes were available on an online silent auction, with winners announced on the night, along with the final bidding for the smaller prizes. Prizes included a tour T-shirt and cap signed by Billy Joel, a print signed by Lewis Hamilton, a signed Arsenal shirt, a cottage holiday and meals in local restaurants.

The smaller events were run by team members:

• Colette and Sara ran two Fish’n’Chip Quiz Nights, both of which were kindly hosted by Stevenage Cricket Club, and MC’d by one of the Hospice’s super volunteers, Larry Wood.
• Alex, who’s a mixed martial arts black belt (and someone we consequently never argue with!), organised a Self Defence Workshop.
• Sarah organised a poetry competition which attracted entries from around the country and culminated with a pamphlet of shortlisted entries launched at a poetry night held at the Hospice’s Living Well Hub. Click here to read the winning poem. Pamphlets of the shortlisted poems are still available in Isabel Hospice shops, priced £5.
• Sara used her floristry expertise to run a Make Your Own Christmas Wreath Workshop.
• Alfie and Zosia, the Cariad dogs, and their canine friends Betty and Phoebe, got all the attention when members of the team stood in the cold for two afternoons collecting for the Hospice at Van Hage’s Garden Centre in Ware.
• The dogs also put their best paw forward for Aimi’s sponsored dog walk. The walk was so popular, it also attracted people who don’t even have dogs, making it a very human-heavy canine occasion…
• Sara and Colette tested their Fitbits in March by doing a 20,000 step challenge every day of the month. Between them, they walked over one and a half million steps!
• The team also did a couple of 50-50 Raffles – where everyone put a fiver into the pot, half of which was the prize for the person whose name was pulled out of the hat.

Cariad’s founder and MD, Justine, was delighted with the team’s efforts. “Everyone knows that Isabel Hospice is very close to my heart and I’m forever grateful for the support they gave me and my late husband, Steve, after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Over the years, Team Cariad has been involved in some great fundraising activities, but nothing as ambitious as raising £10K in a single year! It was only when we were in the initial planning stages that the realisation of what a huge task we’d set ourselves hit me, but as the year went on and more team members came up with some cracking ideas, I knew we’d do it. And in fact, we smashed the £10K mark with a month to spare!”

What are we doing in 2020?

After an exhausting 2019, our ambitions on the fundraising front are slightly lower. This year the charity of the year team vote went to Age UK Hertfordshire. We’re still in the planning stages at the moment but no doubt will soon be shouting about lots of activities and how you can sponsor them. Watch this space!