15 years later, we’ve reached our £100,000 fundraising goal

How did you become a fundraiser?

Back in 2009, one of my work colleagues asked me to run Great North Run 2009 for Breakthrough Breast Cancer (now Breast Cancer Now). His wife, Audrey, was the Scottish Director of the charity.

I initially had doubts, but that evening I came across the TV programme My Breasts Could Kill Me by Dawn Porter, and it horrified me. I decided to sign up the next day and begin my fundraising journey.

I never expected that, 15 years later, I would still be fundraising for Breast Cancer Now and aiming to reach the £100k milestone before turning 70 in April 2025.

How did go about raising this amazing total?

Soon after I started, I set up a fundraising group. From 2009 to 2020, we took on a variety of activities, from running events, car boot sales and online sales, to raffles, bag packing and bucket collections in shops and bingo hall. However, post-COVID, we were limited to bucket collections.

What support did you receive along the way?

The support I’ve received from Breast Cancer Now over the years has been first-class. They put up with me going on about contactless devices and QR code fundraising, but persistence paid off. Both have been implemented charity-wide, enabling people to raise more money.

For the past year, my current manager Sarah has been a guiding light in my final push, offering fundraising ideas and valuable contacts. It hasn’t been easy post Covid. I’ve had to start again and build new contacts and relationships. But I’ve learned over the years that when one door closes, another one opens.

I am so grateful to the Tesco organisation and to Tesco Milngavie Community Champion Evelyn. Both have supported me since the start, and they’ve supported charities in general throughout the post-Covid period with their online booking system, tasteattesco.com. Without Tesco and employees like Evelyn, we would not have achieved £100k.

What motivates you?

In recent times, family and friends have said, "You've done enough," or "You're too old to stand at stores for 2 consecutive days," or "Look how tired you are on Sunday," or "You've given up so many weekends over the years."

I just remind them of the family and friends who suffered from breast cancer and who inspired me to continue over the years. My niece, Lynne, helped me on so many occasions and is now 10 years all-clear, and my cousin Mae remains strong with a positive outlook during her treatment.

Then there are the countless positive stories from women I’ve met at events who’ve recovered or are undergoing treatment. Some days it was very humbling, and a reminder that being tired the day after an event is insignificant compared to how people suffering from breast cancer feel.

What other campaigns are you involved in?

Fundraising is important, but since 2009, we’ve also promoted self-awareness as the key to early detection. I’d guess that we’ve distributed more than 25,000 Touch, Look, Check (TLC) mini cards and Know my Breasts booklets. I’ve joked with Sarah that we must be the Scottish record holders for early detection awareness.

"TLC works." It saved the lives of Lynne and Mae, and maybe, if you read this, it could save yours too.

When did you reach your goal?

I am delighted to report that during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October 2024, we broke through the £100k barrier, with an overall fundraising total of £103,172. In the final push of 2024, we raised £12,887 as a team by doing bucket collections over a remarkable 14 weekends.

As the organiser, I receive a lot of praise from the charity; however, this achievement would not have been possible without the help of past team members who helped me reach the £50k milestone in October 2018.

I also want to extend thanks to my current team who have supported me over the past six years to help achieve the £100k milestone, with special thanks going to Tommy McKay for helping at every event.

Thanks also to my partner, Lucy, and Tommy’s wife, Cathie, for their patience with the many lost weekends over the years. Lastly, a big thank you to everyone for their generous donations since 2009.

How can people get involved in fundraising?

If you’re interested in bucket collections, you can organise a collection at your local Tesco store. You’d need to register online at tasteattesco.com and you can apply up to 6 stores per year in your local area.

Once you’re registered, they confirm your association with Breast Cancer Now and you can get applying when applications open.