Marianne Briggs's Great Wall of China fundraising diary

January 2007

• Alice and I sent off for the information and applied for the challenge. I had wanted to apply since I spotted a postcard advertising the challenge in 2005. Funnily enough, Alice had the same idea about the same time. Clearly, great minds think alike!

• Marianne's photos of the challenge

February 2007

• Started looking into ways of fundraising. I discussed the best way to go about it with my knowledgeable friends in events and fundraising, Kath Mainland and Judith Craig. I decided that using a justgiving site and putting on a Ceilidh, pub quizes, and cake bakes were probably going to be the best way to go.

• I started compiling a list of friends and family email addresses to send out my justgiving site to.

• Alice and I chose to set up separate justgiving sites as I decided to raise the travel costs for the trip through working part-time over the Summer.

March 2007

• I began to try and get some press for the challenge. This proved difficult as I missed the final deadline for the student newspaper at Edinburgh where I’m currently studying for an MSc in Classics.

• I began to look into how to write sponsorship letters, and started compiling a list of local businesses and institutions to send them too.

• My friend Ali Foster and I began discussing how to organise the Ceilidh.

April 2007

• Using our connections with The Merlin Pub in Morningside, Edinburgh, Ali and I secured a free venue for the Ceilidh. The next step was finding a Ceilidh Band for £250. This proved difficult, and eventually I found one through a friend (Chuck) who gave me the number for Norman McKay and the Ceilidh Experience. The band was set to cost £350 for the night, but the pub was extremely kind and offered to pay £150 of the fee.

• Having set up my justgiving site I sent out my first press release via email to all my friends and family. My Mum then sent this on to various family and friends and we got a good response from them.

• My friend Isis was the first to sponsor me on my justgiving site. This was very exciting as it meant my fundraising had finally started…

May 2007

• With the date for the Ceilidh set as the 1st June, Ali Foster and I set to work in making sure it happened. Ali took responsibility of organising the raffle and promoting the Ceilidh at the pub, whilst I made posters and flyered Morningside and the University.

• We got a great response for the raffle and a number of kind Edinburgh businesses gave us raffle prizes including: The Merlin, Est Est Est, Jekyll & Hyde, Lush, Macs Jewellery, and Run & Become.

• I sent out my sponsorship letters in May too. Unfortunately, I’ve not heard back from most of them and the companies I did hear back from said ‘no thank you’. However, Run & Become did give us a raffle prize, so I felt the effort was worth it.

• With some effort I also managed to get a piece in the local free newspaper the West End Gazette.

June 2007

• The Ceilidh was a huge success, raising £630 for Epilepsy Action. We decorated the room with Epilepsy Action balloons and flags, and had sweets and snacks on all the tables. I also set up a table with information about Epilepsy Action on it and a booklet showing what the Challenge itself is all about. It was great fun, and over 60 people attended throughout the night. The raffle was very popular too.

• Mariamne's photos of the night

• It was a diverse group of friends, friends of friends, pub workers, random people who were out in Morningside that night, and even a stray hen party. For anyone else organising a similar event I would definitely say that you can not advertise enough. Poster everywhere, to everyone, and anyone!

• After the Ceilidh, my justgiving site and fundraising reached a fabulous £870.

• Continued training for the trek by walking up Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh frequently.

• Following further circulation of my Press Release by my dad I received further sponsorship and donations for the charity.

July 2007

• This month I’ve started to train seriously for the challenge by taking up swimming in the mornings two-three times a week. As I already walk for at least an hour a day this seems enough for the moment, although I am looking to do more serious walking at the weekends.

• I’ve also started to organise a pub quiz and am fundraising by selling cakes when I go into my part-time job on Wednesday’s each week.

• To date my fundraising (including money I’ve raised through working, the justgiving site and events) is at £1484.50.

• Back in Wales, Alice and my parents are planning a car boot sale to fundraise for the charity. Alice and I had planned to do this at the beginning of the month, but we were rained off along with our plans to climb Snowdon for practice.

• I’m also trying to organise a trip up Ben Nevis for the beginning of September and hopefully another Ceilidh either before, or just after, I go to China for the trek.

• Mariamme Photo's of the challenge

If you would like more information about this event please contact our fundraising department:

• by telephone on 0113 210 8800 (UK) or +44 (0)113 210 8800 (international), or

• by email to funding@epilepsy.org.uk

Organised by Global Adventures Challenges (ATOL 6506)