Can you introduce yourselves?
I’m Molly and 20 years old and she’s Millie (she’s 19 years old), we’ve been friends for quite a few years and we decided to run the London Marathon together!
I was diagnosed with a rare genetic eye disease when I was eight years old. This is an incurable condition which causes gradual sight loss, the speed of this loss cannot be predicted as it differs in everyone but it can lead to total blindness. This is a condition which runs in our family affecting my Dad, Grandma and Uncle. Being diagnosed at such a young age was difficult growing up having to cope with such life a changing diagnosis as a child, always knowing I was ‘different’. There have been many challenges to overcome with support from charities such as VICTA. Millie has been a huge support for me always offering a listening ear and shoulder to cry on. Having seen first-hand the struggles I have been through she understands the importance of this charity.
What were the steps you had to take to organise this event?
Our first step was to find a venue to host the event, we needed somewhere where we could host 100+ people – fortunately my parents offered their garden.
Our next step was to organise the auction, we emailed local businesses, family and friends and neighbours to ask for items and prizes that they would be willing to give away and we kept a list of their names and what they’d committed to. We were pleasantly surprised with the auction prizes – we received a Tank Driving Experience, 2 holidays trips were gifted by local businesses (one to Cornwall with a sea-view flat with a balcony and a local holiday in Devon) an afternoon Baking Masterclass was gifted by our neighbour. In total we received 30 different items for the auction. Millie’s dad secured the drill at the auction. My boyfriend won us the holiday in Devon and the holiday in Cornwall went to my Nan (we still don’t know who she’s deciding to take with her!).
Our next step was to organise the bake sale, we kept a list of all of the people who agreed to bake (which was a mix of family, friends and neighbours) and the flavours of their cakes. People baked Victoria Sponge, Lemon Drizzle and Coffee Cake and we had scones and sandwiches (and Prosecco).
Our next step was to organise the furniture, we spoke to neighbours who hosted garden parties before and fortunately they agreed to let us use their table and chairs for the day.
What was the highlight of the event for you?
I think the beginning of the auction, the 4 lots raised more than we expected and I realised it was going to be a really impactful day! We raised £3800 in the auction alone. 150 people came which was brilliant.
Were there any challenges you faced along the way?
The Weather – it was so hot on the day – the biggest challenge was trying to keep the cakes cool! We were asking for donations for the cakes and we’d also asked people to bake them so we didn’t want them to be ruined by the heat. We kept the cakes inside and cool until the last minute and we had 3 cakes left over which were auctioned at the end, people donated £30 a cake auctioned raising £90.
Another challenge due to the hot weather was that we ran out of some of the drinks – fortunately my boyfriend popped out to the shops.
Would you organise an event like this again and would you recommend this to others?
Yes definitely. You realise everyone around you are keen to support you and VICTA once you have spoken to them. We raised £5,008 altogether!
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