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Willow blog

From raffles to running

August 17, 2015

Could you be our next raffle winner? Read Clare’s story…

“I began volunteering for Willow in July 2014, when I helped out with raffle ticket sales and a bucket collection at Folk by the Oak. At the time, I pretty much went along to help out friends and family who were already Willow volunteers, but hearing Luke’s Special Day story, I realised just what a fantastic charity Willow is.

I applied for one of Willow’s London Marathon places and to my delight (and equal horror!) I was offered a place. As well as the traditional “I’m running a marathon, please sponsor me” type of fundraising, I also organised a coffee morning and bake-off at work, where people made a donation in exchange for entering a cake or tasting and judging the cakes. What better way to raise money than eating cake? I also held a Purple Party which my friends attended in exchange for a charitable donation – purple attire was compulsory and I provided purple cocktails and purple cake (you can never have too much cake). Proof that fundraising doesn’t have to be a chore!

It was around this time that I received some Willow raffle tickets through the post. As I was frantically fundraising for my London Marathon fundraising target, I didn’t want to pester people for more money at that point, so I bought all the tickets myself – more to support Willow than because I thought there was actually any chance of winning. So, I survived the marathon, having raised around £2,600 for Willow – it was a couple of weeks later that I received the phone call from Willow saying that I had won first prize in the Spring raffle. 

I was speechless, I didn’t think I was in with a chance of winning and was worried that the raffle being won by a Willow volunteer would look like a fix, but I was assured that the draw had been made at random by a computer! It was fantastic to win the raffle, especially knowing that in buying the tickets I’d helped contribute to the fantastic work that Willow does.

Earlier this year, I was proud to be asked to become a Willow Champion and was very happy to do so, as I strongly believe in the work Willow does and am very glad to do anything I can to help raise awareness of the charity.

So, I would encourage everyone out there to get those purple clothes on, make some purple cakes and get fundraising! Oh, and if anyone offers to sell you some Willow raffle tickets, I strongly suggest that you buy them – someone has to win!”

Don’t miss out on your chance to win. Our Summer raffle closes this Friday 21 August so make sure you get all your tickets back to us by then. 

Play the Willow raffle today