Travel Money: Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

Fundraiser of the month: October 2006

Name: Lizzy Bell

Age: 18

Hometown: Sheffield

Hi Lizzy, how's it going?

Fantastic! Now the A level results and all that stuff is out of the way I feel much more focused on preparations for my project.

So we hear you are currently fundraising for your upcoming gap year to South Africa - what will you be doing out there and how long are you going for?

My fiance, Aaron, and I are heading out to Port Elizabeth next April to work as volunteer teachers for three months with gap year organisation GAP SPORTS.

What attracted you to this placement?

It sounds cliche, but I want to make a difference. I have found the last two years in sixth form the hardest of my life to date. I started planning the project after Christmas this year, and focusing on it helped me to get through the exams. It gives me a real buzz!

Any travelling planned for after the placement?

Hopefully we'll be able to stay in Cape Town for a week. I read A Long Walk To Freedom by Nelson Mandela, and I want to see Robben Island where he was imprisoned. It'll be amazing to see the places he talked about.

How much money do you need to finance this altogether?

£2600 each, minimum!

Is all of this money coming from fundraising or are you working too?

I have just got a full time job, which is by far the best way to raise money. It's a regular income that you can count on.

We hear interesting things about a leaflet campaign - aiming to get £3 from 250 people to raise £750 - what made you come up with this idea and how has it been coming along?

We worked out how much we needed to raise - and this seemed a good way to go about it. I have applied for collecting permits from the council and have collecting tins, so we should be marching the streets of Sheffield in no time! The leaflet was a great way to start fundraising, I've included one in every letter I have sent and every time I approach someone I show him or her the leaflet. It sets a benchmark for how much they should give. Everyone has given at least £3, but I haven't approached the general public yet.

Has anyone actually turned you down when you ask for £3 from them?!

I've had a few angry tuts but I have worn everyone down in the end! At the end of the day, no one would think twice about spending £3 on a sandwich, so why not on education where it is craved?

How long would you say each of your fundraisers so far has taken to organise?

Fundraising is something that is constantly on my mind. I'm always formulating ideas and making plans - I love it! Remember that every person you talk to about your project is raising the profile of the cause. Whether the person gives a donation or not, that is someone else that is aware of the problem of education in South Africa. That's a great achievement.

What's been your most and least successful fundraiser to date?

Aaron is having his hair shaved off, which from family and friends has raised over £100 already. The response to it was amazing and it's been very fun to organise. His mum's friend is a hairdresser, so she has kindly agreed to open up her shop in the evening and do it for him. Loads of people will be there to watch - I can't wait! The least successful idea we have come up with is a sponsored walk/bike ride. I ran the idea past my family, and as my dad said, 'Why do I care whether you walk a few miles or not?' He's blunt but it's true. Selling unwanted CDs and DVDs on ebay has been great, in the last few months we've raised over £120 on that alone.

Have you sent letters to companies/rotary clubs too? How successful has this been?

I must have sent about 50 letters out to companies! I have had one positive reply - from Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre. The manager gave us £100 contribution, which was wonderful. Multi-national companies have been impossible. Nike, Adidas and companies like that all say that they don't want approaching for sponsorship and that they choose who they want to give money to. Other companies, such as McDonalds, have their own charities and don't give money to individuals. All the supermarkets have said that they only give money to local projects. So it hasn't been that successful all in all.

But I have written to a lot of trusts and charities too - I have gratefully received a £250 grant from the Vandervell Trust. All they asked for was a report of my experiences when I get back- not much for £250! I have written to a lot of otherstoo, but they consider people at different points in the year, so fingers crossed!

A lot of people struggle when writing these types of letters, what tips do you have?

Say what you will do in return for their kindness, for example I said that I would say thank you to them in a interview I'm organizing with my local papers, and on gapyear.com - thank you Crystal Peaks! Also, really emphasise if you have a connection with the company, for example Crystal Peaks is my local shopping centre.

How supportive have people been when you've told them what you are fundraising for?

I think that people tend to be more supportive of UK projects. For example, I know that in 2003 Cancer Research UK shops raised more money for the charity than any other. Oxfam was way behind. I think there is a huge prejudice against developing countries. I've faced this from my family - most people seem to think that third world countries are poor through some fault of their own. There is a lot of ignorance out there that I find selfish. What does it matter whether suffering is going on our doorsteps or on the other side of the World? Both are important. People are people, regardless of race and religion.

What other plans have you got for raising enough cash for your placement?

My next aim is to organize interviews with the local press. I'm travelling with GAP SPORTS, who have been very supportive. A lady from there said that she is often approached by journalists asking for a gap year case study. She said she would put me forward - so I'm hoping that this comes through. Exposure is so important. My mum put my leaflet up on the notice board where she works. A lady approached her and gave me some contacts she has for female entrepreneurs. Apparently they can really boost my profile - so I'm giving that a go too.

What five tips would you give to someone planning to fundraise for their gap year?

1. Use you gap year company. The people at GAP SPORTS have been great. I wanted some pictures of the project to put in my leaflet, so they emailed a collection of them. Remember that they are pros at this!

2. Remember the three magic words: exposure, exposure, exposure!

3. Learn how to sell yourself and your project. Practice in front of the mirror or with a friend.

4. Network; contacts are vital.

5. Enjoy yourself - fundraising is what you make it. When it gets to be a slog, have a break. It can be fun!

Sponsored bridge walk dressed as a clown

Name: Gillian McNicoll

Age: 42

Hometown: Edinburgh

Hi Gillian, how's it going? So we hear you are currently fundraising for your upcoming gap to South Africa - what will you be doing out there and how long are you going for?

I am going to Cape Town for seven weeks and leave on the 1st of June. I will be working full-time between two health clinics who work with people affected with HIV/AIDS. I will be an intern there and will help with lots of different things, including counselling and campaigns, cleaning, home visits and helping with the food programme. I will also be working with local children in an orphanage with crafts, teaching English and games.

What attracted you to this placement?

I am currently studying for a Health Sciences degree and am keen to have some experience behind me while at the same time do something worthwhile. I wanted to go somewhere where I could volunteer on a health placement that did not require much experience and one that accepted mature students! Also I will be staying with a local family which will be great as I will be living in a local community and getting to know the people.

Do you have any travelling planned for after the placement?

I am not planning to travel afterwards, but I will be going on weekends trips whilst on placement, mini safaris, day trips to beautiful gardens and beaches and general sightseeing.

How much money do you need to raise to finance all of this?

Money required was around £1600 but I had not allowed for sightseeing money! It was daunting to begin with, but I thought I had plenty of time. However, time passes really quickly when you're a student doing essays, exams, work placements, as well as having a life!

The programme fees (which includes a minimum donation to the projects, main meals and accommodation) totals £800 for seven weeks. I estimated flights and insurance at £500-600 and spending money at £300. I am also buying some craft equipment to take with me which I reckon will cost around £50. Any extra money I raise will go to directlythe projects.

Is all of this money coming from fundraising or are you working too?

I applied for the Napier University's Student Grant and received £700 which paid for my flights and insurance, which actually cost £500. The remaining £200 is going direct to the HIV/AIDS projects I am working for. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to put much money aside from my job until recently, but have got £200 from my work as an IT cleaner. I need a bit more spending and sightseeing money and hope to put some more away by the time I go, so I can afford trips, sightseeing, internet access as well as a contingency fund!

So what fundraisers have you come up with so far?

The main fundraiser was my recent sponsored walk over the Forth Road Bridge dressed as a clown! My other ideas include selling books in online books stores and auctions, a Rumble in the Jumble Sale, a car boot sale and selling soft toys.

What gave you the idea for the bridge walk and how did the event go?

My friend Mhairi did a sponsored walk a long time ago on the bridge and it seemed like a good idea. Plus I am scared of heights, so figured that it was challenging enough to get people interested enough to sponsor me.

The event was fun and the weather was fantastic, it was a little scary at times as I am afraid of heights but it wasn't too bad as I had the company two friends; Mhairi Mitchell and Helen Carlyle who both walked with me. As we were walking, lots of cars, vans and lorries beeped their horns in encouragement at us and lots of people stopped us and asked what we were doing. It was really great to see smiles on people's faces.

So how much money have you raised from your fundraisers so far?

The bridge walk has raised around £360 so far and people are still handing me money to add to this! Even my sister Kathryn who lives in Germany is sending me some Euros to convert! I've raised around £100 from the online auctions and £60 from other sales. This more or less pays for my accommodation and main meals for the seven weeks, so that's great!

So how supportive have people been when you've told them what you are fundraising for?

People have been very supportive. Family and friends have been offering help and support, as well as sponsoring me. Some people are helping in practical ways such as giving me a lift as a clown to the bridge, my friends for going on the walk with me and others for handing out leaflets and planning thejumble sale. My church has also offered the church hall for the sale while my tutors and fellow students have supported and sponsored me.

Not long to go until your placement now, what other plans have you got for raising enough cash for your project?

The Rumble in the Jumble Sale is on Saturday the 6th of May from 10-1pm at 37 South Clerk Street, Edinburgh. I am also entering an essay competition at my university and if I win I get £150 A couple of students are also coming to stay for a few days and are giving me a donation for the privilege!

I also have many cute cuddly animals for sale at £2.50 each, they range from jungle animals, seals, dogs and some beautiful little fur ball animals that live inside their own little furry ball. These are available at the jumble sale or I can post them to people. I also plan a car boot sale to get rid of any left over items.

What five tips would you give to someone planning to fundraise for their gap year?

1) Get planning right away and be sure to ask for ideas from friends and relatives. Make sure you listen to them because some ideas seem great, but don't turn out so great if people don't want to come or help!

2) Put some initial time slots in, don't leave everything until it's too late! Like me, you may have studying and exams to do, so get prepared and you'll be less stressed out.. Try to fit fundraising in when you have 'slack times' and be sure to give yourself time to do things, I'm dyslexic, so I need to allow time for writing up press releases and letter editing. It's important to take this into account before you start.

3) Read the ideas and help sections on this site - they really help especially when putting out press releases. After taking the advice on gapyear.com, I have been in the Edinburgh Evening News and will be going into my local paper too. I also wrote around 40 letters I have received one gift of a Olympus digi voice recorder from The Dyslexia Shop, Edinburgh to sell and put towards my funds. Others I have written to that were not able to support me financially have offered encouragement and advice.

4) Do something you enjoy or think is fun. Don't shave your hair off if it's really for you, even if your friends think it's a good idea. You're the one to live with it after all! However, if it's a challenge for you, do it. I don't like heights so walking the Forth Road Bridge was my challenge and I found people are more willing to put their hand in their pocket.

5) Make sure you account for enough spending and travel money early on in the fundraising planning process. It seems obvious, but I was so intent on working out the programme fees and flights that I got this wrong.

Good luck with the rest of the fundraising - we'll keep our fingers crossed!

Thanks guys, I'll send you a postcard!

Cycling across Mexico for charity

Marco writes...

"Well guys, I am back and can proudly say I have done it! For those of you not familiar with me, I have just come back from cycling across Mexico to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Relief. A huge challenge which has taken me to the very limits of my physical and mental ability and completely changed my perspective on a lot of things.

Myself and 42 brave others made our way to Mexico a few weeks ago to embark on the trip of a lifetime. Over eight days, starting just south of Veracruz on the Gulf Coast, we cycled over 600km to Puerto Escondido on the Pacific Coast. Over these eight days we cycled through banana plantations, dry desert, dense jungle and tropical forests. We also climbed to over 10,000 feet in altitude in the Sierra Madre mountain range and camped in cow pat covered fields, in freezing cold cloud forests and in deserted laybys at the side of treachorous mountain roads, inhabited only by stray dogs, chickens and fierce fire ants.

Over these eight days we never saw a shower, a toilet, a chair or a Macdonalds. These eight days forced us through some of the highest highs and lowest lows of our lives, but we did it - all while raising over £180,000 for cancer patients throughout the UK.

I could talk forever about all of the great things that happened on this trip, even though it was a short one, but the experience on a whole was the best thing I have ever done in my life.

The cycling was so varied and unlike anything I have ever seen here. Day three was just unbelievable! We set off camp at 7am. We left an hour earlier than usual to give us more daylight to complete the days cycling knowing that we had to climb 10,000 feet over 68km. For those of you who aren't so great with measurements and scale, that is one mondo hill - well actually a mountain!

It is really hard to describe what this day was like without actually taking you and standing you on the hill, but let's just say cars have to stay in first gear for 68km to get up it, and unless you are a mountain goat, walking down it would not be easy.

So anyway, we set off early with one objective in mind, to make it to the top before sundown, which gave us 12 hours to get there. I had no idea how long it would take me as I wasn't a cyclist before I went and had no concept of what this sort of hill would do to a person.

After about 10 km, we were struggling and the group was completely divided, stronger cyclists leading the way, weaker ones already walking. I set off with a good pace and was leading the pack with a couple of other guys. After about 30km, I had lost the other two and was completely alone somewhere in the Sierra Madre, completely drained and losing the will to continue. By this point it was no longer a test of physical ability, it was all in my head. I forced myself to continue, each push of the pedal causing an incredible burning sensation to pass through my thighs. The sun was burning my neck and I was consuming more water than an African elephant. I pushed on.

The day continued like this until around the last 10km. We had been warned that the last 10km to the summit were the toughest, steeper than any part of the day - the thought was enough to kill me. I refilled my water bottles and continued up the hill. In 5km I managed to finish three litres of water. I was weak, despite consuming around eight bananas and 12 energy bars and I was quickly becoming very dehydrated in the unforgiving sun.

I was slowly going out of my mind, shouting select words into nowhere and hearing the mountains shout them back at me. Everwhere I looked was another hill, nowhere to go but up and no signs of them stopping. My legs were spinning but I was going nowhere fast. I began wondering to myself what the hell I was trying to prove, why was I doing this to myself? I felt sick. The altitude felt like a bag of cement on my back and trying to get a breath was near impossible.

Suddenly I remembered why I was doing it and how this must be how cancer patients feel every day of their lives... drained, demoralised and facing an uphill struggle with every breath they take. With this in mind, I pushed with every last bit of energy I had in me to the summit.

I made it to camp. It was just after 1pm. I was exhausted, ill, and aching from head to toe, but I felt amazing. Robin (a keen cyclist who was there for his 3rd time had completed it in just under 4 hours breaking his previous record) waited for us at the top. He congratulated me, filled me with water and rehydration salts and I collapsed onto the ground in joy. I was finally there. We then set about putting up everyones tents and waited for them to arrive. Ten others made it to the top that day, taking up to 12 hours to complete it, really pushing themselves to the limit. It was a real emotional night for everyone involved. You just wouldn't believe what we had been through that day.

The trip continued like this, fast downhills followed by more massive climbs but we had conquered day three, so nothing was too difficult.

Some of the other highlights were day six, cycling through a cloud! A cold and wet experience but one I will never forget. Cycling down hills so steep, we reached speeds of up to 44mph, toying with death everytime we took the corners too wide and came close to a 1000 foot cliff! Plus of course arriving at the Pacific coast, all of us together after eight of the hardest days of our lives.

If you ever get the chance to do one of these challenges, I say go for it. It will change you. You will see just how hard you can push yourself when you need to and you will learn to appreciate (even more) the great things you have in your life. Most of all you will be involved with a brilliant group of like-minded people who will quickly become your best friends because you rely on them so much throughout the experience.

NB: Don't be fooled by the pictures, it wasn't all palm trees, ruins and beautiful rivers, I was just too knackered to take pictures at the hard bits!"

Fundraiser of the month: March 2006

Name: Lynda Clark

Age: 18

Hi Lynda, how's it going? So we hear you are currently fundraising for your upcoming gap year to Ghana - what will you be doing out there?

In February 2007, I'll be heading off to Ghana for five months with GAP Activity Projects. I'll be volunteering in a primary school, teaching various subjects to children aged between nine and 11. I also hope to run a number of after school clubs, passing on my craft skills and hopefully learning some of theirs in return!

Sounds great, what attracted you to this placement?

When I was looking at all the different organisations that I could go with, Gap Activity Projects stood out as it is a not for profit charity. They also had some really good projects in Africa, somewhere I have always wanted to visit as it is so different to the UK. I also like the idea of staying with a local family, or teacher whilst out there as I think this will allow me to learn a lot more about the community I will be working in and get a lot more out of my time there. I'll also definitely do some travelling after my placement but will probably plan it while I am out there, when I can find out from the locals the best places to visit.

So the big question... how much money do you need to raise to finance this?

I need to raise about £3500 to cover the cost of the project, flights and equipment. Anything I manage to raise over this will be put towards buying as many resources for the children as I can carry out there!

Is all of this money coming from fundraising or are you working too?

As well as all the things I'm making to sell, I'm working at a department store on Sundays, at my college as a lunchtime supervisor during the week and also as a cleaner in the mornings before I start college. 5.30am starts aren't much fun but hopefully it will be worth it!

So what fundraisers have you come up with so far?

So far I've been raising money by making craft items to sell. The products which have sold the best have been cards, phone hats and gift boxes. I've also sold a number of 'Pebble People' and have just started making a variety of phone charms.

How did you come up with these ideas?

I've always enjoyed making things and have made cards for my family since I was little (although I hope they've got a bit better since then!) so making them to sell seemed like a good idea. The phone hats started off with me making one as a joke but, after a couple of people said they liked them, I decided I may as well see if I could sell a few. Over 100 later and I'm still going!

So how much money have you raised from this so far?

So far I have sold 240 cards making £375 and 154 mobile phone hats making £260. Along with the other items I have sold, I have currently raised a total of £715 for my project.

How have you gone about selling these items - just to friends and family or have you gone further afield?

I started off selling them to parents of students at my school at parents evenings (there's about 2000 students... so quite a good market!) but have also set up a stall at some Christmas Fayres held by other schools in my local area. I've had a lot of help from a teacher, Mr Bogan, at my college - I sold him a hat at one of my stalls and the by the next day he had collected over 60 orders from students. With each hat taking about an hour to make, I didn't have much spare time for a couple of weeks - but it was definitely worth it! I've also done well with the cards and am currently working on an order for 40 Thank You cards for someone's wedding.

How supportive have people been when you've told them what you are fundraising for?

Most people I have spoken to have been really supportive when they hear about what I will be doing, especially when they realise that I am paying to volunteer. A couple of people have even offered to take a box of some of the items I've made into their work to sell there, which has been great.

What other plans have you got for raising enough cash for your placement?

I've just started making some red and white England hats with little footballs on for all those mobile phones who want to show their support for our team in the World Cup!

What five tips would you give to someone planning to fundraise for their gap year?

1. Start early! Fundraising is hard work, especially if you're still at college or university. The more time you have to prepare, the more likely you are to be successful.

2. Be different; try to think of something that hasn't been done before. You'll get a lot more interest if you're doing something unusual.

3. If you decide to sell things, may sure that your prices are affordable, that way more people will be willing to help.

4. Give your customers information on what you will be doing - the more they know about your project, the happier people will be to support you. Plus if you put an website or email address on your product, they might even tell their friends!

5. Finally, however you decided to fundraise, make sure you're doing something you're good at and enjoy - that way it doesn't feel like such hard work!

Finally, our mobile phones don't look cold - so why does it need a hat?!

I bet your phone spends most of its the day feeling lonely in your pocket or bag... why not show it that you appreciate the hard work it does for you by buying it a little knitted hat that will keep it warm and make it feel loved?!

Nice one! Good luck with the rest of the fundraising - we'll keep our fingers crossed!

Thanks guys...

Fundraiser of the month: Michael Adjaye

Name: Michael Adjaye

Age: 22

Hi Michael, how's it going?

Yeah good thanks, pretty busy these days either working or preparing for my trip which is getting closer by the day. It's all pretty exciting.

So you're going on a five month project in the jungle- what will you be up to?

I will be based in Belize in Central America and will also spend some time in Guatemala. I will be out there for five months as a volunteer and part of a team of volunteers. I leave 27th January so in just a few months time! The first two months will be spent in the jungle in Belize and I will be working on a sustainable conservation project during that time and sleeping in a hammock every night! Then I go to Guatemala for a month to do an intensive Spanish course. Whilst here I will be living with a local family which I figure will be quite an experience. For the last two months I go back to Belize to teach in a school in a rural area. I'll be teaching English and then whatever else is needed by the school. Again I will be living with a local family. Last of all I am gonna be doing a PADI diving course which I hear is pretty amazing in Belize so that will be a nice way to finish of the expedition.

What made you want to do this?

Well I've always enjoyed travelling and I've always liked new experiences. I finished uni in the summer and decided I didn't want to go straight into a full-time job just yet. I'd thought about just going travelling and backpacking. but then thought it would be good to do something worthwhile. So in June I went to The Gap Year Show at Wembley and went to many of the different presentations of all the amazing things that were on offer as possible gap years. The presentation by Trekforce happened to be my favourite, I think due to the variation of the expedition. You don't spend all your time doing just one thing, you get to have a go at teaching, conservation, learning Spanish, diving, trekking... Plus I'd always liked the idea of going to Latin America. So after giving it some thought and talking to family and friends, of which some had done similar things, I went for it!

You need to raise almost £4000 for the expedition - what does that go towards (eg: kit, spending expedition...) and how much have you got in the kitty so far?

Well I need to raise £3900 for the registered charity I am going with. This goes towards expedition costs such as setting up the expedition, funding the project, accommodation, food, the Spanish course, in-country transport, medical support, medical insurance, visas and such. However it does not include flights, kit, innoculations, and baggage insurance so all this is on top of my fundraising target. It's a lot of money. So far, through fundraising I have got about £1400 and then through working and saving I have another £900. So I still have a long way to go!

How have you found fundraising so far? Enjoyable or a pain in the arse?

A bit of both I think. When I am motivated it's quite enjoyable. It's not easy though, but definitely worth it. I think you get out of it what you put in.

What has people's reactions been like when you've told them what you are fundraising for? Have they been generous?

Most people are quite impressed and people have been generous, some very generous. At the very least, people have had encouraging words for me which is nice.

Do you think you'll reach the target? What happens if you don't?

Well I hope I'll reach my target! A lot will depend on the next months or so as I'm planning a fundraising event in a few weeks which, if it is a success, then I will be more likely to reach my target. If it doesn't succeed then I could be in trouble! I'm not sure what happens if I don't reach my target. I guess it might depend on by how much have I missed it. I've booked my flights to Belize now so I guess I just have to do everything I can to make sure I reach that target.

You seem to have some original fundraising plans, what's your most bizarre idea? We like the sound of eat something rank day - how did you come up with that and how much did you raise?

Well this was quite a simple idea actually for a sponsored task. Basically, I went round asking people if they would sponsor me to eat something rank and gave them a choice of three things. These were a raw egg, a bowl of Guinness and cornflakes (together!) and a glass of milk curded with lemonade. Yummy! And, basically, whichever dish got the most sponsorship money was the one I had to eat. Guinness and cornflakes won and so I ate a bowl of the stuff in front of about 30 people telling me to eat it faster! I tell you now, it was disgusting and I almost gagged, and I like Guinness! Just not with cornflakes though because after a while they go soggy! It was worth it though because I raised £200 doing it and all in the space of about four days.

What's been your most successful fundraiser to date? How much did that raise in total?

This will be my pub crawl collection. For this I arranged a collection permit with the council to allow me to go round pubs and bars in my town, Lowestoft, to collect money over one weekend. The permit took a few weeks to get and then I got a few friends and my sisters together and we hit the pubs wearing colourful afro wigs and the girls in hula skirts. We all had buckets for collecting and after the three nights we managed a wapping £609. We just told people about Trekforce and what I was gonna be doing and generally, they were really generous and it was good fun too!

What do you think makes a good fundraiser?

I think someone who isn't scared to ask for money! It helps to be reasonably organised and definitely motivated. A bit of imagination is good to when thinking up ways to raise money. I think anyone can be a good fundraiser as long as you are willing to put the effort in.

What other ideas have you got to raise the remainder of the cash?

Well there are a few things that I have been doing. I've made a website about my expedition and I've made it possible for people to donate money with their debit/credit cards through Paypal on my website. So far this has got me about £110. Also from my website, I am selling t-shirts and other merchandise. I haven't sold many items yet, though I have many friends who say they will make a purchase.

I have written to some charitable trusts asking for grants. So far I have received one £200 cheque and hopefully I will hear from some of the others. The next big thing I am doing is a Thai Buffet evening in a few weeks which will feature my Jungle Raffle draw. I've been going round all the shops in town asking for raffle prizes and so far I have a good selection including a micro hifi system from Curry's, books from WHSmiths, sports equipment from Juler Sports, champagne from Pontins, £100 cash prize and many more. If I can sell most my Thai Buffet tickets and raffle tickets then that will be a substantial chunk of my fundraising done. Wish me luck!

What top five bits of advice would you give to aspiring fundraisers?

1. Be motivated and be willing to put in a lot of effort.

2. Allow yourself the maximum amount of time to raise the money you need as now I am in a mad rush to raise enough money which could have been avoided if I had started earlier. I also think it's a good idea to devise a fundraising plan.

3. Talk to as many people as you can about what you are raising money for. Some will be willing to help or some will know people who are.

4. Make sure you know what it is exactly that you are raising money for so that when people ask you questions you have the answers for them. Some people like to know very specific things so know your stuff.

5. Be enthusiastic and enjoy it. If you enjoy what you are doing, you're more likely to do it well and besides, it's more fun that way.

Thanks Michael - loads of luck!

Fundraiser of the month: Mike Potter

Name: Mike Potter

Age: 33 (but young at heart!)

Currently: Helping out at a school in Lima, Peru

Hi Mike, how's it going? So we've heard that your world travels currently find you in Lima, Peru. Give us a quick run down of what you've been up to pre-Peru...

Towards the end of last year I decided it was time to take some time out from my career and get back on the road. After nine months and nearly as many countries - including India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and China, I now find myself in the Peru for the second time.

So what's the deal in Lima then and why are you hanging around?

I've always wanted to get involved in something and felt that Lima would be a good place to do that. I've got friends - Peruvian and foreign - here who I've kept in touch with from my previous visit almost three years ago. It makes settling a lot easier and much more fun!

You are working for an organisation right? How did that all come about?

One of my Peruvian friends introduced me to a local organisation that deal with overseas volunteers. I explained my situation and they offered me the opportunity of working at the school. After my first day I was absolutely hooked.

Tell us a bit about what you get up to day to day working at the school...

Because my command of Spanish is still somewhat basic, I'm unable to take classes by myself. However, I assist the volunteer teachers in whatever way I can and also play lots of football at break time. The kids drain every bit of energy that I have, but I go to bed with a very content feeling. I am also helping out with raising money for the school.

What are you raising money for?

One of my fellow volunteers has been working at the school for nearly two months now. When he arrived he found a fantastic new toilet block - recently built by the government, but without the essential pipes to bring the fresh water in and to take the sewage out. He decided to do something about it and set-up 'Project Cleaner Hands'.

So what really captured your heart with this project?

The school is in a very challenging area of Lima and the facilities are basic to say the least. The kids have it hard enough as it is and I felt that with a little effort we could really make a big difference. I don't think it's much to ask to be able to flush the toilet or wash your hands.

How much money do you think you need to get everything up and working properly? Do you need materials donated too, or just cash?

We been given a quote of approximately $6,500 to complete the work. So far, through various means - including help from the local community - we've managed to raise over $3,500.

How are you going about raising funds for the completion of the school's toilet facilities?

We have had several donations from independent organisations but the majority of the fundraising has been generated through family and friends. Fortunately, my fellow volunteers and I have some good contacts but we still have some way to go to achieve our target. Any help would be greatly appreciated...

Are there any more volunteers needed to work alongside you?

At this stage the emphasis is purely on raising more cash. However, if anybody is interested in teaching at the school in the future, I would be more than willing to put them in contact with the right people.

So if anybody is interested in donating to the project, how can they contact you?

The best way to contact me is by e-mail. However, if you want to donate, please send all monies in the form of cheque, postal order or bank draft, made payable to BUNAC; with 'Project Cleaner Hands' and the name of the person making the donation written on the back.

Fundraiser of the month: Tom Ray

Going that extra (1500) mile(s) for Cancer Research

Tom Ray writes...

"1,500 miles, 18 days, two 18 year olds, no support vehicle, four countries and one mountain range. If I was to sum up the start of my gap year, that's how it would go.

Along with my school pal Hugh Richardson, I am about to kick off my gap year by embarking on the greatest challenge of my life so far - completely in aid of Cancer Research. The decision to do some fundraising for this cause had already been made in my mind when a close friend of mine - of the same age - was diagnosed with cancer. The aim was to find a suitably ambitious and physically challenging task that would impress people we asked enough so that we could raise as much money as possible for the charit. After all, the primary way of getting sponsorship is to impress people by being ambitious and doing something completely out of the norm.

At first things started slowly with the fundraiser. The other guys at school found it funny, saying that it was a silly idea that would never happen. However, thanks mainly to Hugh's enthusiasm, it became a very real prospect. We both worked off our strengths. Hugh is good with finances and was quick to gain attention to our cause. I then had the idea of emailing the school Headmaster to ask for permission to speak in front of the 750 strong school in Tuesday chapel. This was undoubtedly the best move so far, as we have received nearly £4,000 just from the school, which was due to publicising our trip as much as possible.

Getting publicity in the local media is very important - as we have found out. After appearing in around 10 local newspapers, we got our big break when we were contacted by this very site and asked if we would like to write an article that would featured on gapyear.com about our fundraiser. The good news kept on coming when The Mail on Sunday got in touch and said they would like to do a full page spread on us and they sent a photographer promptly round two days after. Just by getting our faces in the local press, all of that happened. It just goes to show.

The good news just kept on coming in, with Audi offering to give us a bike free of charge and my excellent local gym - Rossi's Gym in North Walsham - agreeing to sponsor our clothing. Also Hot Brand in Norfolk worked in unison with Rossi's to create a website for us which also helped boost our profile by giving us some more publicity.

As for the challenge; neither of us have cycled more than eight miles in one go before, which is why we chose this challenge as it is something that we have both yet to accomplish. We are both major sportsmen, who love to push ourselves and our bodies whenever we can and this just seemed like such an almighty challenge to set ourselves - although we are more than up for it.

The reason that we decided to take up this fundraising event was because unfortunately cancer had affected both Hugh and myself. He has suffered the loss of his grandfather and I have had a very close friend diagnosed at a young age. This spurred us on to try and do something about it. Plus it is a huge adventure and something that we are both nervous about but looking forward to hugely.

If anyone is planning on undertaking some fundraising, here are a few tips that I would give.

Use your contacts - and your friend's contacts and your parent's contacts... It is very hard to get anything out of companies otherwise. Get as much publicity as possible. Write to every newspaper, TV station and radio station you know - you might not hear back from the majority, but all it takes is one and your sponsorship is boosted hugely. When we started, we never thought that The Mail would be interested in our story... Sell yourself by having something you stand out from others with. Ours is an immense physical challenge but if that's not your bag come up with something completely wacky or mad. It's got to make people interested - enough so they give it the time of day and open their wallets. Although the cliches like sitting in a bath of beans might work, they will never raise you as much as sitting in something less obvious - like treacle!

Those are the things that I have learnt whilst fundraising for this trip and now we just have to acheive what others thought was impossible. We've already raised almost £4000 toward the trip - all of which through fundraising and donations. We hope to double this amount by the end of the trip. It just goes to show you what can be acheived when you put your mind to it. And as for the epic cycle ride; I can't think of a more amazing way to start our gap years..."

Fundraiser of the month: Lucy Mills

She shoots, she scores...

Lucy Mills writes...

"Fundraising is something that often takes a while to get right. You can try a lot of things that take a lot of time but that don't bring in the cash you need. Unfortunately, I've learnt this the hard way.

In my experience I've found that generally people will commit to sponsoring you for an activity, but it is often a prolonged chore collecting up the promised cash. You have to weigh up whether the amount of time you will spend on an activity - from planning and organising it, right through to receiving payments - is worth the money you would theoretically raise. I find that if people are getting something in return then they eagerly sign up, are interested in your progress and donate cash awaiting their part of the deal. Alternatively, rather than appealing for cash, asking people to donate physical objects is usually warmly received.

After my gap year spent coaching football in Ghana with GAP SPORTS I set up a charity scheme to collect football strips and equipment to give to the underprivileged teams in who I worked with on my placement. I received hundreds of football shirts from family, friends, schools, local pub teams and professional teams.

Firstly I got laminated posters printed stating my aims and appeal. I put them up in work places, schools, and pubs. The appeal was for used or old football shirts - ultimately one simple, unforgettable request. I arranged with the Head teacher of my old school to do presentations in assemblies and I was allocated a box in an office in which children could bring donated shirts to so that I could pick them up.

Alerting people that the donated shirts would actually be worn by underprivileged African children struck an emotive chord with the English general public. I also wrote letters to professional football teams. In order to make my appeal look like large scale professional charity, I created an email address and signed the letters 'Lucy Mills, Ghana Football Aid Director'. I got the name of the kit secretary to whom I should address the letter and followed up the letters with phone calls (Following my letter dated...) to force a reminder as understandably office staff have a lot of paper work to deal with and 'begging letters' are not usually at the top of the pile!

After a few months the plastic bag crammed with old shirts in the corner of my bedroom had expanded to being five large full kit bags, taking up half the garage! The response was fantastic. Local newspapers are always interested in covering stories about local youngsters going abroad and doing charity work so it is worth contacting them for extra publicity.

Being astonished by the progress I then wanted to raise money to buy some equipment for the teams. I found that ordering a bulk load from an online football equipment supplier was the cheapest way. I ordered 10 balls, a ball bag, a ball pump, 22 bibs, 50 cones, linesman flags and captain armbands, all brand new, for £200.

I also needed to find a stress free way of raising the money. Living in University Halls of Residence I asked permission from the Head Warden if I could sell 'official' hall t-shirts with any profits going towards paying for football equipment. Obviously gap year students, not being at University, can sell official t-shirts for any club or society which they belong to. Having group t-shirts is always popular as it creates a unique camaraderie and of course an item of clothing to keep. People are more willing to pay out if they receive something substantial in return. I researched various online t-shirt printing companies for the best deal. Meanwhile I sent out order forms for people to fill out preferred sizes and colours. Once I received sufficient orders to make profit, I placed an order with the t-shirt company. I charged students £12 and they actually only cost about £8 to make. The company delivered the t-shirts, individually cased in plastic packaging within two weeks. The final procedures were to dish out the t-shirts to readily awaiting students and to rake in the hundreds of pounds profit to pay for the football equipment.

I'm currently writing the draft for this article with the intense African sun beating on my neck, the temperature is pushing 40 and a cold glass of fresh pineapple juice quenches my thirst. At 6am this morning I coached my young boys' football team with whom I worked last year. However training is different this year. The boys are wearing smart Leeds United football strips instead of torn and tattered rags I first saw them in. We were practicing dribbling skills around cones with one ball between four as opposed to one ball between thirty, and for the end-of-training match, the teams were yellow bibs versus orange bibs instead of the old style- rags versus bare skins. The strips and equipment have added unbelievable optimism and happiness to the boys, but will also really benefit the boys progression in training, which occurs twice daily religiously.

To know that I have achieved all of this for this handful of boys in this raw community called Nungua, Accra, any money spent, time taken, and hassle endured has, this morning, been worth every obstacle."

Fundraiser of the month: Alex Keeley

Name: Alex Keeley

Age: 18

Currently: A stoooodent!

Amount raised: £700

Hi there Alex - it seems that word has spread about your stonker of a fundraiser, so let's cut to the chase; what did you get up to, what's it all for and how much did you manage to raise?

I organised a jazz and funk concert in a local hall. To sum it up there was good music, flowing drinks and a nice atmosphere. It was really good fun and I ended up making £700, which was fantastic.

I'm going to Bolivia with Project Trust, to spend a year working with a charity providing support for street kids in La Paz. I'll have time off also to spend travelling around South America, so it should be an amazing experience.

What gave you the idea to organise a jazz and funk concert? Didn't you fancy sitting in a bath of beans?!

It was something I knew that I could organise and I also knew a lot of people who could help me out with it. I also thought that it would have borad appeal, a concert being something that a lot of people of all ages would be likely to enjoy. I figured that people's pocket empty a lot quicker when they're having a good time and when you are actively doing something that they can be part of.

It can't have been easy to organise an entire concert! How much planning did it involve and what expenses were there that people planning to do something similar should bear in mind?

If I am honest, it was quite a stressful process. First I needed a venue which cost around £120 for a hall. That was easy enough to find but then I needed to sort out getting a licence to sell alcohol on the premises, That was a difficult one and it needs to get sorted well in advance. You need to be part of a charity, so I had to send all of the relevant forms up to Project Trust in Scotland to get a counter signature to prove that I was.

The drinks can be got on sale or return which is very useful, as anything you don't sell can be returned and you don't lose any money. The band charged £200 to cover expenses, which sounds a lot but was only a quarter of their usual minimum fee.

Then I needed to sell tickets. I only had to sell around 120 because the venue was quite small, however this was still a daunting task. Of course you tell everyone, then end up selling all of the tickets and spend the last two weeks telling people they can't come - which was a real shame. I wish I could have secured a bigger venue so more people could attend and my money raising potential could increase too!

Who provided the music and how easy was it to get someone to play for the event?

I was quite lucky on this count. The music was provided by a friends jazz band and a professional funk group, who I knew because their front man used to be my physics teacher! I was really lucky in that I had the right contacts and the band provided PA and lights so we just had to help him set it up. I think it is important to think about the people you know and can get to help for your fundraiser - there is no way that I could have set up this event if I didn't know any suitable musicians!

Did the event take a lot of promoting? You also got a piece about your gap year in the local press didn't you...?

The local paper did a thing on my gap year and mentioned that I was having the gig. That turned out to be really heplful, as some people read it and got in touch about the concert while others donated money as well. I also put flyers up, but mostly it was just me trying to get everyone I knew to come along.

So how did the event go? Did you find people quite generous or will you need to carry on with the fundraising efforts?

Most people knew me so knew what I was doing anyway and that I was raising money on behalf of the charity. This meant people were very generous. Of course, you get a few jokes about donationg money so you can go on holiday for a year but that is all meant in good humour. I really enjoyed the night and it was great to get loads of people I knew to come along and have a good time. The event was a great success - especially when I counted up that I'd made £700!

I had also planned to do a sponsored skydive, because that is something really impressive that lots of people would sponsor you to do. However my success in the last few weeks might mean that I don't need to something as grand as that to raise the total of £3950 for my placement. I'm now about £1000 short of this. I'll also need some of my own money to travel with once I'm there but I'll work and use savings for that. I will need to top this up though with some kind of event.

So you've proved that you can make big bucks through fundraising, got any top tips for people wanting to do something similar?

Get an alcohol licence (guaranteed profit!) Make the venue look nice. Have an ambient feel so people can relax and enjoy themselves. Organise well in advance and have a team of people to help you out. Mix with people on the night Enjoy yourself!

Thanks Alex for sharing the ins and outs of your fundraiser with us and loads of luck with raising the last £1000. Have a great time in Bolivia and congrats on being crowned our fundraiser of the month for March.

Thanks guys - I'll keep you posted.

Fundraiser of the month: Ruth Roadnight

Name: Ruth Roadnight

Age: 17 - almost 18!

Currently: studying hard finishing off 6th year, working at a care home and fundraising for my gap year!

Amount raised: £1350

Hi there Ruth and congrats on being crowned the gapyear.com Fundraiser of the month for February! How does it feel?! Any Gwyneth Paltrow-like 'thank you' speeches you'd like to deliver?

Sure! Thank you, thank you... I'm just so grateful for this previledge and of course I want world peace!Seriously though, my success with my more recent fundraiser wouldn't have been possible without my friends, their prayer support and God.

So you've been crowned Fundraiser of the month after your stonker of an event which raised you £1350 - what did you get up to and what is it all for?

I plan to join a Christian organisation called Operation Mobilisation for a year. The charity has two ships which they send out to evangelise, train, give aid and sell literature to the nations. I will be working voluntarily on board the Doulos ship for 12 months with an international crew of 350 from over 50 countries. When I am on board the ship will be in South East Asia. I have to raise a whopping £6,000 to fund the trip!

Coming from Scotland, I love a good old ceilidh and I thought it would be a fun idea to organise a ceilidh in order to raise funds for my year out. I charged £10 for tickets, managed to find a local ceilidh band and asked people to donate food. Asking people to bring food unfortunately caused a bit of stress and we had a lot of left overs. However, it was a good plan that meant I only had to pay for a bit of food. The church let me use our hall free as well. We had lots of dancing, some food and more dancing. I had lots of willing volunteers who also helped. I raised £600 before the ceilidh, so now have £1,950 which is almost 1/3rd of the way to my target.

Excuse our ignorance, but what on earth is a ceildh?

Oh dear, better educate the world! A ceilidh is a traditional Scottish dance with lots of dancing and normally stovies to eat. If you're wondering, stovies is lamb with potatoes and gravy. I replaced stovies with a finger buffet at my fundraiser to allow people to donate food.

Dances at a ceilidh might include the 'dashing white sargeant', 'strip the willow' and the 'Boston two-step'. Its quite important - especially if only a few people know the dances - to have a caller who walks through the dances with everyone. I managed to get a lady from my Mum's church to call for me for free.

Ceilidhs can also be arranged around a tape or CD, but a live band is always more impressive. Well known bands such as HallyRacket will put you back £500 for the night, so if you're lucky enough to have a local Strathspey and Reel society, please make use of them. They usually ask for a donation to their cause. When they heard what my cause was they refused to accept my donation, which was great of them.

Right now we are a little bit wiser, tell us what gave you the idea to organise a ceildh...

Well quite frankly i just love a good ceilidh, I've been to a few - mainly at weddings - and they are always fu. They get everyone involved and are also great excercise. Even the American contingent that came to mine got the hang of the dances and had fun. Ceilidhs are also great because it doesn't really matter if you don't know what your doing - it's all about having fun! I also thought that more people would be willing to donate and get involved with a bigger fundraising idea.

How much planning did it involved?

Hmm planning...my parents really got on my case because I didn't adequately plan. If you are thinking of doing a ceilidh, make sure you know where its going to be, how many people you have coming, go and meet the band and caller, make up a list of songs to play (thankfully my caller did that), advertise it and decide how much food you'll need.

I managed to pull off the food donation but I didn't know who was bringing and what they were bringing which was a bit of a mistake. It is rather important to find out who plans to bring what so you don't end up with 300 sausage rolls and nothing else!

Find out how and when you can get into the hall and double check how much you are expected to pay for a hall, a band and food, otherwise these costs and can really creep up! Expenses included food (although these were kept low because of donations), the hall was provided for free and the band played for free too - so I was very lucky. I also got a lot of people who couldn't make it or considered themselves too old to dance that gave me a donation, some of which were quite significant.

What kind of promo did you do for the ceilidh - did you manage to get your local press involved?

Unfortunately I did not involve the local press, but if I was to repeat this event again I definately would involve as much local media as possible. I put posters around my church and school and my mum's church, all of which also prompted donations. I also went quickly around my local neighbourhood to sell tickets. The ceilidh could have been a lot bigger if i'd promoted it on a bigger scale.

How did the night itself go - were people supportive when they found out you were raising money for a gap year?

Most of the people that came either knew me or had been told by someone selling tickets what it was all about. Others just came because they knew it was a ceildh! They were all supportive and I recieved three donations for £100! By sponsoring me they are also sponsoring the charity I am going with so I guess they saw it as an excuse to donate. Some of the donators from church also saw it as they are "sending me out" as I am going with a Chrisitan organisation.

On the night I was petrified. My mum had been anything but supportive for weeks before and had told me I should cancel it! I did a fair bit of praying before the event and just asked that it would all fall in to place. On the night everything was set up and I had a volunteer to help me with last minute preparation.

Then people started to arrive and everyone started chatting amoung themselves. Luckily, I had two ladies who claimed they wouldn't dance and therefore kept near the kitchen and rescued sausage rolls while I joined in the dancing with my guests. I had an awesome time dancing with everyone and i really enjoyed it.

I was fairly worried about the reaction of those that had come, but everyone said they really enjoyed it and were really happy to hear about the amount raised. Overall it was an awesome night! Everyone was a great help and I don't think I would have been able to do it without the support I had!

What were the best and worst bits about the event?

The best bit was the fact that I got to dance the whole time, which was great fun. The worst bit was that I had said I would stand up and tell everyone why they were here and what I'd be doing with the money there were helping me to raise. When it came to my talk, I forgot everything and waffled a bit. So if you plan a talk to explain why you are fundraising, it's advisable to have a card of bullet points to hands!

So you've been there and done that now, what pearls of wisdom do you have for anyone else planning a fundraising event for their gap year?

Do something you know you will enjoy. If you hate dancing with a passion, don't plan a ceilidh. If you know nothing about footie, don't plan a tournament. Don't worry if the first thing doesn't work well, keep trying, you will get there in the end. There are so many things you can do, so don't give up! You will learn from your mistakes, so if it all goes pear-shaped first time, pick yourself up and move on. Learning these types of skills should be part of your gap year experience. Don't see them as a chore, but as an opportunity. Plan. It always helps and makes everything make sense. In my case, it also stops your parents making a fuss! Find volunteers. I found heaps of willing volunteers, who helped to set up, clear away, cook, provide food and the like. They also helped me to sell the tickets, as there is only so many you can sell alone. There are plenty of jobs to do and if you can find some willing accomplices, its always good. Maximise the effect you will have by promoting your event as much as possible. My event lacked proper promotion and it's gutting to know that I could have raised more by putting in a bit more effort by doing things like contacting local papers.

Thanks for that Ruth and congrats on this stonker of a fundraiser! Now go forth and fundraise some more and have a great gap year!

Thanks guys, I'll let you know how I get on in my fundraising diary!

Fundraiser of the month: Ruth Roadnight

Name: Ruth Roadnight

Age: 17 - almost 18!

Currently: studying hard finishing off 6th year, working at a care home and fundraising for my gap year!

Amount raised: £1350

Hi there Ruth and congrats on being crowned the gapyear.com Fundraiser of the month for February! How does it feel?! Any Gwyneth Paltrow-like 'thank you' speeches you'd like to deliver?

Sure! Thank you, thank you...I'm just so grateful for this previledge and of course I want world peace!Seriously though, my success with my more recent fundraiser wouldn't have been possible without my friends, their prayer support and God.

So you've been crowned Fundraiser of the month after your stonker of an event which raised you £1350 - what did you get up to and what is it all for?

I plan to join a Christian organisation called Operation Mobilisation for a year. The charity has two ships which they send out to evangelise, train, give aid and sell literature to the nations. I will be working voluntarily on board the Doulos ship for 12 months with an international crew of 350 from over 50 countries. When I am on board the ship will be in South East Asia. I have to raise a whopping £6,000 to fund the trip!

Coming from Scotland, I love a good old ceilidh and I thought it would be a fun idea to organise a ceilidh in order to raise funds for my year out. I charged £10 for tickets, managed to find a local ceilidh band and asked people to donate food. Asking people to bring food unfortunately caused a bit of stress and we had a lot of left overs. However, it was a good plan that meant I only had to pay for a bit of food. The church let me use our hall free as well. We had lots of dancing, some food and more dancing. I had lots of willing volunteers who also helped. I raised £600 before the ceilidh, so now have £1,950 which is almost 1/3rd of the way to my target.

Excuse our ignorance, but what on earth is a ceildh?

Oh dear, better educate the world! A ceilidh is a traditional Scottish dance with lots of dancing and normally stovies to eat. If you're wondering, stovies is lamb with potatoes and gravy. I replaced stovies with a finger buffet at my fundraiser to allow people to donate food.

Dances at a ceilidh might include the 'dashing white sargeant', 'strip the willow' and the 'Boston two-step'. Its quite important - especially if only a few people know the dances - to have a caller who walks through the dances with everyone. I managed to get a lady from my Mum's church to call for me for free.

Ceilidhs can also be arranged around a tape or CD, but a live band is always more impressive. Well known bands such as HallyRacket will put you back £500 for the night, so if you're lucky enough to have a local Strathspey and Reel society, please make use of them. They usually ask for a donation to their cause. When they heard what my cause was they refused to accept my donation, which was great of them.

Right now we are a little bit wiser, tell us what gave you the idea to organise a ceildh...

Well quite frankly i just love a good ceilidh, I've been to a few - mainly at weddings - and they are always fu. They get everyone involved and are also great excercise. Even the American contingent that came to mine got the hang of the dances and had fun. Ceilidhs are also great because it doesn't really matter if you don't know what your doing - it's all about having fun! I also thought that more people would be willing to donate and get involved with a bigger fundraising idea.

How much planning did it involved?

Hmm planning...my parents really got on my case because I didn't adequately plan. If you are thinking of doing a ceilidh, make sure you know where its going to be, how many people you have coming, go and meet the band and caller, make up a list of songs to play (thankfully my caller did that), advertise it and decide how much food you'll need.

I managed to pull off the food donation but I didn't know who was bringing and what they were bringing which was a bit of a mistake. It is rather important to find out who plans to bring what so you don't end up with 300 sausage rolls and nothing else!

Find out how and when you can get into the hall and double check how much you are expected to pay for a hall, a band and food, otherwise these costs and can really creep up! Expenses included food (although these were kept low because of donations), the hall was provided for free and the band played for free too - so I was very lucky. I also got a lot of people who couldn't make it or considered themselves too old to dance that gave me a donation, some of which were quite significant.

What kind of promo did you do for the ceilidh - did you manage to get your local press involved?

Unfortunately I did not involve the local press, but if I was to repeat this event again I definately would involve as much local media as possible. I put posters around my church and school and my mum's church, all of which also prompted donations. I also went quickly around my local neighbourhood to sell tickets. The ceilidh could have been a lot bigger if i'd promoted it on a bigger scale.

How did the night itself go - were people supportive when they found out you were raising money for a gap year?

Most of the people that came either knew me or had been told by someone selling tickets what it was all about. Others just came because they knew it was a ceildh! They were all supportive and I recieved three donations for £100! By sponsoring me they are also sponsoring the charity I am going with so I guess they saw it as an excuse to donate. Some of the donators from church also saw it as they are "sending me out" as I am going with a Chrisitan organisation.

On the night I was petrified. My mum had been anything but supportive for weeks before and had told me I should cancel it! I did a fair bit of praying before the event and just asked that it would all fall in to place. On the night everything was set up and I had a volunteer to help me with last minute preparation.

Then people started to arrive and everyone started chatting amoung themselves. Luckily, I had two ladies who claimed they wouldn't dance and therefore kept near the kitchen and rescued sausage rolls while I joined in the dancing with my guests. I had an awesome time dancing with everyone and i really enjoyed it.

I was fairly worried about the reaction of those that had come, but everyone said they really enjoyed it and were really happy to hear about the amount raised. Overall it was an awesome night! Everyone was a great help and I don't think I would have been able to do it without the support I had!

What were the best and worst bits about the event?

The best bit was the fact that I got to dance the whole time, which was great fun. The worst bit was that I had said I would stand up and tell everyone why they were here and what I'd be doing with the money there were helping me to raise. When it came to my talk, I forgot everything and waffled a bit. So if you plan a talk to explain why you are fundraising, it's advisable to have a card of bullet points to hands!

So you've been there and done that now, what pearls of wisdom do you have for anyone else planning a fundraising event for their gap year?

Do something you know you will enjoy. If you hate dancing with a passion, don't plan a ceilidh. If you know nothing about footie, don't plan a tournament. Don't worry if the first thing doesn't work well, keep trying, you will get there in the end. There are so many things you can do, so don't give up! You will learn from your mistakes, so if it all goes pear-shaped first time, pick yourself up and move on. Learning these types of skills should be part of your gap year experience. Don't see them as a chore, but as an opportunity. Plan. It always helps and makes everything make sense. In my case, it also stops your parents making a fuss! Find volunteers. I found heaps of willing volunteers, who helped to set up, clear away, cook, provide food and the like. They also helped me to sell the tickets, as there is only so many you can sell alone. There are plenty of jobs to do and if you can find some willing accomplices, its always good. Maximise the effect you will have by promoting your event as much as possible. My event lacked proper promotion and it's gutting to know that I could have raised more by putting in a bit more effort by doing things like contacting local papers.

Thanks for that Ruth and congrats on this stonker of a fundraiser! Now go forth and fundraise some more and have a great gap year!

Thanks guys, I'll let you know how I get on in my fundraising diary!

Fundraiser of the month: Clare Gillespie

Name: Clare Gillespie

Age: 20

From: Belfast

Amount raised: Over £1600

Hey Clare, firstly congratulations on being the gapyear.com fundraiser of the month for January! Give yourself a pat on the back! So you managed to raise over £1600 - a pretty amazing acheivement, so what was it all for?

Thanks for the honour guys - how exciting to be the fundraiser of the month! Well the money I worked so hard to raise was all for my gap year in Mexico with GAP, where I worked in an SOS Children's village for five months before travelling independently for a month. I had the best time of my life and fell in love with Mexico.

It sounds as though all of the effort raising the cash was well worth it then. What was your target prior to the fundraising?

Definitely well worth it - the trip completely changed my life. I had to raise about £2300 in total. As well as my gap year, I went to Kosova the summer just before I left for Mexico and had to fundraise for both trips. Out of the £2300 I raised approximately £1600 through fundraising.

It must have been pretty dauntng having to raise so much money - how did you go about it?

Firstly, I wrote to various companies asking for sponsorship. Following this, I held a pub quiz which included raffle and auction, as well as a 70's party. I also had various bake sales in school and sold glow bracelets too. My mum also helped out alot - she did quite a few car boot sales for me and ran a relay in the Belfast marathon, where all the money raised went towards my trip.

Phew! You must have been pretty busy. So how much did each acitvity raise for your trip?

From the companies I wrote to, I was given £250. However, other companies heard through word of mouth of what I was going to be doing and I got a further £200 from them. My mum running in the relay (of five people) raised about £100 in total - which I really appreicated as she put so much effort in!

The pub quiz raised about £350, the 70's party about £120, the bake sales raised approximately £100. Selling glow sticks was a brilliant idea but I think it's quite hard to get permission to sell them in places like nightclubs. If you're 'in' with the bouncers certainly go for it. I was able to sell about 30 out of my pack of 50 which wasn't much profit, but every little helped and it was good for those in-between big fundraising things.

Finally the car boot sales. We were downsizing in house before I took my gap year and so we had to clear out our roof space. Hence, there was plenty to sell at car boot sales. My mum did most of this for me (Can she get a medal???). She's a lot better at the old bartering banter and from about five car boot sales easily managed to raise £400. They were really successful.

Which of these did you find was the easiest way to raise money?

Well probably the Belfast marathon as my mum ran it for me! The glow sticks were great as they were easy to sell in clubs and boosted my total with very little effort. The car boot sales were also a great way to raise money, as we had lots of stuff to get rid of. My mum's expert bartering skills certainly got me a lot closer to my final target!

Sounds like a doddle (if you've got a mum whose got the gift of the gab!) Which of your fundraisers did you find hardest?

The pub quiz took a lot of organisation. First i designed posters and stuck them all around my town and I also went around various shops and beauty salons etc. asking if they would be able to donate something towards the raffle, which most of them did obligingly. My mum and dad's friend also has lots of experience as a Quiz Master and so he volunteered to host the pub quiz.

Were people quite generous when you told them about your plight? Did you experience anybody not will be give you money as you were raising cash for a gap year - and not a charity?

People seemed to be quite generous. When they found out that instead of giving this money to charity, I was using it to actually go and do charitable work I think people parted with their money a lot easier. Sometimes with charities they never see what happens to the money they donate, but I have photographic evidence now for if they want it!

So you put in the blood, sweat and tears and ended up raising enough money for your gap year to Mexico - how was it?

As I said before, I had the best time of my life and am in now head over heels in love with Mexico. It's so strange how you can adapt so quickly into an environment so alien from the one you're used to. A had so many adventures on my gap year and had so many laughs too. One of the funniest things was when my my gap partner Fiona accidently put dish washer powder in the 1950's style washing machine - you can imagine!

I'm heading back for the third time (having a brother as a pilot has it's advantages) in two weeks time, and then hopefully again in April. I'm very attatched. Hopefully, in July I will find some sort of work in the favelas in Brazil were I would work for a month and then perhaps travel up through other countries to Mexico.

Now that you are proof that there is ways to raising a substantial amount of money, care to share any pearls of wisdom to other budding fundraisers?

Here are five tips that I would give to anybody hoping to fundraise for a gap year.

1. Don't ever become discouraged. If something doesn't work out, learn from it and use what you learn to improve your next idea.

2. Don't be scared about asking people or shops for things for you to auction or use in a raffle. You'll be surprised at how generous people are.

3. Also don't be scared to ask bars and places to lend you their services for a pub quiz. If it's well organised, you could get them double the amount of service their used to - so think of it as if you are doing them a favour!

4. Always explain carefully to companies what you're doing and have it presented nicely. Always send a thank you letter to everyone that helped you out - no matter how little. It is so vital to show others that you appreiciate their help.

5. It may seem like hard work, but you're going to have an experience of a life time and it is totally worth it in the end.

Thanks for your time Clare - any other advice to give us before we let you get back to planning your next trip to Mexico?

Just to keep looking towards the end result - it will make it all worthwhile.

Fundraiser of the month: Becky Wiltshire

Name: Becky Wiltshire

Age: 21

From: Norwich

Amount raised: £1400 so far

Hi there Becky and congratulations on being December's fundraiser of the month! What exactly are you raising the cash for then?

Thanks, it's an honour! The money is all going towards my upcoming expedition to Chile booked with Raleigh International, which starts September 2005. I hope to also book an African leg with Madventurer starting February 2006, where I'll be teaching in Kenya for 5 weeks and then travelling from Nairobi to Cape Town. All very exciting, but no exactly easy on the student account!

Doesn't sound like it! So how much money do you need and how much of it are you hoping to get through fundraising?

I need about £3500 to cover the cost of my flight and the expedition to Chile, of which I hope to raise about £2500 through fundraising. I've already paid the deposit for my trip from my own savings and have now managed to raise a further £1400 through my fundraising efforts and Christmas money, so I'm well on my way!

£1400 is a pretty impressive total, we assume you didn't rob a bank, so how exactly did you raise all that cash?

Aside from the Christmas money I received, the rest of that total has been made solely through fundraising. I've done lots of different things - some more successful than others - but every one of them has helped in some small way.

Sell cakes that I have baked has been a brilliant money spinner. I even had orders for mince pies over the Christmas period - I baked about 80 in a week and never want to see another one as long as I live! I'm not very good at asking people for money, especially when I know them and so I decided the best way would be to give people something in return for their money. By simply asking for 'donations' in return for my cakes, people were very generous and I raised loads more than if I had charged a set amount. I made about £60 from this.

Mmmm... cakes. Couldn't rustle us up a batch of mine pies could you?! Anyway, apart from 'doing a Delia', how else did you get the money to pour in?

I also sold a lot of my coursebooks from my first degree through Amazon online. This is a very easy way to make a lot of money, especially if they are text books, which are often quite expensive. If all my books sell, I'll make over £100.

I also arranged a 'table-top' sale, which is like an indoor carboot sale. This raised about £50 and also helped me clear more space in my room! Although this wasn't the most lucrative event, it helped to let people know what I was doing as it was held in my village. The publicity I received will probably be worth more than what I made from selling things since people were coming up to me saying they would make a donation at some point.

Letter writing has also been a huge source of income. I've been incredibly lucky in that I've had a couple of responses pledging huge amounts of money (£500 and £200). I think people often overlook the fact that there is basically 'free money' available out there. Although I wouldn't advise anyone to use this as their only source of fundraising.

Finally a friend and I went out collecting on Saturday night around some pubs in Norwich. I was amazed at how generous people were and we raised £220 in one hour. I will definitely do this again, as it was loads of fun, as well as being a good way to raise cash.

You certainly have tried a lot of different things - which of these did you find to be the easiest way to raise money?

Collections in pubs, definitely. Although sorting out the licence was a hassle and getting landlords to agree to let us collect was difficult at times (about half of the we asked pubs refused us.) This was, without doubt the most fun I've had fundraising and the easiest money I've made so far. I think it helped that people were half cut and that they were feeling especially generous as it was Christmas!

Did you find it harder to convince people to donate to your cause as you were raising money for a gap year, as opposed to a charity?

As Raleigh International is a registered charity, which I suspect makes my job a lot easier. I was very careful when I went around the pubs to tell them about the work Raleigh do in this country and abroad, so that people didn't think they were paying for my holiday.

The important thing is to emphasise the work you'll be doing on your gap year. If people think it's a good cause, they'll be very generous, I've been bowled over by people's generosity. The other problem to combat is the 'elitest student' persona, which often surrounds a lot of these things. Again Raleigh is good since they do a lot of work with people from disadvantaged backrounds in this country, so I've been able to talk about that as well.

Have you had any journalists hounding you then, wanting to cover your successful fundraising events?

I have an article in my Parish Newsletter this month, which will give me more publicity in my local area. I will also contact my local paper later on this year, when I finalise the plans for a 10km run. I figure that if people see that I'm slogging my guts out for money, they'll be more likely to donate than if they just see me running round pubs!

Also, I'm not sure if this counts as press coverage, but my justgiving website has been really useful since many of my friends are dotted around the country. By making it easier for people to donate, they're more likely to give you money. I think that this website will be very useful when I do my 10km run.

As you've still got eight months or so until your placement - and about £2000 more to raise - what other events have you got up your sleeve?

I've been in touch with my old High School to ask if they would hold an event for me. In return, I'll go in to give them a talk when I get back. I'm still waiting to hear from them but fingers crossed, they'll be able to help me out somehow.

I'm also going to do a 10km run in March, which I hope to gain publicity through. I've got several trusts that I'm waiting to hear back from too. I'll also be going round the pubs again as this, in my experience, is the best way to raise money.

As Fundraiser of the month, what top tips would you give to any other people desperate to raise money for their gap year?

Here are my five top tips for lots of lolly:

1. Start early, I've heard of so many people booking their gap year and a year later only have £200 to put towards it.

2. Try and give people something for their money, even if it's only a slice of flapjack.

3. Stick to your strengths. I'm a 'people person' and so I'm pretty good at going round a pub and getting people to part with their money. Musical people can go busking, sporty people can organise a tournament or something.

4. Never underestimate the power of letter writing. It has been a huge shock to me the amount of money I have been able to raise in this way.

5. Finally, stay positive. It's really tough at times when you're running out of ideas and you're only half way to your target, but people would much rather give money to a smiling face.

Sound advice. Any other pearls of wisdom to share?

Just to keep reminding yourself that it'll all be worth it. I've always wanted to travel the world and the effort I'm putting in at the moment will make that happen.

Thanks Becky and congrats once again. Keep up the good work and good luck in reaching that target!

Thanks guys - I've got enough time left, so there's no reason why I shouldn't!