Feel Good Friday: a charity album with a difference

It’s time for another feel-good Friday post, this time with a football flavour, seeing as the historic 2022 World Cup tournament is currently taking place in Qatar.

The tournament is historic, both for the number of “upsets” we’ve seen so far (England vs. France, anybody?) and the level of controversy surrounding the decision to host the event in Qatar.

But let’s focus on the positive with this week’s feel-good story.

Sing for Stonewall

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned singalong to bring people together - especially when it’s for a good cause.

That’s why we were delighted to see footy legend Peter Crouch join forces with Britain’s Got Talent winner, Paul Potts, to fundraise for LGBTQ charity, Stonewall.

The unlikely duo teamed up to release ‘Crouchy Conducts The Classics’ – a charity Christmas album of football chants with a classical twist.

The collaboration saw the ex-footballer make his debut as a conductor on the eight-track album, which was released by Paddy Power Records. Yes, you read that right. The well-known gambling company hedged their bets on Crouch and Potts and turned music publisher fpr the one-of-a-kind album. The brand also committed to making a minimum donation of £25,000 to Stonewall.

The album features reworkings of football chants with the backing of a 20-piece orchestra. The track listing includes:

●      We Love You England

●      VAR My Lord

●      You’re Not Singing Anymore

Wondering if Crouch has talent? You can see him in action here.

Support for the LGBTQ+ community

All the proceeds will support Stonewall’s campaign to tackle the oppression that the LGBTQ+ community faces in Qatar. A country where being gay is illegal, and punishable by up to seven years in prison.

FIFA faced heavy criticism after the announcement in 2010 that Qatar would host this year’s World Cup. Many charities called out the organisation for holding the much-loved tournament in a country with such a poor track record for human rights.

As a result, Manchester Pride boycotted the tournament, and Amnesty International labelled it the ‘World Cup of Shame’.

But let’s turn our attention to Stonewall.

Stonewall Stands Up Against Qatar

Founded in 1989, Stonewall stands up for LGBTQ+ rights in Britain and beyond. The organisation is dedicated to championing LGBTQ+ communities and campaigning for a change in attitudes and policies to enable individuals to live a life free from prejudice and discrimination.

The charity’s Proud Stadium campaign aims to fill a virtual stadium with supporters of LGBTQ+ rights, shining a light on the injustices faced by LGBTQ+ people in Qatar.

The target is to reach 80,000 signatures – the capacity of the Lusail Stadium, which will host the 2022 World Cup Final in Qatar.

A worthy campaign.

Want to make a difference?

Looking to use your skills to raise money for a worthy cause like Stonewall? We can help you score a winning career move.

Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to kick things off.

Feel Good Friday: Rocco's charity car show

It’s always heart-warming to see a community come together to support a good cause. And that’s exactly what happened in this week’s feel-good Friday post…

Rocco Dowsett was born on September 11, 2020, during the height of the pandemic.

A car-loving toddler from Clacton, he’s known in the community for the miniature green Lamborghini he loves to drive around. But Rocco was not always such a healthy and happy child.

Born with Tetralogy of Fallot, (a serious congenital heart defect), he had to undergo a series of operations to save his young life.

In October 2021, Rocco was admitted to the Royal Brompton Hospital for open heart and lung surgery. Thanks to the hard work of doctors and hospital staff, he came through the operation and has made a full recovery.

Rocco’s mum Leah told the East Anglian Daily Times: “He is now just like a normal child. You wouldn't know, unless you saw his scar, that there was anything wrong with him”.

Rocco’s parents, Leah Purkiss and Alfie Dowsett, expressed their gratitude to the hospital staff, saying “If it wasn't for the hospital, I don't think our boy would be here right now”.

Though their son will always have heart issues, he now has a much better chance of living a normal and happy life.

His family have documented his story on their Instagram account under @baby.roccodowsett.

As a family of car fanatics, what better way for the family to combine their joy at having their little boy safe and healthy and their desire to give back than to fundraise with a car show?

On the 21st August, Rocco and his family teamed up with Double Clutch UK and Torque Show to bring a community of car enthusiasts together to raise funds for the Brompton Foundation: a specialist charity which supports children receiving cardiac, respiratory and intensive care at Royal Brompton Hospital.

The event was promoted on social media, and drivers were invited to bring their cars.

The gates opened at 11am and within five minutes, the whole road was blocked. Over 150 local drivers brought their cars along to show their support.

Between the entrance fee, raffle, and stalls, the event raised over £2,400.

And for those who couldn’t make it on the day, Rocco’s mum set up a GoFundMe page for The Brompton Foundation. Though its initial target was just £100, the fundraiser easily surpassed it, hitting over £1,000 in less than a month on top of the money raised at the event.

The car show may be over, but the GoFundMe page is still live. If you want to donate a few pounds to support children like Rocco, click here.

Do you want to make a difference in the lives of children like Rocco? Maybe you want to run exciting fundraising events like his car show? We can help you find a job in fundraising and turn making a difference into your full-time job. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get started. 

Feel-Good Friday: Inspirational Fundraisers

Michael and Bridget Locke are inspirational.

The devoted couple, from Newport, Wales, have been fundraising tirelessly for Cancer Research UK, since their daughter, Sally Kay, was successfully treated for cancer in the 1980s.

To show their gratitude for the charity, they pledged to raise £1 million by Michael’s 90th birthday.

Retired architect Michael said of the mission: “My youngest daughter was affected by cancer. After her final session of chemotherapy, she said, ‘I’m one of the lucky ones. I’d like to give something back. This got Bridget and I thinking…”

When he retired, aged 60, Michael focused on fundraising full-time, saying it gave him "a purpose in life".

Over the years, he and Bridget have done ‘anything and everything within the law’ to raise money, from coffee mornings and sponsored walks to supermarket collections and an annual golf day (which raised £250,00).

Michael also sold over 2,000 jars of his three-fruit homemade Marmalade, which his neighbours describe as ‘legendary’.

Due to COVID restrictions, the determined duo had to cancel a fair few fundraising events in 2020 and 2021. As a result, they missed their goal, but not by much. They still managed to raise a fabulous £962,000 by their self-imposed deadline.

Now that life is back to normal, they’ve refocused their efforts and plan to reach the million milestone before Michael’s 91st birthday in July.

Of the amazing feat, Michael said, “It’s given me something to do, rather than just vegetate. It makes me feel I’ve done something positive.”

His daughter added “'the reach of the fundraiser has been amazing. Just last week we had a donation from the Netherlands. It's incredible. We get lovely messages from strangers.”

Mike, who was awarded an MBE in 2007 for his services to Cancer Research, added: “It will be the icing on the cake to reach £1m by my 91st birthday.”

Want to help Michael and Bridget achieve their ambitious fundraising target? You can donate to Mike’s Million fund here.

Looking for an inspirational fundraiser? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to find out how.