British Heart Foundation names top 10 ‘quirkiest’ fundraisers of the year

24 Aug 2017 News

The British Heart Foundation has published a list of its top 10 “quirkiest” fundraising campaigns, in a bid to encourage more people to raise money for the charity.

In a list published on its website today, the BHF has named the top 10 quirkiest fundraisers who have raised money for it in the last 12 months. The list includes people walking up Mount Snowdon in wedding dresses, a fudge making marathon and three people who walked for 24-hours nonstop.

Maxine Beech, from Shropshire, was named as the quirkiest fundraiser of the year by BHF. She and 30 friends walked up Mount Snowdon in Wales, wearing wedding dresses and hen-do outfits in memory of her father who died of a heart attack before her wedding. Beech and friends raised over £6,000 for the organisation.

Accompanying the list, the BHF said it “relies entirely on supporters to fund lifesaving research, so this year we are asking the public to do your thing – whether it’s baking, swimming, or something completely different, and turn into a fundraiser”.

The list also features a link to the BHF’s “free fundraising pack”.

Donna Spriggs Elliott, head of community fundraising at the British Heart Foundation, said: “It is only because of people like our top 10 quirky fundraisers that we can continue funding our life saving research into beating heart disease.

“It’s great to see all the weird and wonderful ways our fundraisers raise money, and we are so incredibly grateful for the time and effort that they put in and the people who support them. By following in their footsteps you too could join our fight against heart disease and help us save lives.”

The BHFs Top 10 quirky fundraisers of the year:

  1. Bridal Walk – Maxine Beech, from Shropshire, raised over £6000 by climbing Mount Snowdon with 30 friends wearing wedding dresses and hen-do outfits.
  2. Jail break – Two Scottish pensioners took on a jail break challenge, to get as far away from Perth Prison as possible in a day to fundraise.
  3. Fudge Making Marathon – Two sisters from Cornwall completed a 24 hour fudge making challenge. They produced over 150kg of fudge in a single day – which is an average weeks’ worth.
  4. Dog Sled Racing - Sixteen year old Shauna turned her hobby into a fundraiser when she asked friends to sponsor her to do a dog sled rally across tough terrain.
  5. Queen of Fancy Dress - Over the last 20 years Michele Preston has helped to raise over £20,000 for charity by dressing up in dozens of handmade fancy dress outfits at the Tesco store in Worcester where she works.
  6. Drawings for Donations - Aspiring storyboard artist Ben, 18, used his talent to fundraise for the charity after his grandmother had a heart transplant.
  7. Miniature Horse Show – Chloe Lewis, 21, combined her love for miniature horses with her passion for fundraising, to organise a miniature horse show in aid of the BHF.
  8. 33 Signatures – Dan Poole. Since January 2014 he has been collecting signatures from the 1993/94 Manchester United team to auction for the BHF.
  9. Bamboo Bikers – A Welsh cycling duo completed a 230 mile bike ride on homemade bikes they built from bamboo.
  10. 24 Hour Walk: No Stopping – Three friends from Grimsby walked for 24 hours straight, covering 72 miles and raising over £1,350.

 

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