Inside Story
Lesley McGinty was The Prostate Cancer Charity's Community Fundraising Manager until July 2006. She shared a day in her life.
9am
As I log on to my computer, I wonder what today will bring. My job is to maximise income from events, as well as raise awareness of prostate cancer and the profile of the charity. This means I’m constantly meeting people with wonderful ideas for raising money – from holding coffee mornings to climbing Mt Everest! Today, my emails are mostly requests for information and updates on events people are holding – and I begin picking out the leaflets, posters and other merchandise people will need. With the help of our assistant, Bethany, we soon get everything into the post.
11.30am
I get a call from some soldiers who issue me a challenge – they’ll run the London Marathon if I complete their assault course! I accept, then contemplate my training programme as I head to lunch at 12pm.
1pm
Sudden panic! A man from a medical college will be doing an Everest Base Camp trek – and he rings to tell me he might be on TV talking about the trip. He wants me to prepare a speech for him as soon as possible. He’s also having a fundraising rugby match and dinner and needs all manner of goodies, including 40 extra-large t-shirts!
3.30pm
I start sorting through the enquiries about The Great North Run. We have 90 people running so far, so I make up their packs and talk to the organisers to check the details. Then a Masonic Lodge calls to tell me they’re going to support us for the year. I spend the rest of the day preparing fundraising ideas for them.
5pm
I’m off to the gym to talk to a team of instructors I’ve persuaded to do the assault course with us.
7pm
I race home for a quick shower, then head to a local Rotary club to accept a donation. I give a short talk about our work and thank them for their wonderful support.
9.30
Home at last! I’ve had a really rewarding day helping people to help us.
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