Hi everyone! As promised in the previous blog https://friendsofpakati.com/2023/08/07/what-has-friends-of-pakati-done-since-it-started/ we are looking back on our fundraising efforts since January 2019.
So let us start wuth the very first major fundraising event – the Walk – which took place in April 2019.
Along with my son Daniel, we walked over 2 and a half days, from Bradford City Football Club to Scunthorpe United Football Club (around 60 miles/85 km) prior to a match between them on the Saturday.
The last leg was from Thorne to Scunthorpe, & we were joined by my work Colleague Karen from Bradford, & fellow Iron fan Brian from Scunthorpe.
We were welcomed at the club before the game, & were given a number of donations, and promised by the club to match our total at the end of August – which came to a total of over £1300.
The football shirts given were a bonus which raised more over time, and brought Iron fan Simon Faulkner on board with his knowledge of the market & expertise at selling. Here are some of the shirts we sold:
All of this helped us pay for the donated items of IT equipment & sports tops to get from Bradford to Pakati in September of 2019. Question then was what to do in 2020?
Well as Covid 19 took over the world, contact with other people became very limited. In my job as a Civil Servant I was designated as a Key Worker, so continued to go to work along with a handful of colleagues. I started walking to work & back, as part of my challenge to lose weight – which became my fundraiser for 2020.
I went from 117kg to under 100kg over a period of 8 months. From the funds raised Friends of Pakati were able to join up with out partner organisation, VaTonatsa Foundation, and provide support for exam-class students in all 5 schools in the same Ward with Pakati.
2021 was largely lost, but for the development of our merchandise range, all of which can be found here: https://friendsofpakati.com/merchandise/
There has been a steady stream of buyers, & still attracting new ones regularly, adding much-needed funds to the pot.
Last year, 2022, as we began to emerge from the pandemic, an idea first suggested in 2020, came to life at last…Get Tied Up For Pakati’…where football supporters agreed to wear a tie at a match between Bradford City & Scunthorpe United…
Aonther £1000+ was raised, and helped us send even more IT & Sports equipmemt to schools in the Pakati atea in September of 2022. This was further boosted by an evening event in Scunthorpe, mentioned in detail at the end of this blogpost: https://friendsofpakati.com/2022/07/10/friends-of-pakati-change-of-focusplus-latest-news/
So now in 2023, we are once again looking for funds, as we want to send more items to Pakati schools next year, and get other help to them too. What we need now is….ideas please! What can we do to try & raise money for next year? Please send us ideas by any method, @friendsofpakati is the way to find us on twitter (X), Facebook & Instagram, message us on this website, or email us at friendsofpakati@gmail.com
Thank you👍
