It may be a certain supermarket who coined the expression Every Penny Counts but it’s a phrase that’s certainly true to us!
When it comes to fundraising, every penny and pound plays a part in our work so when we were given the opportunity to run charity bucket collections at selected train stations across the country, we jumped at the chance.
The only potential hurdle was finding people to help us with all these collections. But we needn’t have worried; up stepped our incredible supporters including Jo, Zakk, Steve and Peter, bracing the chilly platforms and bustling commuters to bring in those precious pennies.
“The bucket collection at Birmingham New Street just happened to fall on the 21st anniversary of losing my dad to lung cancer,” explains Jo Dienn who did the collection with her son Zakk. “It felt like a very fitting way to mark the occasion and do some good at the same time.
“It sounds odd to say but it was an incredible experience. Lots of people stopped to talk about their own experience of lung cancer. It was quite staggering to see first hand just how many people this disease affects. It was also lovely to hear people’s memories of Roy Castle.
“I’m really proud to have been able to help the charity. The team told me we raised £451 which is brilliant and I’m so proud of Zakk. He sang as I held – fighting my instincts not to shake – the collection tin and I’m sure we got more donations because of him.
“Supporting Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation feels like the right thing to do since losing my dad. I was very lucky that I have a very close family and had lots of support. Not everyone is so lucky, but Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is there to fill that gap.”
“I’ll be honest, I went with a little bit of trepidation,” recalls Steve Wooster who was part of our bucket collection in Paddington Station on 23rd March. “I was out of my comfort zone but after just a few minutes, it was fine and I’m really glad I took part. I knew I wanted to help in some way but wasn’t sure where to begin. Receiving the email from the team at Roy Castle gave me the spur. “We had some lovely conversations with people throughout the day. I remember one lady who donated said her brother had just been diagnosed with lung cancer two days earlier. It’s a stark reminder as to how prevalent this disease is, how it can affect anyone and how essential this charity is, so I am just happy I could do my bit and help too.”
“Having had lung cancer, I have a strong tie to this charity, and this seemed like such a small gesture to give up some of my time for a great cause,” shares Peter Graham who joined Steve at the Paddington Station collection in March.
“I really enjoyed speaking to people about their own reasons for donating to Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. Hearing these personal experiences made the experience very worthwhile. It was also interesting to see what it was like holding the bucket as opposed to putting into one!
“I am delighted to have help raise £259.11 but for me, it was just as important to be there raising awareness of this disease and the importance of early detection.
“As someone who has never smoked, I am keen to help dispel the misconceptions about lung cancer and who it affects. I wanted to highlight that lung cancer can happen to anyone, and when it is caught early, lives can be saved. That’s definitely worth a few hours of my time.”
Peter Graham
We will be holding bucket collections throughout the year including events at Birmingham New Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central, Leeds, Bristol Temple Meads and stations across London.
