fundraising - Teaching On Ice

I think that even the Top Gear presenters would struggle to put into words how quickly the school term gets up to speed. The students have woken up, parents evenings are underway, AS exams are racing closer and meetings seem to be a daily occurrence. But Antarctica, and the aims of the expedition, are not forgotten. In two weeks time I'll start the run of five assemblies required to talk to all the students in the school, I'm talking at other local schools before half term, I'm planning an evening for staff and ideas for the teaching materials I'm producing are coming along well.

Excitingly, planning for my next expedition has started! In 2009 I'm one of eight teachers and four guides taking around 65 students to Borneo for four weeks with True Adventure. The students have to raise nearly £3000 over the next 18 months. My experience of fundraising, as well as expeditioning, should enable me to motivate the students to have their trip of a lifetime.

And yes, we have been hit by the norovirus ... although not as badly as the scary 'infection' posters and alcohol gel in the toilets suggests!

Expedition members (that's me!) and Trustees of the Fuchs Foundation are invited to the House of Commons on the 24th October for a tour, photocall and meeting with Jim Knight Schools Minister and Tom Levitt MP. Oooo!

Tom Levitt is a sponsor of the Fuchs Foundation Antarctic Expedition and it is he who has organised our trip to the Power House of England. The main aim is to help us gain publicity, but I'm just looking forward to the opportunity of touring the Commons, watching the MPs in action and meeting a Minister, all for the first time. How exciting!

I just hope that Mr Brown (Gordan after the trip) doesn't call an election otherwise there will be no question time.

No pun intended, but this whole inspirational, educational expedition thing is snowballing!

I’ve had 15 or so articles in local papers, I’ve been interviewed on BBC radio, I have the chance to write this blog for an amazing website and the ice-ing (that was intended) on the cake is that a film crew from Teacher’s TV has started following our build up and will be heading south with us.

The fundraising side is also going well thanks to some incredible people in local companies – with special mention to Connells, Hallmark Travel, Select Education, ATL and Rix & Kay Solicitors. Getting to this point hasn’t been easy, however.

If you are trying to generate publicity or raise funds for something then here are my learning points so far: 

• Personalise every e-mail or letter. 
• Don’t expect a reply to your personalised e-mail/letter. You will have to call to get anywhere. 
• Keep notes. 
• Get pictures into every piece of correspondence. 
• Don’t confuse 'no response' with ‘no’. 
• Make sure you can show you are helping yourself as well as asking for help. When I went to companies to ask for money they liked the fact that I was selling stuff at car boot sales, running carnation-giving schemes, organising raffles, selling postcards etc. 
• Embrace junk mail … if those companies are trying to advertise locally then surely sponsoring a local good cause will make them stand out?! 
• Most importantly, build relationships.

It hasn’t all gone to plan. One journalist seemed to think that Antarctica and the Arctic were the same place. The film crew have only got footage of us trying on our sensible boots so far – and the easiest way to get in the press is to dress in silly clothes! To cap it all, I’m fairly certain that I said Punta Anus, rather than Punta Arenas on BBC radio.