FROME’S fundraiser extraordinaire, Rachel Clark, has been nominated as a Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year in the National Fundraising Awards 2020.
Rachel ran a mile every day last year to raise money for Frome cancer support charity, We Hear You (WHY). Her final total was a massive £20,000.
You can find out more about her nomination HERE.
On New Year’s Day 2019, Rachel set herself the challenge of running a mile a day for 365 days in aid WHY, in memory of her mother.
On her final run on New Year’s Eve at Frome Rugby Club, it was announced that her final total was £18,160; however, a sprint finish of donations led her final donation to £20,000.
Overall over 5,000 people ran with Rachel during the year, including Michelle Maynard who ran 75 miles, Simon Hurd who ran 34 of the miles and Mathew Lyons and Holly Sparey, both young children, who ran 11 miles each.
Talking to Frome Times Rachel after completing the challenge, she said, “I feel totally overwhelmed. It couldn’t have gone any better on the final mile, the whole year evolved into something really special. From what started as a simple concept, of putting on a t-shirt and running, really took off and the community embraced it. Hundreds turned out for the final mile and we worked out that over 5,000 ran with me throughout the year. The support has been absolutely epic.
Rachel presented the cheque for £20,000 to staff at We Hear You and Kym Whisstock, the daughter of the founder of We Hear You, the late Jill Miller, on Tuesday 14th January,
Rachel said, “The cheque presentation was absolutely incredible. Ending this phenomenal challenge on an absolute high, what an honour to present the huge cheque to the WHY team in the company of Kym Whisstock, Jill Miller’s daughter.”
Rachel was the Frome Times Person of the Year in 2018 after organising a challenge for the most people to row 500m each, in a 24-hour relay, breaking the Guinness World Record with a total of 677 rowers.
The National Fundraising Awards are run by The Institute of Fundraising which champions fundraising in the UK.
Pictured: Rachel completing her final mile on New Year’s Eve; and Rachel handing over the £20,000 cheque to WHY in January.
