Hi, my name is Abida and I am currently in Year 12.
I am hoping to study medicine in the future because I admire the dedication, passion and ability of doctors, so I decided to fundraise for the RMBF as a way to say thank you for all their hard work.
The Royal Medical Benevolent Fund is a charity that supports doctors, medical students and their families through difficult times. After looking further into the RMBF, I learned about the amazing support it provides and the help it has given to many people.
Even though I wanted to join in and be involved so I could also make a difference, I was quite frightened to start fundraising. When I think of fundraisers, I think of delicious bake sales and fun book fairs but I, like most people, didn’t have the capacity to do something as big and exciting as that.
I was talking to a friend about this, and she suggested a sponsored silence. At first I was quite nervous about the idea and doubted it, but when she offered to be my first sponsor, this gave me momentum.
I decided to tell as many people as possible. Even though not everyone could sponsor me, I had still spread the word about the charity. When people asked questions about the RMBF, it reminded me of my own curiosity when I had first heard about the charity.
At the end of the day, however much money I had raised, my biggest success was making so many people aware of the RMBF’s work. It was heartwarming to see how many people were interested in listening and learning. I think that is where the real joy of fundraising lies.
And you can experience it too!
Anyone can start raising money to help the RMBF – remember, all ideas are good ideas. The idea of a sponsored silence sounded crazy to me at first, and I didn’t believe anyone would be interested – but I was proven very wrong.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t raise as much money as you were hoping, at least you played your part and spread the message, and that is really important.
In the future, I hope I can raise even more money to support the RMBF – and I hope my story can encourage others to join me!