About Me
Hi, my name is Sofia Custodio, and I am an aspiring medic currently in Year 12. I’m passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of medical students and doctors who are facing challenging circumstances.
Through Medic Mentor, I was given the opportunity to fundraise for the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund (RMBF). This experience has been incredibly meaningful, allowing me to contribute to a cause that helps improve the lives of those who care for others.
The event
I attend an online school, which meant I didn’t have the capacity to organise an elaborate bake sale or school fun run. However, after contemplating for a while, I decided to sell my belongings in order to fundraise my target of £200. This meant that I was able to help two causes at once: the RMBF and the environment.
Initially, I uploaded some items to sell on popular selling sites, but became disheartened when my items weren’t selling. I researched further and found a new site to use, Vinted.
Following this, my items quickly gained a lot of attention—favourites and views—and everything seemed to turn around. My items began to sell rapidly overnight and continued to sell over the succeeding month.
What I enjoyed
This experience allowed me to venture outside of my comfort zone and gain several transferable skills, especially in communication through interactions with buyers. It has been very rewarding, and every sale feels just as exciting as the first—with the prospect of helping the charity acting as my motivation throughout.
Suggestion to other aspiring medics
For any aspiring medics interested in fundraising for the RMBF but worried about organising a large event, know that even small efforts can make a difference.
I managed to raise funds simply by selling items, proving that it doesn’t have to be extravagant. Focus on the purpose: helping those who dedicate themselves to caring for others.
Thank you Sofia, for such a creative fundraising idea and all your effort seeing it through. Your fundraising means more doctors and medical students can get help when they need it most.