Angelo and Helen Clarke’s fundraising total surpasses £100K after latest Ball success

Last October Angelo and Helen Clarke hosted their 5th annual fundraising ball in aid of Myeloma UK.  They raised a whopping £22,620 on the night, which brings the total raised from the five balls to over £106,000.

Angelo was diagnosed with myeloma in 2006 and since then Angelo and his wife Helen have been tirelessly fundraising for Myeloma UK.

Each year their fundraising balls have a different theme and have become more and more successful. They are now being seen as “the” annual event of the local charity fundraising calendar.

Over the years, the Clarke’s have cleverly added to their database of contacts and they always ensure that everyone on the night has an enjoyable experience so they leave wanting more.  They also use the Hilton Hotel in Bradford every year and this loyalty has helped with securing better deals.

If you are planning your first fundraising ball, here are some tips from Helen and Angelo on how to make your ball a great success:

• Negotiate a good deal with your venue – such as a percentage of the takings from the bar and room hire free or at a discounted rate
• Have a very small committee – lots of people making decisions can take up too much time
• Use your networks for donations, prizes etc
• Ask your employer to donate through match giving
• Get your local newspaper involved, they can also ask for prize donations
• Compile a list of attendees and extend it year by year for your invitation mail shot.  You can do this through having people complete gift aid forms on the night
• Make sure everyone has a great night so they will want to attend year on year
• It’s worth getting some good quality entertainment on board.  It can make or break the evening
• Ask your venue to donate a prize for the auction
• Have auction prizes that suit everybody’s pocket

In addition to the Balls, Angelo and Helen along with their family and friends continue to raise money throughout the year.  Angelo’s Theatre Company, Tripwire, performed a successful take on Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe – raising £1,100 and a pre-Christmas bag pack brought in another £400.

In 2012 there will be a 24 hour golf event, when Angelo’s friends will be undertaking 18 holes in 18 courses from the Spey Valley in Scotland to Plymouth on the South Coast.

Helen and Angelo have set the date for their 6^th Annual Ball.  It will be on 13 October and this year the theme is ‘Halloween’.  All proceeds will be directed towards the Myeloma UK funded Trial Centre at St James’s Hospital in Leeds.

To find out more about all these events in aid of Myeloma UK contact Helen Clarke on 0113 257 0130.