Charity quiz night: the answer to Mag's fundraising challenge

Hi, I am Mags and this is my 1st London Marathon, by the time I do it, I will be 55 years old and probably the only time I will run London but I will continue to run other Marathons. I started running at 51 and have so far done 5 other Marathons.

I wanted to run for VICTA as I think it is a fabulous charity and it is the 1st time I have run a marathon for a charity so it is really important to me that I raise as much as I can and that I do VICTA proud. One of my colleagues is supported by VICTA which gave me that personal incentive.

Can you describe the fundraising initiative?

I have been supported by friends and my partner who have previously run for charity. They suggested a quiz night and I managed to raise over £414! We held it at a small bowling club and invited all our friends and running buddies, as they appreciate that you need help to raise funds. We made food and so offered a supper for £4 per person, most people give you £5 which is great. We held a raffle with lots of donated prizes and the quiz itself was run by a friend who has done them previously. It was great fun, 8 rounds with supper at half time!

We wanted to make it a fun evening and for everyone to enjoy and not feel they had to give too much. It’s important that no one is excluded, so we kept things within everyone’s reach. We held that event back on the 24th October and I’ve also just created another event for the 6th of March which will be a race night.

On the race night people will sponsor horses, the races and also bet on the evening. It’s a fun, cheap night out and we are holding it at the bowling club. They kindly lets us use the room as they make money on the bar during winter which is their quiet time.

What’s your advice for other team members?

People, as we know, are generous but times are difficult and you need to make whatever you do accessible to all and make sure you don’t have your events too close together. Keep on sharing your details on social media so friends and family don’t forget and update people as they love to know about your progress.