Bargains, Boulders and Bridges...

08/01/13

Bargains

Project Trust have reminded us that we do not need to splash out on a wardrobe... well rucksack full of brand new clothes. They reckon that most of the clothes we already own should be fine. Well, I'm a student, therefor I am skint. I haven't had new clothes in a long time so new clothes for Africa is necessary. 

Fashion is bizarre, Christmas is just over and already our shelves are filled with summer hats and skimpy bikinis. The positive side of this? Shops need to get rid of last years summer stock. I have taken advantage of this and bought some lovely clothes today, they are now being put away for South Africa!

It might seem early to some but I have saved so, so much money! I now have two dresses and two new skirts. These garments should have come to a total of £120 (yes that's crazy for four things, I would never have paid that!) But instead they cost me £32! My skirts were only £1 each, amazing. I now have less money to worry about when it comes to Africa shopping. Get down to M&Co ;) 

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Boulders

My next fundraising event is on! I will be climbing Goat Fell - Arran - with several of my friends. Although we will be walking up a rather steep mountain, It can't possibly be any worse than my sponsored walk! For those of you who have not yet read about my sponsored walk, here is an insight:

The hottest day of the year. We have run out of food. Where is the water? Someone has finished the water. Look at my blisters, do you see my Blisters? She's broken her toe, what will we do? Just keep going, think of the ice cream. Three broken toes, but that's okay. Let's take the long route, good idea. Are we there yet? Are we hell. 4 more miles, make that 9. 12 all together? I meant 15. I have a sore head, get in line. Do we have paracetamol? No, we don't. Let's sit by the road, people stare. Take my bucket, are we nearly there? No, we are not. Let's keep going. Take off our shoes, the pavements too warm. Crawl? No, people will laugh. Run, no, that's not fun. Finally there, skin burnt raw. Free ride home, can't complain. So tired, can barely talk. £400? Worth the walk.

Goat  Fell is a challenge, but it can't possibly be as challenging as the walk from Ardrossan - Largs. Rivers, boulders, rain and midges can't stop us! I have created sponsor sheets for each of my friends and the event will be February 23rd. I'm really looking forward to it, it's fun to know you have achieved something whilst raising money at the same time! There will be a £50 cash prize for the person who can raise most money, this is to encourage people to help out, not to mention an award for the good effort!

Click Here for a link to the event's Facebook page, Or, click Here to donate online!

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Bridges

I am officially half way through my waiting time! It has been 7 months since my Selection Course and it is now 7 months until I leave. I have realized that my use of "!" has dangerously increased over time. I can't hold in the excitement!

TOTAL : £3805

2013, A Happy New Year...

For those of you who are new visitors, you can find a list of dated posts to the left. I leave for South Africa this August for a year of voluntarily teaching and caring for children. I will be a representative of the Scottish Charity Project Trust. It is the opportunity of a lifetime and I can't wait. Read my blog to follow my selection process and fundraising!

01/01/13

How strange it is to write that! I remember 2012 like it was yesterday - ha ha - Happy New Year everyone, I hope you had a fantastic night without ending up face down on the pavement! I spent the evening watching Hootenanny and eating cocktail sausages with my mum, very exciting. I also got an idea from someone else to use leftover Pringle tubes as a way to save pennies.

So with a "New Year" comes "New Year Resolutions". Oh, you know, those promises people make to themselves and then break over desperation for a greasy pie or a lonely cigarette? (I don't smoke so I will never understand) Well I  make the same one's every year. Every. Single. Year. Keep my room tidy at all times. Stop eating crap. Then comes that rant where I can't find the missing pen and destroy my room in doing so. Then comes the Pringles left over from the night before. So I'm not very good at them.

However, this year is different. I have something to look forward to, a target. SO... I have made some "New Year Resolutions!" #1 Raise remaining £1700 #2 Raise extra money for necessities #3 Keep my room nice and shiny #4 Get in shape for South Africa #5 Eat Healthier #6 Be more precise with college work #7 Find a positive side to everything #8 Research into South Africa and try to learn some Afrikaans!

Well, I'll let you know how those go... 

I'm so excited that I can officially say "I am going to South Africa this year" "THIS YEAR." I didn't expect South Africa to feel 10x closer after saying "This Year". It's an amazing feeling. Speaking of feelings, I have a feeling the next eight months will fly by, just like the last year has. Eight teeny weeny months away. I spoke with Iona tonight, a girl I met at the Project Trust coffee morning. It seems that we are just as excited as each other, which is great because I thought I was the only crazy one! Iona is going to Chile and we hope to keep in contact while we are overseas. 

Hopefully there will be more news of fundraising soon. I have several events lined up for 2013. My brother has promised me a £100 donation this month!  I look forward to receiving it! Especially since it's in exchange for making him a cheese toasty several weeks ago. That's my brother in a nut shell.

TOTAL £3750

05/01/12 13

Just a few updates. Fundraising tin #3 at my grans house was finally full! It contained a fantastic £20. I also received a £20 and a £10 donation. Over the holidays I have had no fundraising events yet have managed to raise £80! brilliant.

Snow is falling...

12/12/12

NOT REALLY :P There hasn't yet been a drop of snow in Ardrossan, hopefully there will be soon though! I don't really have much to say, but I couldn't miss posting a blog on the 12-12-12! My aunt who works in a salon has given me lots of fantastic things to sell at my next car boot sale... curlers, hairdryers, products, grooming kits...loads and all in fantastic condition! So If you happen to be looking for anything, let me know. I have managed to find and apply to a few more trusts in the past days, so I hope that brings in some more pennies :) I can't believe I have had £1250 from Charitable Trusts, the generosity! In non-fundraising related news, I have a Geek Chic Photo shoot at college tomorrow...can't wait!
20/12/12

Today I got a very generous donation of £20 from Roy, a classmate! I appreciate it so much, for someone I have only just met to donate!

TOTAL £3725

21/12/12

Today I opened fundraising tin #2. It has been in my dads house for several months. There was £30 in it, same as last time! amazing how you can raise money from something you don't even notice, just chuck pennies in now and then. Definitely getting another one!

TOTAL £3755

25/12/12

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you have all had a fantastic day, I have! Can't help but wonder what this time next year will be like. Very excited that it will soon be 2013 and the year of my departure! Have a good one! xx

28/12/12

Live blog! I am currently on route to Glasgow for a Project Trust coffee morning... afternoon? Unfortunately my parents are both working today so neither could come along. However in place of my parents I have...my Brother! And with the Brother comes the Brother's friend and vehicle. Oh goodness. I'm not too sure what to expect because I have no parents with me, but I think it will just be informal conversations about our year overseas. I will report back later but for now I leave you with exactly how I feel in this car! (above)
Several Hours Later
The coffee (hot chocolate) morning (afternoon) was great! It was a bit tricky finding the coffee shop and once I got there I awkwardly hovered about for 20 minutes before plucking up the courage to say HI I'M JASMINE. After I had settled in, my brother bought me a huge hot chocolate (with my money) and shortly left. Best hot chocolate ever, i'm not a coffee person. I met some lovely girls, one is a 8 month volunteer leaving for Namibia in January and the other leaves when I do but for Chile! A member of staff was there as well as 2 returned Guyana volunteers and other volunteers departing when I do. It was very informal, a nice way to swap fundraising ideas, excitement and stories. P.s I got a train home, no need to worry about making it home alive in THAT car in the dark.

29/12/12
 I have a couple of updates where charitable trusts are concerned. I had an email reply from a trust today informing me that they are arranging an interview! This is fantastic however they require all Project Details before the interview (May) unfortunately May is when I receive my Project Details! So I only hope that I receive them before the interview takes place.
 I have also today sent a letter out to another Trust, this one was recommended by Project Trust. After difficulty in finding a mentor (it is the Christmas holidays - no college lecturers) I have finally decided to use my older brother. No where does it say that family members cannot be a monitor. It is not like a reference, just someone to vouch that you will raise the funds and are embarking on a safe project.
 So wish me luck with both of these Trusts!

Time since selection has flown by...

“You make a living by what you earn; you make a life by what you give.” - Winston Churchill

01/12/12

Last Christmas feels like last week and my Selection Course feels like yesterday: Last Christmas was 12 months ago and my selection course was 6 months ago. IT'S CRAZY! I can't believe how fast this year has gone, it's flown by in a breath! Things are back on track, college is going great and i'm looking forward to some Christmas Fairs for some fundraising.
03/12/12
 I went to the Library today to check up on the The Directory of Grant Making Trusts. I have been trying to get it for more than 2 months now and thought I had finally succeeded  when they told me they would order a brand new one for me. I WAS WRONG. They couldn't help me at all today, they simply said there are none and that they can't order me a new one. So no Directory of Grant Making Trusts for me! I'm going to let Project Trust know and see if there is anything else I can do, I don't fancy paying more than £100 to buy it! If you would like to buy me it as a donation, let me know! (hehe) I have raised £1250 from trusts I have found online, but I would really like the book.
 More news from the land of fundraising, I am entering a Poetry Competition! HAHA. I do love writing poems and have entered a couple of competitions before, one even got my poem published! It was about my bunny Ozzy and how peculiar he is. I was about 9.
 This one is a local competition and the Poem needs to have a connection to Ardrossan. I have decided to write about an Old Man that I passed every single day all through Primary and Secondary school, while I was walking home. I'm sure it will bring a tear to the eye and I will upload it here when I am done.
 You are probably thinking, "what the hell does poetry have to do with fundraising?!" I'll tell you. A £1000 cash prize! wooooooooooo. I'm not sure how many people would enter a poetry competition for the small town of Ardrossan so It is definitely worth a try.
 More news, I called up a center about two weeks ago that are having a Christmas fair on Thursday. They told me they would call me back the next day. They didn't. I called up today so see if I still have a stall and they said "oh, sorry we have none left, you are too late" Frustrating. It looks like I won't have any Christmas fundraising events, which I'm quite upset about. I'm going to ask if I can have a cake/card stall in college, hopefully that will happen.
06/12/12
 I have just recieved my earnings from The Dressing Rooms' total sales on the evening of my fashion show: £20. I am very pleased with this as my total is now over £3700! However I did realise that the dressing room made a total of £200... where I only made £135... at MY fashion show! oh well! I don't have much other news, I suppose it has only been three days since I last posted!
 I might be going to Edinburgh on the 15th to meet Peyton, from my selection course! I really hope I can go and If I do i'll have a stall at her Christmas Fair. 19 days to Christmas woooo.

TOTAL £3705

10/12/12

Hello, could anyone reading my blog please like my Facebook fundraising page too :) Need as much awareness as possible of course! http://jasminesyearvolunteeringinsouthafrica.blogspot.co.uk/

Will I make £4000 before Christmas?...

16/11/12

 The fashion show finally pulled together and in the end, raised £115! There wasn't much of a turn out but it was still a great night and everyone enjoyed it. It was nice to see old friends turning up to help too! I definitely raised more than £20 from the raffle, that was my target so i'm very pleased! I have also to go back to The Dressing Room in two weeks to collect 10% of everything they have earned through the people I invited to the fashion show! Lot's of people were buying things and they have the chance to buy from the shop over the next two weeks too. Big Thanks to Megan Taggart, Sarah Morman, Emma McDermot, Jasmine Park and Shelley Lindsay for being my beautiful models! and of course to The Dressing Room for making the evening possible.

 I'm still hoping to have £4000 by Christmas, it feels like a long shot but i'll try!

TOTAL £3555

20/11/12

 I can't believe I am STILL waiting for The Directory of Grant Making Trusts to be available in my local library, argh. I'm finding my Fundraising - College balance to be a little off scale, I've had a difficult block at college and keep forgetting little things I need to do, my mind is in so many places at once! I'm loving fundraising though and I love college so I guess I just need to try harder.

 Gran gave me another bag of 20p's adding up to £10!
24/11/12
Car boot sale today only raised £10! It was very quiet because something bigger was going on elsewhere in the town. It's still £10 though and every little counts! I'm not very sure about what my fundraising event for Christmas will be, I need to pay for the venue but don't really want to so i'm on the hunt for a freebie. I am hoping to hold it in the same pub where I had my fashion show. I might personalize a shirt or something to wear at my car boot sales, no matter how many posters/leaflets I put all around my table people still come along and leave without saying a word about Project Trust and what I'm doing!
 Now to another topic, I love Christmas! I'm not religious but I enjoy the high spirits and the decorations and the sharing of gifts but my mum on the other hand... every year she says "nope, Christmas is cancelled this year!" while she walks around in her black "BAH HUMBUG" Santa hat. In the end she caves in and we have the Christmas tree twinkling away in the corner and the advent calendar waiting to be eaten in the middle of the night. So anyway, I've decided she is going full out this Christmas, chocolates on the tree, extra sweets in the calendar, Holly Wreath on the door, Santa and co. ornaments on the fireplace, stockings pinned below them and don't forget the big Christmas dinner! I bought her a little sparkly owl tree decoration at the car boot sale today, so she can't turn down the tree! I have no idea what my South African Christmas will be like next year, can't even imagine! So that's why I want a big happy Christmas with typical Christmassy things this year!
 Later on this evening. I just wanted to mention that my local school, Ardrossan Academy, the one which I only left last summer, has been completely ignoring me! I have E-mailed the Head Mistress twice and have also sent a printed letter in the post to the school! Now i'm not sure if it's just me, but i'm pretty sure they are required to get back to you. PS: I send the letters months ago, as in, July. Argh. It is quite upsetting really, because when I return from my Gap Year, I might be asked to go along and talk to the school about Project Trust... I would love to... but all I'll be able to think of is "don't count on them for any support!". Maybe they are yet to get back to me... It's just a surprise, I thought they would be of the first to help me out.
 I've been complaining a lot recently... I think it's just college stress... I promise things will get happier!

TOTAL £3575

26/11/12

If you have been following my blog from the beginning, you will know that I won a television in a raffle at one of my car boot sales a while ago. So I was going to hold a competition, with the TV being the raffle prize but unfortunately, not enough people are interested in entering! So instead I am just going to sell the TV, with the money going towards my fundraising.
28/11/12
I SOLD THE TV! I was surprised that it was actually a friend, Haley who bought it! It sold for £80... considering I won the TV in a raffle, I am so happy with that! I'm booking a stall at a Christmas fair for 6th December. I don't think my Christmas fundraising party will happen.

TOTAL £3655

Fashion Show booked, things are going well...

18-10-12

Today everything was finally confirmed with my fashion show, so pleased! The venue can hold over 50 people, so hopefully i'll be able to sell more than 50 tickets which will alone raise £225. I will also be having a raffle as I have some goodies to give away! I'm hoping to raise around £300 from the night, that would be perfect. So here is the completed poster which will hopefully soon be all over the place! Local ladies will be modelling the clothes (from The Dressing Room). I've been surprised at how many people would like to model! I've also managed to raise a further £30 from ebay.. I'm awaiting payments and then I will put it onto my Virgin Money Giving... THIS IS GOING TO BOOST ME TO £2000!! yaaaaaaay. I won't write my new total until it's confirmed. I have a car boot sale this Saturday, a car boot sale next  Saturday and then then Sunday I recieve my cheque from Barony St. Johns! (note from later on this night - Ebay money is now on Virgin Money Giving )

TOTAL - £2000!

20-10-12

I've had my first failure. I hope this doesn't bring on a parade of failures. I've been really excited about this giant and spectacular indoor car boot sale that all of the car booter's rave about... and then the van broke down. So unfortunately I won't be able to make it. I also had to pay for my table via cheque a week ago! So I'm hoping I will get to use this payment for the next car boot sale. I'm so sad. This one was going to be on from 9am until 3pm today! 6 HOURS LONG I COULD HAVE MADE SO MUCH. Oh well.  Everything has been going so well so i'll just see this as a little bump in the road and wait for my next car boot sale (next week). To leave you on a happy note, I made another £15 on Ebay last night! I'm also hoping to hold a fundraising Christmas party in December.

TOTAL £2015

24 -10 -12

 My posts are getting really close together again but there is just so much news!! I JUST GOT ANOTHER CHEQUE! £500! From charitable trust's I have now had 6 negative responses and 4 positives, not a bad balance! £1000 in total from charitable trusts, it is DEFINITELY worth it! I am still waiting for the Directory of Grant Making Trusts to become available in my local library, all trusts I have written to so far have been found online. I have made around £60 on ebay which is great, I'm now picking out the good stuff from my car boot sales to put on Ebay instead, they sell for so much more! I'm really positive about reaching my target now that things are speeding up. I'm hoping to reach it early so I can raise a bit of money for spending money! I was hoping to raise £3000 by the end of November, but now I know i'll raise more than that! I really can't believe how well things are going... it's a shock!

TOTAL £2515

25 - 10 - 12

GUESS WHAT? I got another cheque today! This is the second time that I have recieved a cheque two days in a row. Where is all of this luck coming from?! It was for a big juicy £250. Today is one of those days that I wish time would go faster! I still can't believe this is happening and that this time next year, I'll be in South Africa! wooooooo hooooooo.

TOTAL £2765

28 - 10 - 12

Today I went to Barony St Johns to collect my cheque of... £650!!  I can't thank them enough. They are a local church that I have had no previous connections with and yet they have been so generous! My total is now looking great and i'm hoping to have £4000 by Christmas!!

TOTAL £3415

10 -11 -12

 For those of you that have been reading this from the beginning... I quit Avon!! They were over charging me and under paying me and forever sending me the wrong things. Don't even get me started on the delivery guy who launches the delivery boxes into the house like there's no tomorrow. I'm proud for standing up for myself and quitting. I had ended up loosing money rather than earning it so it's definitely for the best. I handed my customers over to my friend Jasmine (yes Jasmine) so I'm hoping they treat her well and she gets a lot out of it!! I'm now fully focusing on my fundraising. 

 Things have been a little slow since I received my £650 cheque and I don't like the feeling of not getting anywhere! However I did just receive a £15 donation on my VMG so things are still happening slowly but surely. My fashion show is this Thursday, the only thing I'm worried about is not many people turning up! we will see. I received a raffle prize of 2 family day swim passes from the Sea mill Hydro for the Fashion Show (thank you). My fundraising has gone far beyond my expectations, to have reached my March target in November feels so amazing! I am still reading blogs, it's great now that the 2012 volunteers have just settled in at their projects, so I can follow how their year goes and when it's over, mine will begin! 

 I have booked a venue for my Christmas fundraising party! Unfortunately I need to pay for the venue so I'm keeping my eyes open for other options while it's still early.
 Don't think I've mentioned it yet but I have a personnal target of reaching £4000 by Christmas. With my fashion show this week and a fundraising Christmas party It looks possible. I'm sure it's possible if I really try! And even more possible with the help of others so please, pretty please donate straight to Project Trust here http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserPage.action?userUrl=JasminesYearToAfrica&faId=227525&isTeam=false :D

 It's crazy when I realize it has been nearly 5 months since my selection course and being selected... In fact 5 months ago today I was settling into backpackers in Oban, ready to leave for Coll the next day...WHERE HAS TIME GONE?! Time has completely flown by! It's a nice feeling. I want time to fly by until I leave... but I want my time in Africa to last forever! (Hopefully I'll still be saying that when I get there.)

 I'll try not to post until after my fashion show. Hopefully next time you hear from me i'll be over the moon with how much money it raised. Fingers crossed :) 

TOTAL £3430

14/11/12

 My four year old sister just decided to inform us that "all African people drink from puddles". When asking "where on earth did you get that from?!" she replied, "My nursery teachers told me". I can't stop thinking about it now... of all the things nursery children could be learning about the world they live in, they get taught nonsense like that! Even worse, Emily is now convinced this is the truth and will be repeating it and repeating it and repeating it.
 Anyway, I think this blog should be about the up's and downs of my fundraising, something I can remember a year from now. So i'm having doubts about my Fashion Show, worrying that not many people are going to turn up! I've estimated about 30 people, which will bring in £135, that's still really good because it hasn't cost me anything to hold.. but I had originally estimated I would raise about £300! I know it's tomorrow so I should just wait and see... but I want to know how it goes... now! It's quite upsetting that the only friends I have coming are models, so they don't pay to get in. I did think more friends would come but oh well :( I will be having a raffle too and have been trying really hard to get some good prizes, so I hope that raises more than £20... but the less people there the less raffle tickets I will sell! Rant over...
 On a more positive note, those that ARE coming have been wonderful. Girls I have never even met have been volunteering to model and help out and that's just amazing and so kind! And my friend Jasmine and her mum have managed to sell around 6 tickets for me which is great, thank you!
15/11/12
I'm so frustrated all I can do is laugh, hahahahaha! The Dressing Room decided to inform me - on the day of my fashion show - that my model's have to be at their shop before 5 to get outfits chosen. I feel so terrible, all of my models have been wonderful and have all planned to be at the venue for 7 and now I've had to change the plans! I just hope they can all still make it :/ I have a really good pile of raffle prizes so there better be a good turn out :( emotions right now: panick, upset, frustrated, feel guilty for my models.

First cheque and hit target early....

26 - 09 - 12

Today I was very lazy, I slept in until around 1ish...which I know is really bad...and I swear usually i'm skipping about waiting for the post!

Anyhoo, I wake up to a letter sitting on top of me and Instantly I felt really nervous... to be honest I expected it to be another negative response from a trust... but then a £300 cheque fell out!! I have my first cheque and i'm so happy!! For some reason I thought i'd be the only person to never recieve a check...ever!! Note to self: stop doubting. This means I have officially beat my November target of £1500, and I'm still waiting on the cheque from Barony St Johns! 

TOTAL - £1618

27 - 09 - 12 

NO WAY! I GOT ANOTHER CHEQUE TODAY! It's crazy, yesterday I was over the moon about getting my first charitable trust cheque, and then I get one the next day! It's for a brilliant £100. Thats £400 easy money in 2 days, crrraaaaazzzzzzyyyyyyy.

TOTAL - £1718

29 - 08 - 12

Car Boot sale raised £31, not bad! I met a lady from South Africa today, thats the second since I started fundraising... small world!  I thought I should brighten up my blog a little with some photos. Heres me making cakes for my car boot, at the car boot and no, I don't always look like that when I smile!

Thought this was quite funny

Loads to sell, my leaflet, yummy cakes and South Africa fruit stickers on my money tin!

30 - 09 - 12

I seem to have news everyday, sorry if it's boring! Well I got paid £50 today for photographing a friends granddaughter, it's going towards my fundraising. And she has very kindly spread the word about my photography so hopefully I'll have a few more shoots to do! I also got £200 from photographing  a wedding 3 weeks ago, so thats £250 raised from my photography! Barony St Johns contacted me, they have already raised £650!!!!! I can''t believe it, at first they hoped to raise around £200!!!! So I will recieve that cheque on the 28th October, when I go by to recieve it and update the congregation on my fundraising. Not bad for a 20 minute presentation! I am officialy 1/3 of the way there :D

TOTAL £1800 

06-10-12

Car boot sale at Episcopal Church, Largs raised £37. I now have my two charitable trust cheques and a fundraising cheque of £456 to send of to PT! Granny Bennett donated a bag of 20ps, adding up to £10... thank you! James from my college class donated £10 to my virgin money giving... please do the same via this link! http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JasminesYearToAfrica

TOTAL £1857

08-10-12

NO WAY. I got another cheque today for £100, amazing!  I am still waiting on The Directory of Grant Making Trusts to become available in my local library, which will hopefully bring in some more cheques! eeeep, £43 away from £2000, I really can't believe ittttttttttttttttt. I will be having a fashion show now, all clothes from The Dressing Room - Saltcoats! I also have local woman modelling :) ! I recently confirmed the venue which is great, It will be at Potters Bar in Stevenston. And it will be on the 15th November! So I am glad I have that to look forward to. I have made a poster, it will change a little when I find out exactly what to put on it but here it is anyway!!(above)

TOTAL £1957

13-10-12

I've been getting lots of donations of items to sell at my car boot sales and on Ebay. The spare room is so full of stuff, you can't walk 2 feet into the room! So last night I sold a vintage 1970's Mah Jong set for £16, not bad! I'm listing a lot more stuff tonight. 

TOTAL £1972