Fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support Group

Champion fundraiser, Geoff Stonebanks, tells us how he has fared this year, raising money for his cherished charity, Macmillan Cancer Support, through his Driftwood Fundraising Group.

He’s been raising money for them since 2012 and the grand total to date is an incredible £85,000.

What a strange year he’s had with his fundraising for 2020. The annual garden to Macmillan, which she donated to Geoff. trail had to be cancelled, which should Geoff too had organised a fundraiser have taken place at the end of July, his own on social media for his birthday in April garden, Driftwood remained closed all and raised nearly £500. Other online year and the monies normally raised from fundraisers were set up too. a grand raffle at Driftwood failed to materialise due Debbie Pryer, a volunteer at Stanford & Cleveland to the pandemic. Geoff tells us that in 2019 he and his Community Garden, which was also scheduled to open volunteer team of garden owners and helpers raised in Brighton, suggested the volunteer team there donate in excess of £14,000 for the charity. He decided to set plants and sell them to passers by and ask them to log himself the target of trying to raise £5,000 this summer on and donate to the Just Giving site Geoff had set and as it transpired he hit just over £4,000 but still not up. They raised over £1,000, a great team effort again, bad with the challenges that had to be overcome. enabling Geoff to hand £4,106 to the charity for 2020. By the time the decision was taken to cancel the trail, Sarah Coxhill, Area Relationship Fundraising Manager in back in April, 17 gardens had signed up to open. Geoff the South East wrote to Geoff and said, ‘I have returned asked owners if they could make a short film of their from a period of furlough to hear what incredible work garden, which he would edit and add music to. Several you have continued to do (including continuing to agreed and Geoff went out and filmed some of the raise thousands, in addition to much needed coverage) others himself. The net result was 12 of the 17 had despite everything thrown at what would normally be virtual tours available to view on the trail website www. such an interactive face-to-face event. I am eternally macmillangardentrail.co.uk and were jointly viewed impressed with your tenacity, drive and commitment to almost 2,000 times over late July and early August! Macmillan and the awareness alone it delivers to our Adam and Dan, owners of 11 Rugby Road in Brighton, cause – we have never needed it more and it heartens were scheduled to open and decided to sell products, me enormously to see your familiar name pop up including plants, they would have been selling at their leading the way of how things can be done in times of summer events, out in front of their garden. They adversity. A huge thank you and congratulations from me’ donated a percentage of all their June sales to Driftwood Fingers crossed the trail will take place on 24th and Fundraising Group. 25th July 2021, and Driftwood can open its garden gate Jan Wilks from Peacehaven contacted Geoff, knowing too. See Geoff’s proposed 2021 open dates at www. he had been struggling to raise funds, as his garden was driftwoodbysea.co.uk. closed. She said she was so bored during lockdown Photos from top: Geoff with TV gardener, Christine Walkden that she made facemasks from fabric she already had at and Macmillan’s Head of Volunteer Development, Ruth home. She raised over £1,000 and wanted to give half Leonard in 2019; Jan Wilkes with her hand-made facemasks. 22 Please mention Seaford Scene when contacting advertisers

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