A Bridge of Don woman who set up a fundraiser during the pandemic has now raised a total of £100,000 for good causes.
Fiona Mutch decided to raise money for Jesmond Care Home back in March 2020, setting up a £20 bonus ball game.
The winner received a total of £1,000 while £180 went to the care home to help pay for games for residents.
It was so successful that the 60-year-old began running a weekly game for local causes.
The 60-year-old said: “It started from there really.
“I got 38 people that wanted a bonus ball every week, so it only left me 21 to sell and it just went on and on, so I’ve done it for £20 with £750 to the winner and £450 to the charity.””
For her 60th birthday, instead of getting presents, she asked for money to go to charity and chose to give it to children’s cancer charity Abbie’s Sparkle Foundation.
After speaking to charity secretary Lauren Donald, Mrs Mutch told her that she would do 21 bonus balls for her, which would give Abbie’s Sparkle a total of £9,000.
So far she has done seven and plans to done one a month for them.
‘It just gives you so much pleasure’
For Christmas, she raised money for local charities AberNecessities and Instant Neighbour and a family sent her a photo to show her the presents they bought with the money.
“It’s just heartbreaking to know people get nothing, so it just gives you so much pleasure,” Mrs Mutch, a relief nursery nurse, said.
She has also raised money for all of Bridge of Don‘s seven primary schools by given each one a bonus ball for their pupils’ Christmas parties.
Thanks to her efforts, Scotstown School was able to purchase Chromebooks, while other schools have added the donations to their PTA funds.
‘We’ve persevered and we’ve got there’
Other charities to benefit since 2020 are Sue Ryder, Barnardo’s, Friends of Anchor, Home-Start, Maggie’s and Ronald McDonald House Charities, as well as local football teams.
She described hitting £100,000 as “fantastic” but admitted it had been hard going to raise those final pounds.
“I was struggling to sell the bonus balls and £20 is a lot of money for somebody each week, but we’ve persevered and we’ve got there.”
Now that she has reached her six-figure target, Mrs Mutch’s friends have joked they will be “saving a fortune” as they won’t be buying balls as regularly.
She plans to continue doing the bonus balls once a month, and expects £180 to go to a charity and £1,000 to the winner.
Thanking her friends and family, Mrs Mutch added: “I have been blown away with kind messages of support and the hundreds of thank you notes I have received over the years.
‘This could not have been achieved if my Facebook friends did not believe in me. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your incredible never ending support.”
Conversation