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• The £1,000 challenge
• Banquet for Breakthrough
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• • Meet a Breakthrough Group
  • Why should I start or join a Breakthrough Group?
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• At school, college or university
• Fundraising tool kit
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Rosalyn Raine - Founder of the West Yorkshire Group

A. I, along with three friends (The Pink Ladies!), have been fundraising for the past five years. We have held balls, lunches, clothes and kids parties, raising money for many different charities - including Breakthrough.
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A. I decided to start a Group when we were invited to a reception for Breakthrough fundraisers, The Crocus Party. We met with other groups who have raised massive amounts of money in memory of friends, mums and sisters, who had died from breast cancer. Knowing the statistics, and having talked to people who have first hand experience of breast cancer, I feel very lucky not to have been affected. I see the fundraising I do as an investment in my future and my daughter's future.
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A. The Group came together in 2003 and we have a committed committee of 10 members - Paula, Annabelle, Karen, Mandy, Sarah, Victoria, Stephie, Kate, Caron and me - plus some 'friends' who we can rope in to help at events, sell tickets, and be generally helpful without the commitment of attending meetings.
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A. I would have to say that I use the term 'meetings' quite loosely - our meetings are a gang of girls with a few bottles of wine and lots of chat. We do get through quite a lot of work - we thrash out who is doing what - but it is a very social occasion.

The camaraderie and friendships made through fundraising are irreplaceable - being in a Group opens up a wonderful support network, it widens your social circle (loads more invites!), and working together, and the way everyone finds their own niche in 'who does what', is brilliant.

You also get to meet people, go places and do things that you wouldn't otherwise, and it has done amazing things for my confidence. Five years ago I was nervous talking to 100 people - last year I stood on the stage and ran an auction in front of about 550 people and enjoyed it!

As a Group we also get to meet lots of amazing people who are fundraising for Breakthrough - we met The Great Pram Race committee and the Soroptimists of Dewsbury, to name just two - and have been invited to represent Breakthrough at some really special occasions.
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A. We started in 2003 when we did some bag packing in Sainsburys during Breast Cancer Awareness Month - which raised over £300 and was great for group 'bonding'!

Our first major fundraising event was The Red Hot Valentines Ball on 14 February 2004 at The Royal Armouries in Leeds. We sold 527 tickets for the event which included a champagne reception, three-course dinner, casino, auction and raffle. We had a 16 piece swing band, a fantastic love message board that guests paid £5 to have their messages displayed on, and two beautiful cherub living statues. Our aim was to raise £10,000 in our first year for Breakthrough, and we did it! The Ball alone raised over £17,500!

We've had some fantastic smaller events during 2004 as well, ones where the whole committee have not been involved, including a 1970s Disco with some outrageous costumes and games, a Halloween Party (a band played and we all danced and ate pie and peas!), a very swish Fashion Show with canapés and champagne.

We launched our 2005 Calendar - Celebrated Images of Glamorous Women… Revisited in October 2004, which has raised over £6,000 to date.
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A. We've got lots planned for 2005 - we have a small team of walkers training for the Moonwalk, there are plans for a Wine Tasting evening and a gig from a local band - The Travelling Bilberets.

We have a major event planned for Saturday 1 October 2005 in Leeds. The Jitterbug Ball is a 1940s themed ball for over 500 guests, in an amazing venue, which will take us back to the 1940s with our Glenn Miller band playing in uniform. We will have a fabulous champagne reception, delicious three-course dinner (no rationing!), with amazing auction and raffle prizes, a rifle range and lots of surprises on the night. For ticket information please contact Rosalyn on 07799 061 599.
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Call us on 020 7025 2452 or email groups@breakthrough.org.uk to find out how to get started! Find a group in your area.

           

• Pink Ribbons and Charms
• The £1,000 challenge
• Banquet for Breakthrough
• Breakthrough Groups
• • Meet a Breakthrough Group
  • Why should I start or join a Breakthrough Group?
  • The Groups Gazette
  • Isle of Woman donation form
  • Find a Breakthrough Group
• At school, college or university
• Fundraising tool kit
• Become a regional volunteer
• Do you know a trustee?

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