Shortlist for Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year
Colin Rodger and Martin Higgins, Diabetes UK
Both Colin and Martin have family members who live with type 1 diabetes. With their shared love of music, they have turned their passion and combined individual skills into an incredible movement raising both a huge amount of money as well as awareness of diabetes.
They raise money for Diabetes UK through their love of the Grunge and Rock music scene. They host live music events, sell branded music clothing and memorabilia, hold raffles and take part in diabetes UK fundraising events. Their biggest event in September each year is the live music event in Glasgow, Grungefest. They have also created and sold a charity album. Since they started fundraising in 2004 they have raised over £100,000 for Diabetes UK.
What they do is so different from regular fundraising, and they are always looking for ways to remain fresh in their approach
Manny Kang, Dementia UK
Manny Kang has put his heart and soul into volunteering and fundraising for Dementia UK over the past four years. Bringing the Wolves football fan community together to support families facing living with dementia, Manny has raised well over £150,000 through his famous Samosa Saturdays, London Marathons and cycling and walking challenges. Manny engages audiences from all different groups and backgrounds in order to create one community of support and empathy for charity.
Jill Sim, RNLI
Jill is an inspiration within the RNLI. She has shown what hard work, and a plan can achieve. She has not been limited by the small size of her shop, or previously held attitudes to opening times and volunteer staffing levels. Her hard work has inspired Shop Managers across Scotland to open more, to recruit more and to use technology. This has played no small part in retail across Scotland growing by over 30% since 2019.
To sum up, her hard work and dedication, and the results she has produced in North Berwick have shown levels of retail fundraising in the RNLI that they did not think were possible in Scotland previously. She also carries out the work in a self-sustainable way with very little input from other paid employees within the RNLI.