Charlotte Geraghty

Charlotte's Gingerbread Challenge

Fundraising for Cots for Tots
£14,147
raised of £20,000 target
Charlotte Geraghty, 20 July 2011
Cots for Tots

Verified by JustGiving

RCN 1043603
We raise money to transform the lives of sick babies

Story

Please help me support the Cots for Tots Appeal to raise money for special care babies at St Michael's Hospital, Bristol by making a donation on my page!

A message from Charlotte:

I first saw a poster for the Cots for Tots Appeal when my brother was born in 2011. I asked my Mum what it was, she explained that some babies when first born might need a little help and these special cots help them. Ever since then, all I've wanted to do is help the babies!

When I was in my Reception Year at school, I heard the story of The Gingerbread Man, this story captured my imagination and started me on my fund raising adventure! I started collecting postcards from places all around the world with sightings of my gingerbread friend on and used them to do little competitions to raise money for the Appeal.

Challenges and fundraising events so far have included a Gromit Dash and a Shaun Flock Hunt, where I managed to visit all 70 Shaun the Sheep sculptures around Bristol in just over 10 hours! I have sat in every seat in the Bristol Hippodrome's auditorium in just over a hour and cycled my way through a performance of Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang. I've also sat in 13,000 seats at Ashton Gate Stadium and walked 13 laps of the pitch to celebrate becoming a teenager and to raise money.

In 2013 I was invited to do my bike ride at The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, where I managed to ride 18 laps of the pitch in a hour, becoming the first person to do this. Also with the help of First Great Western Trains I did my 'Gingerbread Chase' where over 6 days I managed to travel over 1,850 miles by train trying to find my gingerbread friend, missing him by minutes at the Departure Gate at Gatwick Airport!

I started my Coppers for Cots Month in 2014, where I try to get people collecting their copper coins during the month of November. It was so successful, that it's now become a yearly event.

Another of my ideas is my 'T-shirt Challenge ' where I am trying to get famous people to sign my Appeal t-shirt, when full I am planning to auction it. I am currently on t-shirt number 2! I've been very lucky to have met a lot of famous people who have been so nice.

I have been very lucky to have been nominated for the Lord Mayor's Young Person's Medal and recently the adult version and was awarded both. In 2015 I was named as the Bristol Post Gold Star Good Samaritan for coming to the aid of the babies and their families. At the end of the Ceremony I was surprised to be named the Overall Gold Star Winner! Also in 2018 and 2021 I was nominated and chosen as a finalist in the Enterprise Hero category at the Bristol Young Heroes Awards. Again in 2023, I was chosen as a finalist in the Fundraising Hero category, which was a huge surprise.

I can't believe it's been 13 years since first starting my fundraising, but I don't plan to stop any time soon!

Thank you for taking the time to read about my fund raising, for hopefully having joined in with one of my ideas and for helping me to continue helping the babies.

All money that is donated on my page is very much appreciated and will be helping a fantastic cause x

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About the charity

Cots for Tots

Verified by JustGiving

RCN 1043603
Cots for Tots is the special care baby charity raising money to save and transform lives at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St Michael’s Hospital Bristol, and Cots for Tots House, free 'home from home' accommodation for families of babies from Bristol, the South West, South Wales and beyond.

Donation summary

Total raised
£14,146.88
+ £70.25 Gift Aid
Online donations
£11,659.36
Offline donations
£2,487.52

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