Category: Events

First Assignment – Blogging 101

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cropped-seal_v2-04I am taking part in Blogging 101.  This specially designed course helps bloggers improve their writing and blogs.  Each day I will have an email with day’s task and try to blog, and today marks the first one!

Day One: Introduce Yourself to the World

So this one is a bit more difficult for me as I have been blogging on and off for a while now, but no harm in trying!

I am Gilly, a 30 something wannabe blogger from Aberdeen, Scotland.

WholeLottaGilly first came about when the realisation hit me that I had put on so much blooming weight!  I decided that it wasn’t time for a diet but a total lifestyle change.  Changing what I eat and actually starting to exercise has had such an impact to my life (not only physically).  I decided that I needed to share and document my progress with the aim of keeping me motivated as well as supporting others.

Outside of my work I am also very passionate about events, charity work and my family.  I went with WholeLottaGilly as a title to try and keep my blog open ended to what I could write about from recipes to holidays 🙂

I am looking forward to being introduced to new blogs and meeting likeminded and passionate bloggers through Blogging 101.

Gilly x

Go Volunteer

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The first post on WholeLottaGilly about my passion for fundraising and events!  I know it sounds cliche but I love raising money and organising events.  I considered starting a separate blog for this but hoping I can combine this into this blog – I welcome feedback and suggestions to this!

If you want to fundraise I think I can help!  Fundraise for a cause that you care about, want to improve and get that general good feeling doing something fulfilling.

Over the past 3 years I have raised more than £150,000 for charities and good causes through various events and fundraisers but sometimes the worry about pulling an event off can be overwhelming.  The best way to learn?  Volunteer.

I started volunteering with different organisations and charities – this gives you the ultimate experience of fundraising, learning from people already successfully raising money.  Over the years I have met some amazing people doing amazing things and the whole journey has been so worthwhile.

203154633162619358_GPjooE9w_cDo your research, find a good cause or local charity to help.  Drop them an email and offer your services.  Charities appreciate any offer of help, especially when you are prepared to give up your own time to help their cause.  The more passionate you are of the cause then the more you will get out of the experience, pick something close to your heart that you have an interest in.

For  me I was introduced to a local cancer charity; Friends of ANCHOR.  This particular charity makes a great impact in my local area, and has even helped my family and friends through the hard times facing the devastating news of cancer.  From supplying fresh fruit in the wards to raising hundreds of thousands towards the latest technology in cancer treatment this charity means so much to me.

From small coffee mornings to weekend action packed events volunteering with this charity has exposed me to all types of fundraising as well as meeting life long friends.  This has given me the confidence to organise and succeed in my own fundraising plans.

Raising funds always feels amazing, but you will never know the feeling of making a difference until you have given it a go!

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give

Winston Churchill

What are you waiting for?

Gilly x

5 Years and Counting

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This weekend has been action packed celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary.  How time flies!  Following tradition, and with it  being 5 years I sourced a beautiful handmade beer bottle holder, complete with opener on Etsy by a company called knot just boxes.  Stocked with his favourite local brewed Brewdog he was absolutely delighted!

The hubby bought my stunning new earrings and treated me to a gorgeous meal out to Native by Nick Nairn in Aberdeen.  Booking a table was not an experience I would like to repeat, but after 15 minutes and the gentleman phoning me back we finally got there!

To be honest its quite difficult in Aberdeen to find somewhere serving local Scottish produce, but Native ticks all the boxes.  The menu has a lovely selection of locally sourced ingrediants.  I finally settled on traditional Haggis, Neeps and tatties topped with crispy parsley.  This arrived beautifully presented but the whisky sauce container was so hot I couldn’t lift it.  The hubby had slow braised roast pork belly, hand dived Orkney scallop with crispy black pudding and apple sauce-pork crackling.  I was jealous when I saw how tasty it looked!

Then for the main course I definitely had the best choice 🙂  Peppered, dry aged Inverurie beef strips with hand cut chips, fine beans and shallots accompanied with whisky and wild mushroom gravy.  Brian opted for his favourite ‘Fish and chips’.  The haddock fresh from Peterhead with generous proportion of hand cut chips, home made tartare sauce and lemon.

We didn’t have space for pudding (hoping I will next time!)  I did however manage a cheeky French Martini from the bar.  Needless to say the diet was out of the window this weekend but today we had a nice long walk so hopefully that worked off some of the food consumed 🙂

Native by Nick Nairn
Haggis!
Pork Belly & Scallops
Beef strips
Fish and Chips
My Fav! French Martini
Hubby’s pressie – knot just boxes

Gilly x

Go Volunteer!!

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203154633162619358_GPjooE9w_c

Is 2015 the year that we are all going to support a good cause?  I am a believer in good karma!

Fundraising is easier for a cause that you care about, want to improve/help make better and get that general good feeling doing something worthwhile.

Over the past 3 years I have contributed to raising over £100,000 for charities and good causes through various events and fundraisers but sometimes the worry about pulling an event off can be overwhelming.  The best way to learn?  Volunteer.

I started volunteering with different organisations and charities – this gives you the ultimate experience of fundraising, learning from people already successfully raising money.  Over the years I have met some amazing people doing amazing things and the whole journey has been so worthwhile.

216172850835039784_t6PuwuuV_cDo your research, find a good cause or local charity to help.  Drop them an email and offer your services.  Charities especially appreciate any offer of help, especially when you are prepared to give up your own time to help them.  The more passionate you are of the cause then the more you will get out of the experience, pick something close to your heart that you have an interest in.

For  me I was introduced to a local cancer charity.  This particular charity makes a great impact in my local area, and has even helped my family and friends through the hard times facing the devastating news of cancer.  From supplying fresh fruit in the wards to raising hundreds of thousands towards the latest technology in cancer treatment this charity means so much to me.

From small coffee mornings to weekend action packed events volunteering with this charity has exposed me to all types of fundraising as well as meeting life long friends.  This has given me the confidence to organise and succeed in my own fundraising plans.

Raising funds always feels amazing, but you will never know the feeling of making a difference until you have given it a go!

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give Winston Churchill

What are you waiting for?  Make your 2015 goals count.

Gilly x

It’s been a while take 2!

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So almost a year to date I am writing an almost identical post where I promise to blog more, blame my job for the lack of blogging and generally been very very bad at sending any updates!

2015 is beginning to look like my year!  In the space of the first couple of weeks I have been promoted at work, started my health drive, planning home renovations and made a pinky promise with my Mac that it gets some attention this year…..

The theme of my blog is changing, aiming for lifestyle blog rather than specifically me on my weight loss plan.  I want to vary my posts, share my passions and discuss the things that crop up along the way, from landing my first big project as a fully fledged Project Manager to organising ANCHOR Wipeout for the 3rd year running.

Hows everyone’s New Year looking?  Here’s to a great 2015 (and lots of blogging!!)

New Year Selfie

New Year Selfie

Gilly x

Cycle to Work Day – 12th September 2013

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#challengeyourself and take to two wheels on Thursday 12th September 2013!

WHAT IS CYCLE TO WORK DAY?

Cycle to Work Day is a national event, championed by multi gold medal winning Paralympic cyclist, Dame Sarah Storey, which aims to encourage everyone to take to two wheels and cycle to work for just one day on Thursday 12th September 2013.

In order to help make the day a success, they need lots of people like you to get on board and support the day. According to census data, 760,000 people in the UK cycle to work regularly – this number keeps growing steadily, but we want to see those numbers skyrocket this year and beyond! By 2021, they hope to see 1 million people regularly commuting to work by bike.

Cycle to Work Day is a symbol of our desire to be a fit and happy nation and our ability to challenge ourselves in order to see what we can achieve.

PLEDGE TO RIDE

If you want to join us, Dame Sarah Storey and thousands of others across the UK let us know – all you have to do is visit the homepage and hit the ‘pledge’ button. By pledging to ride you’ll also be entered into a prize draw to win a huge array of prizes including a Raleigh Revenio 2 – it’s a win-win!

Help knockout Cancer this Summer!

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I am an avid fundraiser for local cancer charity Friends of ANCHOR.

Friends of ANCHOR is a Scottish registered charity that was formed in 1997 to raise funds on behalf of the ANCHOR unit in Aberdeen, and has a support area extending throughout the north east of Scotland including Orkney and Shetland. The Aberdeen and North Centre for Haematology, Oncology and Radiography (ANCHOR) unit is a fully funded NHS department at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill that brings together experts and specialist nursing support to coordinate the care of patients with all forms of cancer, leukaemia and benign blood disorders such as haemophilia.

Friends of ANCHOR funds the purchase of non-NHS provided equipment for the ANCHOR unit and aims to provide additional care, comfort and support for ANCHOR patients. The charity also funds vital groundbreaking cancer research projects at the University of Aberdeen Institute of Medical Science, Foresterhill.

So the latest fundraising effort comes in the form of ANCHOR Wipeout!

goldshow02_thumb1The event will see over 350 participants battle it out at Hazlehead Park, Aberdeen on Saturday, 24th August 2013 as they take on challenges to raise money for Friends of ANCHOR in a bid to help knockout cancer. The games consist of 12 individual stations using a combination of inflatables, wet/dry games, team-together and relay games, suitable for all levels of ability.

Teams of up to 10 people cost £200 and we’re asking each team to collectively raise a minimum of £100 in sponsorship for Friends of ANCHOR. For every additional £100 raised by the team a bonus point will be awarded up to the maximum of 10.

There are sponsorship opportunities available for the event. For £500 an organisation will be given sole branding exposure at one of the 12 games areas. As a sponsor you get the exclusive and sole branding of one of the 12 game stations in Hazlehead Park as well as your logo on all the communications material for the event and social media activity in the lead up to 24th August, as well as 50% off team entry fee.

olympic-pit-03

Spectators and supporters will be welcome to watch ANCHOR Wipeout and there will be children’s entertainment, stalls, a raffle and face painting on the day to make it a memorable day out for everyone involved.

Importantly, every penny raised from the event will go directly to the ANCHOR Unit as all of our running and administration costs are covered by Balmoral Group.

So what you waiting for? Request your entry form today by emailing info@anchorwipeout.co.uk

ANCHOR Wipeout Poster

Find Friends of ANCHOR on Facebook or visit their website by clicking here.

ANCHOR Wipeout activity course is being supplied by It’s A Knockout – Knockout Challenge