starting to let people know ....

Today was the first day that I've 'properly' made my plans public on a wider scale. I've spoken to some friends about the challenge, and the feedback's been good, but today I sent out my first email to friends and family looking for their support.

It was a small group email, to try to get some early sponsorship onto my Just Giving site, so that when I do a larger emailing later this week, when people visit the site, they're not put off by having to be the first to sponsor me and they get some idea of what is an average amount to donate.

I think this is always a bit of a problem for people, so I decided to help out by suggesting that people might like to donate 1% of my total goal - £36.50 - I explained that that equates to 70 pence a week for the year of the challenge. And that if they felt that they could support me to this extent, then I'd give them a name check on my website - and today I created a page to do just that - ever the optimist!

Well ... it's certainly caught the imagination and the early support has been fantastic. Less than 12 hours in, and I've got 12 members of my new 1%ers club - everyone who has donated today, donated at least the 1%, so I've already hit over £450. I've been totally blown away by the response and lovely messages of support I've had so far. And I know now that it can only get better! I hope others aren't put off from may donating smaller amounts - 'cos every donation counts - but it's been a great start.

So the sponsorship is off the blocks good and proper - and I've still got 18 days to go before I start properly. Still got a lot of work to do both in the gym, to get fitter in time for the challenge, and elsewhere, to promote this idea more widely. There's still interest from the gym - and while the meeting with Cancer Research UK has been put off until next Monday, they are still keen to support me.

And I've heard thru the grapevine that a new friend is very keen on taking up the challenge too ... so Mark (or Becca, if you read this first), get in touch and let's get planning. The more the merrier, I say. I'd love to get at least 10 people taking the 365challenge for Cancer Research - I'll be over the moon, and together, we could blow my target of £3650 happily out of the water!

Come on, people, you know that you want to!