Signed Pictures & Thank You

Received a nice picture of Phillip Schofield & Holly Willoughby from This Morning for the Auction yesterday: 

Carol received a piccie from Mark Blundell (Formula 1) ... which I can't load because it keeps putting it up side down and I have no idea why!!

Also received these signed pictures from @tomsgal on Twitter - someone who always bends over backwards to try and get Celeb's to sign pictures for me or pose with the GET IT OFF YOUR CHEST t-shirts I created to raise awareness for Cystic Fibrosis:

Signed Colin Firth picture:

Signed Tom Felton picture (Draco Malfoy - Harry Potter films):

I'd like to thank ALL the Celeb's so far who have donated signed items for the Auction - far exceeded my expectations and hope that the Auction raises much awareness for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust - and a few £1's along the way. 

Cheryl Baker & Loose Women

Received two donations for the Auction today - a GET IF OFF YOUR CHEST t-shirt signed by Cheryl Baker (Bucks Fizz) via @noktoksmum from Twitter ... mother to Oli with CF:

And a signed Loose Women in New York DVD donated by Carol McGiffin (signed by Sherrie Hewson, Carol McGiffin, Denise Welch & Lisa Maxwell) ..... I love Loose Women so I might just have to watch this before it goes on the Auction!!

The Kindness of Strangers

Since I started this Campaign a couple of months ago I have been overwhelmed with the support of total strangers on Twitter who have offered a helping hand without being asked.  Followers who are re-tweeting my Tweets to Celeb's, who are asking them if they will consider making a donation and also kindly offering to seek donations themselves through contacts or sending donations they already have - extremely touched by this generosity.  Never underestimate the helping hand of someone who is touch by your plight.

Yesterday I received these lovely book marks hand made by a follower - lot of detail in them and much time made making them: 

It's this more than anything which I'm overwhelmed with - the kindness and thoughtfulness of people I've never met.  Renews your faith in mankind and drives you on to seek more support.

Gabby Logan

Allison received a nice signed t-shirt from Gabby Logan today:

Received another donation from a follower on Twitter today which will add later when I find my camera!

Press Release

Received the draft Press Release for the Campaign from the Publicity Officer at the CF Trust today - just reading through it and amending/adding a few things before sending it back to be sent out to media.  Here's hoping that it generates some interest as I'd dearly love to have more awareness raised for Cystic Fibrosis and hopefully more donations sent from Celeb's for the Auction after hours/months spent Tweeting Celeb's seeking donations.  I know many are probably fed up of me, but the one's who have the most followers might have not seen my Tweet, so I tend to ask again "just in case"!  Sometimes it pays to ask again - if they have more time they tend to reply or sometimes if they've said yes it pays to ask again as a reminder - which proved correct this evening when one said he hadn't forgotten and would be sending a donation soon.

I still haven't got a "wow factor" for the Auction - something unique which will drum up much interest, and don't know if I will secure that, but will keep on trying right up until the last minute.

This Campaign started off fairly small and has turned in to something far bigger than I expected!  Have been overwhelmed with the replies from Celeb's - Twitter has proved to be a marvellous networking site for my fundraising ... something which I never thought would happen!  Where else can you "talk" to Celeb's - well known people you've admired from afar ... AND get Direct Messages from them.  For someone like me a simple Tweet, a little message, makes all the difference and definitely drives me on knowing that people do care and they want to take the time to help.  Fantasy can sometimes become reality - if only you work at it!!

Matt Evers

Received two signed pictures from Matt Evers (Dancing on Ice) today for the Auction - my favourite of the professional male dancers!!

The past few days have been really good for yay's from Celeb's on Twitter ..... here's hoping the yay's turn up with real donations for the Campaign.

Well Known Celebrity Needed!

With only 9 days left for me to get as many donations as possible for the Auction before our holiday I'm in desparate need of a BIG well known Celebrity to support the Campaign in order to raise the maximum amount of awareness as possible for Cystic Fibrosis. That is hard work when the BIG Celebrity Tweeters tend to not reply to Charity Tweets - I understand the reasons why as am sure they get asked many a time to help, but that won't stop me trying. If you don't ask, you don't get! It won't cost them anything if they just send a picture - I can quite easily supply the stamped addressed envelope if only they would reply! Me and my little Team of helpers will do their best in the next few days.

I also have a big ebay problem at the moment as my account has been limited to the amount I can list due to ebay's rather millitary rules - I have 100% feedback - go figure! Hope this can be solved with the help of some friends - would hate for the Charity to suffer due to "jobsworth" rules. Watch this space!!

Donations so far ....

I've made a quick slideshow showing most of the donations so far in one place as I fear that some will log on to the Blog and think that we have only had the donations they see on the Home Page ... you need to scroll down to "Older Posts" to find more:

Celebrity Donations So Far

Have had LOADS more promised, but I am not that green to think that they will turn up - passing me on to Websites/Agents/Managers means GO AWAY!!  99% don't reply.  I wish they would - it would make so much of a difference - sadly, not all have time to respond to EVERY Charity request.  It's hard not to take it personal when it affects you in a big way - they don't see that - they just see their own busy lives and their clients - and as one very knowledgeable Celeb told me "if there is nothing in it for their client, they are not interested".  Ho hum - moving on - continuing to ask regardless!!

Children In Need

Tonight is Children in Need on BBC1 and I, like many thousands of others, will be watching and no doubt donating later on.

Never one to miss an opportunity to highlight the need for more awareness for Cystic Fibrosis I hope to catch a BIG Tweeter (not in size - in followers number!) in the hope that they will re-tweet for Cystic Fibrosis awareness in return for a donation to Children in Need.  I intend on donating anyway, but if I can use this BIG event to the advantage of children living with Cystic Fibrosis in need, then so be it.

Cystic Fibrosis is an unseen condition and unless you are affected in some way by the condition or know of someone, then you are blinkered to the harsh reality - the reality that it affects over 8500 people in the UK and that 5 babies are born with Cystic Fibrosis a week in the UK and 3 lives are lost to the dreadful genetically inherited life-threatening condition.

Here are just a few children with Cystic Fibrosis In Need:

Shelby

Dylan

Eva

Hannah

Daniel

Joseph

Joseph

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO RE-TWEET FOR CYSTIC FIBROSIS UK AWARENESS OR HELP BY DONATING SOMETHING SIGNED FOR THE CHRISTMAS EBAY AUCTION - MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO THE LIVES OF THOSE LIVING WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS - THANK YOU.

Arsenal FC

Received these four pictures of Arsenal FC players today from another Twitter follower (arsenalchick) : Theo Walcott, Emmanuel Eboue, Jack Wilshere & Bacary Sagna.

Three more donations: Lou Diamond Phillips, Jamie Oliver & Lucy Speed

The donations are coming in in 3's at the moment ... a bit like buses really!! 

Today I received a DVD, Blu Ray DVD and cap of Stargate SGU from Lou Diamond Phillips

Signed photograph from Lucy Speed who was in The Bill:

Also received a signed Jamie Oliver book courtesy of a Twitter friend @Sarashi who obtained the book especially for the Auction:

Only 15 days left for me to gather in more donations for the Auction, but the Campaign has already far exceeded my expectations - it's amazing what one person's idea can turn in to with a help from friends!

Cystic Fibrosis Angel's - Gone but NEVER Forgotten

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

CF Angels and their Wings

I've added some new music to the Blog after watching Meet Me In St Louis - I love the golden oldie films and classic Christmas songs, but didn't realise that there was a clip from the film "It's a Wonderful Life" on at the beginning until I loaded it.  How poignant and very sad - struck a harsh core in me thinking back to the CF Angel's we have lost this year who will all get their wings this Christmas.  Take a moment to think about their families and friends who will be spending their first Christmas without them and then consider (if by chance you are a "Celeb" reading this Blog) donating "something" to the Campaign to help raise a bit more awareness and hopefully a few more £1's for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust so they can continue their vital research in to finding a cure for the dreadful condition Cystic Fibrosis - a condition which is robbing us of far too many young children and adults, despite the advances in treatment.  Link above CF Angel's - not one of them over the age of 30 years old - they so deserved a life ..... reach out and take a moment to send a signed picture ....... it won't cost you much, but it WILL make a difference.

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Three New Donations : Stavros Flatley, Suzi Perry, Little Britain

Allison has received two donations today - signed picture from Suzi Perry and a signed Audio CD of Little Britain from Matt Lucas signed by him and David Walliams:

And I received two signed pictures and some "stolen slippers from a Hotel"(!) signed by Stavros Flatley.  Trust them to make me laugh - made my day!!!

More donations promised .... will update as items arrive as usual.  I found my GET UP AND GO!!

Strictly Come Dancing

Allison has received a programme from Kristina Rihanoff and a signed picture - programme is signed by quite a lot of "Celeb's" and Dancers from the series:

Len Goodman
Craig Revel Horwood
Bruno Tonioli
Ali Bastian
Kelly Brook
Natalie Cassidy
Ricky groves
Austin Healey
Chris Hollins
Zoe lucker
Mark Ramprakash

Dancers:
Darren Bennett
Matthew Cutler
Brian fortuna
James Jordan
Ola Jordan
Lilia Kopylova
Natalie Lowe
Aliona Vilani
Ian waite
Hoping that this will generate a bit of interest amongst the Strictly fan's - fingers crossed!!

Channing Tatum

Received two posters from the film Dear John signed by Channing Tatum over the weekend after I sent a Tweet request to him for a donation.  His Twitter account did not reply, but a lady who run's a website on him replied and sent me these posters.  Truly grateful and was very excited - really like him ... well who wouldn't?!  I hope these fetch a few £1's for the Trust - well worth it.

Publicity for the Campaign

After a #journorequest Tweet on Twitter at the beginning of the week a Freelance Journalist replied and offered to help in the search for media attention for the Campaign.  Today she has sent me the first draft of the Press Release she has prepared to add bits/amend to send out to national newspapers/magazines to see if they will run a story - it's a long shot, but worth a try.  I know how these things work and it depends on what kind of story they can turn it in to and if they have space.  To them it might just be another Charity story - but if they can grab hold of "something", it would give the Campaign a bit of a boost and hopefully a few more donations.

Struggling to get many replies at the moment on Twitter - think we are running out of Celeb's to ask who will reply.  Some don't mind getting Charitable Tweets and will respond to them, others won't reply at all and leave that side to their Agents/Managers, and I basically find that the latter won't help if there is nothing in it for them - i.e. you get no reply!

Someone on Twitter this evening told me that if it wasn't a cancer related charity then Celeb's would probably not be interested and that's basically because if you are not affected by something like Cystic Fibrosis - one of the UK's most common life-threatening conditions, then you show no interest.

Me and my little Team of ladies are not giving up easily though and will continue to Tweet as the urge/time grabs us to just try for a few more things for the Auction - you never know, we might be lucky and get a few more yes's! 

In the meantime, if anything comes of the Press Release, I'll make sure to update the Blog with news - fingers crossed! 

Children with Cystic Fibrosis - Harsh Reality

Watch and learn - the hidden side of Cystic Fibrosis - these children should not have to suffer in this way.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Time to chase a few donations!

I've now lost track of the amount of Celeb's who have said yes, they'll donate, and then they pass on their Manager/Agent/Website details so off I trundle, fill in on-line website forms or forward an e-mail requesting said donation and then hear ABSOLUTELY NOTHING back!!  I'm beginning to think there is either a) something wrong with my Hotmail account and it's not accepting in-coming replies or b) they are actually being sent into a deep dark BLACK HOLE and going no-where or c)  the recipient is a tad busy/bored/ignorant/slow!!  I find it hard to understand people who publicly offer to help out and then do nothing about it - the answer to that is either say no, I can't help or don't offer to help, then I won't be sitting like Bridget Jones waiting for incoming mail "you have no mail, not a single message, not even from your mother" or sitting stalking the Postman who annoyingly drives by and leaves nothing or else leaves me a pile of unwanted leaflets which go directly in to the re-cycling bin.

Time to chase up a heap of "yes's" this week to see if I can turn them in to real donations - not one to give up too easily  .... maybe a little CAN I HAVE SOMETHING PLEASE might help!!  I'm not asking for their designer dress, their limited edition watch, their top of the range sports car or their bodies - just a signed picture or a book or a CD - which in turn will help them promote their wares.  I think half of them are actually reluctant to donate incase they get an influx of requests from other Charities - well that's their prerogative and am sure many of them do their fair share of charitable work - it's the one's who say yes and then do nothing about it I'm concerned about.

This Auction is not going to raise thousands and thousands of pounds for the CF Trust - I don't have the contacts, the know how or the name to do this, but if it raises a few hundred pounds and along the way raises a bit of awareness, that's all that matters.

Here's hoping the Postman fetches something nice this week .....!!!

David Hasselhoff

The lovely Holly (wheezingwolly) asked David Hasselhoff if he would consider donating to the Auction and he kindly agreed to send something for us to use.  Below t-shirt and signed picture.  Sadly, whoever sends out Mr Hasselhoff's post either didn't put enough postage on it or didn't declare what was in the package for customs, so Holly had to pay £15 for the package.  I sincerely hope that the picture and t-shirt make more than £15 for the CF Trust.  Holly will be reimbursed by me - it's only fair as it's my venture and I don't think that a 17 year old living on Disability Living Allowance should have to fork out that kind of money unnecessarily - let's chalk this one down to human error!!