I’ve travelled the world raising funds for charity
Name: Rachel Walker. What do you do?: I am a Community Fundraising Manager for the NSPCC in Cheshire. Location: St. Michael’s and All Angels Church, Macclesfield (Carols By Candlelight). Bio: I have worked for the NSPCC for nearly eight years. I currently live in the North West but am originally from North Wales. I live with my husband, Andy Walker and our 10-year-old Border Terrier, Choppers. On Tuesday I am organising my first Carols By Candlelight concert at St. Michael’s Church in Macclesfield Town Centre and am very much looking forward to meeting more people from the Macclesfield community. What inspired you to become a fundraiser?: I have always shown an interest in fundraising. Even my school report talked about my poppy selling skills. I’m quite competitive and to me if you’ve got sales skills then raising money for charity has to be the best use of them. I started working for the NSPCC in 2008 and knew that child abuse went on but certainly not to the extent that it does. Who do you help to raise funds for?: All of my fundraising both in work and in my own spare time is for the NSPCC in the North West. The Carol Concert that I am organising for Tuesday is raising money for our Christmas Call for Help Appeal. Every 25 seconds in the UK a child contacts ChildLine. Christmas is often an extremely hard time for a lot of children and their families. We are raising money for the ChildLine Service in the hope that we can be there for every child when they need us the most. Children from Pownall Hall School in Wilmslow and The Kings School in Macclesfield are coming together to perform for the people of Macclesfield and to top it all off Bollin Brass will be accompanying our Carols on the night too. It costs the NSPCC £4 to answer every call to ChildLine. Tickets are £5 and can be bought on the door. Accompanied children aged 16 and under can come in for free. If people would like to pre-order their tickets they can do so by calling 0161 393 4474 or emailing northwestappeals@nspcc.org.uk. Are you working on a campaign at the moment?: We have also just launched an NSPCC Trek in Iceland with celebrities Carl Fogarty MBE and Jake Quickenden. Next July we are hoping to take a team of 60 trekkers across the Southern Highlands of Iceland with Carl and Jake. The guys are extremely competitive and are asking people to join #Teamjake or #Teamfoggy. If people would like more information on the trek or to register their interest then please visit www. nspcc.org.uk/foggyandjakesicelandtrek. What do you enjoy most about doing this?: Putting on fundraising events and appealing for donations has really brought my friends and family together. My husband and I have organised parties and sponsored walks that perhaps we wouldn’t have done without the fundraising angle. We’ve met some amazing people along the way. People we now call lifelong friends. We’ve also been to some amazing places in the world; we trekked to Machu Picchu in Peru, Climbed Kilimanjaro, trekked to Everest Base Camp in Nepal, climbed volcanoes in Ecuador, climbed Stok Kangri in the Indian Himalaya and in October we took a team of NSPCC trekkers along the Great Wall of China. I’m very proud that we have raised in the region of £50,000 for the NSPCC in the process.
What are your greatest achievements?: I think it has to be the amount of money that we have raised. We certainly couldn’t have done this without the generosity of others. People have been amazing. Standing atop Kilimanjaro and watching the sun set over Everest is also hard to beat. Any plans for the future?: I’m really looking forward to being part of the Foggy and Jake Iceland Trek next July, I think it will be an amazing and fun experience for everyone involved. Then personally, my husband and I are planning a trek to climb Mera Peak in Nepal in 2017. That will be our biggest challenge yet as it’s over 2,000ft higher than Kilimanjaro! I think our families are sick of saying: “This will be our biggest challenge yet!” but every time they give us loads of support. Where is your favourite place in Macclesfield?: I’m a bit of a shopaholic so would have to say Arighi Bianchi! They’ve got a lovely café too! Ideally how would you spend every day?: Most definitely trekking through the Himalaya with my family and friends and our Dog, Choppers. Failing that I’d settle for the mountains of Snowdonia! What was the best holiday you have been on?: My husband and I are huge fans of America and we went on an amazing trip to New Orleans and Memphis for my 40th birthday this year. What one piece of advice would you give?: That travel broadens the mind, makes us better people. The best thing to do is get out there and experience many different cultures, it makes the world a friendlier, less scary place! Who would you like to invite to dinner?: I’ve always answered Billy Connolly, I think he’s the funniest man alive. Ooh and I would have to say Sir Tom Jones but that’s because I’m Welsh!
The NSPCC Carols By Candlelight is at St. Michael’s and All Angels Church, Macclesfield, on Tuesday, December 1.
Doors open at 6.30pm, performance starts at 7pm. Tickets are £5 with accompanied children aged 16 and under free of charge. Tickets will be available on the door or by calling 0161 393 4474 or emailing northwestappeals@ nspcc.org.uk.