Young Fundraisers - Wilson Beatty
Wilson organised a live music fundraising evening at Spice Fusion Kent on Monday 18th March. The event was an absolute success! It was sold out and raised more than £2600.
Inspiration and Motivation
Q: What inspired you to organise this fundraising event for the Wisdom Hospice?
A: It started with a school project in Year 9 at Leigh Academy Rainham. I wanted to do something guitar-related and thought of a fundraising event for the Wisdom Hospice, where my grandad was treated 10 years ago. They made him comfortable in his last days, so it felt right to support them.
Q: Can you share a bit about your grandad and how his experience at the Wisdom Hospice motivated you?
A: When my grandad was younger he was in a band himself called the Southern Gentlemen where he played guitar, that’s always been inspiring me from since I was young to play the guitar. I can’t remember being at the Wisdom Hospice myself because I was only four but my family have always said what a great job they did for him and how it was important that they should carry on being able to help people in the same way.
The Fundraising Event
Q: How did you come up with the idea for the event at Spice Fusion Kent?
A: I had performed there with my band, Acoustic Rain, and knew it was a great venue. The owner, Rajeev, was very supportive. We needed a ticketed event to cover costs, and we managed to sell 85 tickets, filling the restaurant.
Q: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while organising the event, and how did you overcome them?
A: The biggest challenge was selling enough tickets. We needed to sell at least 65 at £25 each. We promoted the event on social media and, with a lot of sharing, managed to sell out at 85 tickets, raising over £2600 when combined with raffle ticket sales and auction items.
Q: How did you feel when you saw the amount of support and generosity from everyone who attended?
A: It felt amazing. Seeing the support from the local community, especially as a 14-year-old organising the event, was incredible. It was heartening to see how much people cared about supporting the hospice.
Musical Skills
Q: How long have you been playing the guitar and making music? Do you plan to pursue it professionally?
A: I’ve been around music my whole life since both my grandads were in bands. I started playing guitar at eight and have learned from both my other grandad and tutor Dean Whale. I’m passionate about music and hope to pursue it as a career.
Family Support
Q: How did your parents support you throughout the planning and execution of the fundraiser?
A: In the weeks and months leading up to the event my parents and family took me round to various places to collect raffle prizes and also helped to spread the word of the event around. Then on the actual night of the event my parents, little brother Cooper and many other family members set up the restaurant and raffle prizes and helped sell raffle tickets along with everything else that could be useful on the night. I’m really grateful to them all for their help which made the night so successful.
Impact and Future Plans
Q: What message do you have for those who donated and supported your fundraiser?
A: A big thank you to everyone who supported the event, bought tickets, donated prizes, or contributed to the JustGiving page. Your generosity made this fundraiser a success.
Q: How do you hope the funds raised will benefit the patients and families at the Wisdom Hospice?
A: The hospice needs to raise around £2500 daily. I’m glad our event covered at least one day’s target. I hope these funds help make patients more comfortable, whether at home or in the hospice.
Q: Do you have any future plans for more fundraising activities or events?
A: I’d love to make this an annual event. The support was incredible, and I think repeating it yearly could continue to raise significant funds for the hospice.
Personal Growth
Q: What have you learned from organising this event and raising such a significant amount of money?
A: I’ve learned how much effort it takes to organise a successful event. Everything from finding a venue to gathering raffle prizes requires coordination and dedication. It showed me that goals can be achieved with effort.
Q: How has this experience impacted you personally and shaped your views on community and giving back?
A: It’s been eye-opening to see how generous people can be. Raising this amount of money in a small community has changed my views on the importance of giving back and supporting local causes.
Acknowledgments and Gratitude
Q: Is there anyone else you'd like to thank for their help and support?
A: I’m grateful to Rajeev and his team at Spice Fusion, my school for encouraging community projects, and everyone who supported the event. Special thanks to Ffion Spring, our band’s brilliant singer—without her, I’d just be a bloke with a guitar.
Q: How did it feel to see the community come together in memory of your grandad and in support of the Wisdom Hospice?
A: It was touching to see so many people support the event and honour my grandad’s memory. Many attendees had personal connections to the hospice, which made their support even more meaningful.
Inspirational Advice
Q: What advice would you give to other young people interested in fundraising for a cause close to their hearts?
A: One thing you definitely have to do is to put all your effort in and just go for it. If you don’t you’re just going to be held back by not having enough confidence so you’ve just got to go for it, give it a try and hope for the best, and then nothing can go wrong!
Q: How do you think young people can make a difference in their communities, just like you have?
A: It’s just the fact of thinking about giving back to the community - there’s a million things that could be done - try and think of something that you enjoy doing to help to make it more successful. For example, I chose to play my guitar for a community that meant something to me, others in my year did a multitude of different things, all creating a better society integrated in this local community. Choose to do something that’s obviously important to you so that the community becomes more integrated and successful together.
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