Here is a copy of my sponsorship portfolio for you all to have a look at!
Indian Ocean Race 2009
Friday, 6 February 2009
Radio Suffolk and more
The interview with Radio Suffolk went live on Wed afternoon on the drivetime show. You can listen again using BBC iPlayer and it's on around 1 hr 20 mins in
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0022tdk/Drivetime_with_Stephen_Foster_04_02_2009/
A few of my fellow Sudbury Rowing Club members also had a moment of fame so thank you for letting everyone know how crazy i am!
As for sponsorship it's not going as well as i'd hoped. Companies are willing to sponsor in kind ie by giving service or equipment but the boat has been kitted with most of what we need. It's really the corporate big boys we need now to pay for what we already have. There are so many great opportunities available and VAST media coverage of this race so the return on any investment is going to be immense. The hard part is making people realise that. So until we find a company willing to join our challenge it's more emailing, phoning and sending out letters. Someone will bite!
PS Race night at Walsham is tomorrow night. Free entry and lots of fun!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0022tdk/Drivetime_with_Stephen_Foster_04_02_2009/
A few of my fellow Sudbury Rowing Club members also had a moment of fame so thank you for letting everyone know how crazy i am!
As for sponsorship it's not going as well as i'd hoped. Companies are willing to sponsor in kind ie by giving service or equipment but the boat has been kitted with most of what we need. It's really the corporate big boys we need now to pay for what we already have. There are so many great opportunities available and VAST media coverage of this race so the return on any investment is going to be immense. The hard part is making people realise that. So until we find a company willing to join our challenge it's more emailing, phoning and sending out letters. Someone will bite!
PS Race night at Walsham is tomorrow night. Free entry and lots of fun!
Sunday, 1 February 2009
CREW WEBSITE
Also the crew now has it's own website at www.piraterow.com. Please check it out as it has more info on the race, the boat and the rest of the crew!
More publicity
Radio Suffolk came down to the boat club on Saturday morning to do an interview with myself and with some of the other members of the club. It will be broadcast in the next few days so i will keep you posted but expect me talking 'enthusiastically' ie rambling and everyone else saying how idiotic and mad this is. Hopefully it will get the word out there some more and lead to some money! I contacted Look East as well but they didn't think they would be able to cover the story so no tv. I'll keep trying other avenues though cos i'm sure people are more interested in watching a story about a world record attempt than a report about people making furniture shaped like liqurice allsorts and animals who do crazy things. Maybe i'm biased though.
More news...
- college (St Edmund Hall) have said they will give me £350 so that is an unexpected bonus. It has come right from the top, from the Governing Body, and things like this don't happen very often so i'm very grateful. Obviously Oxford dons have an adventurous side.
- Scope have sent me some leaflets and sponsorship forms as well as t-shirts and pins to use at events and i now have my official letter of intent so now i am properly registered to raise money for them. I will try to scan it in and put it on the site somehow.
- had a conference call with the rest of the crew on Sat although i was on a train and it cut out halfway through so not entirely sure what happened. We are deciding on a boat name and logo this week so the boat can get branded before it is shipped out on the 11th Feb. The crew might also be changing again. I'm not entirely sure who is in and who is out at the moment but i'm determined to stay there (moeny permitting of course).
- lots of training this week. Had a bit of a mare on the erg for the first few days but then managed to get it back and had some good sessions with some of the girls (and boys) in Oxford. And with my erging partner Jocelyn at Sudbury of course. Saturdays wouldn't be the same without our 10ks!
Finally - RACE NIGHT is on Saturday night ie 7th Feb. There seem to be quite a lot of people going so i'm very excited. My parents have been amazing about this and have done nearly all the organisation work. I turn up after a few days in Oxford to find everything is pretty much done and all i need to do is make the posters and set up a stand to tell everyone about the row. I couldn't have put something like this on without their help and experience and it must be twice as hard for them as they know that the more money we make, the closer i am to leaving for 2 months and rowing across an inhospitable ocean! If anyone wants to come to the race night then please come. Entry is free and it is at Walsham Le Willows Sports Club. The more the merrier!
Okay have to go. Early morning coaching (and maybe coxing) my novice crew in their first outing on the water this term. The river has finally gone down.
More news...
- college (St Edmund Hall) have said they will give me £350 so that is an unexpected bonus. It has come right from the top, from the Governing Body, and things like this don't happen very often so i'm very grateful. Obviously Oxford dons have an adventurous side.
- Scope have sent me some leaflets and sponsorship forms as well as t-shirts and pins to use at events and i now have my official letter of intent so now i am properly registered to raise money for them. I will try to scan it in and put it on the site somehow.
- had a conference call with the rest of the crew on Sat although i was on a train and it cut out halfway through so not entirely sure what happened. We are deciding on a boat name and logo this week so the boat can get branded before it is shipped out on the 11th Feb. The crew might also be changing again. I'm not entirely sure who is in and who is out at the moment but i'm determined to stay there (moeny permitting of course).
- lots of training this week. Had a bit of a mare on the erg for the first few days but then managed to get it back and had some good sessions with some of the girls (and boys) in Oxford. And with my erging partner Jocelyn at Sudbury of course. Saturdays wouldn't be the same without our 10ks!
Finally - RACE NIGHT is on Saturday night ie 7th Feb. There seem to be quite a lot of people going so i'm very excited. My parents have been amazing about this and have done nearly all the organisation work. I turn up after a few days in Oxford to find everything is pretty much done and all i need to do is make the posters and set up a stand to tell everyone about the row. I couldn't have put something like this on without their help and experience and it must be twice as hard for them as they know that the more money we make, the closer i am to leaving for 2 months and rowing across an inhospitable ocean! If anyone wants to come to the race night then please come. Entry is free and it is at Walsham Le Willows Sports Club. The more the merrier!
Okay have to go. Early morning coaching (and maybe coxing) my novice crew in their first outing on the water this term. The river has finally gone down.
Friday, 23 January 2009
sponsorship, sponsorship, sponsorship
So i've been away for a while again. This time to Oxford to rejoin my old college boat club and start a coaching job. I am going to be there for 4-5 days a week and then back in Suffolk to train at Sudbury at the weekends. I've been put in charge of the lower boats squad as it might be a bti strange to be coaching the 1st VIII and people that i was rowing with just a few months ago. I can already tell that it's going to be a lot of fun though. The girls have a lot of potential and just being back amongst the spires is inspiring me to get on with the challenge of raising money! I've realised that i actually miss studying though so can't wait to go back to uni in September.
So how has training been going? Not that well to be honest. I got back from Italy and it was all good but after a day of catching up on sleep and refuelling, the dreaded lurgy got me (and pretty much the whole crew apparently). It wasn't bad at all but just enough to prevent me from sitting on the erg for too long. I've done something everyday this week but not as much as i would like. Hopefully going back to Sudbury tomorrow will help get me back into it as i can always erg down there. It seems to be the right temperature and have the right environment for hard work. Next week i'm taking my road bike to Oxford so i can have the option of going for a ride or popping on the turbo instead of erging all the time. I'm finding variation very helpful at the moment.
And finally the age old question of sponsorship. it's not going great. I have been sending out lots and lots of emails this week and phoning up companies to get contact names but to no avail. It really is about getting the information to right person and that is not easy. Websites sometimes help but as most companies don't advertise their staff members, it does normally mean sending them to enquiries@... or info@ addresses. I'm going to send letters and phone and generally try to make myself a nuisance. I really need to do more for local companies though. But again, getting the names if a problem. If anyone out there knows somebody in a position of responsibility in a firm, in advertising or marketing or just the top honcho, please let me know! I will do all the leg-work but i need the name first.
I'm going to put the names if people who have supported me so far on the this page somewhere and also on the main crew website which has now been constructed. The address is www.piraterow.com and you can see more about the rest of the crew and the boat on there.
So how has training been going? Not that well to be honest. I got back from Italy and it was all good but after a day of catching up on sleep and refuelling, the dreaded lurgy got me (and pretty much the whole crew apparently). It wasn't bad at all but just enough to prevent me from sitting on the erg for too long. I've done something everyday this week but not as much as i would like. Hopefully going back to Sudbury tomorrow will help get me back into it as i can always erg down there. It seems to be the right temperature and have the right environment for hard work. Next week i'm taking my road bike to Oxford so i can have the option of going for a ride or popping on the turbo instead of erging all the time. I'm finding variation very helpful at the moment.
And finally the age old question of sponsorship. it's not going great. I have been sending out lots and lots of emails this week and phoning up companies to get contact names but to no avail. It really is about getting the information to right person and that is not easy. Websites sometimes help but as most companies don't advertise their staff members, it does normally mean sending them to enquiries@... or info@ addresses. I'm going to send letters and phone and generally try to make myself a nuisance. I really need to do more for local companies though. But again, getting the names if a problem. If anyone out there knows somebody in a position of responsibility in a firm, in advertising or marketing or just the top honcho, please let me know! I will do all the leg-work but i need the name first.
I'm going to put the names if people who have supported me so far on the this page somewhere and also on the main crew website which has now been constructed. The address is www.piraterow.com and you can see more about the rest of the crew and the boat on there.
Thursday, 15 January 2009
Back from Italia
Well i'm back. Turns out i was needed to row for the entire week so i managed to do 15 sessions in 6 days. Not a bad effort. And no real adverse effects from the old back injury so i'm pretty hopeful i've now got it under control. I'm still going to go to a chiropractor though as there is no point risking anything right now.
So news from when i was away. I returned to find that i had 75 emails to read and reply to. Many were from alumni from my college, Teddy Hall in Oxford, to offer support and help financially and with more practical things such as accomodation in Aus and equipment. it was such a great feeling to come back and be greeted by people willing to help. This challenge seems to be attracting attention from many people now so i can only hope that my good fortune continues - i'm still a very long way from my target! And i'm desperately looking for corporate sponsorship. I know that times are very hard for everyone at the moment but the potential return on events like these are huge. Just think about how much attention the Atlantic race and Cracknell and Fogle received and this is the very first Indian Ocean Race and the crew has the potential to break so many records:
- the FIRST ever ocean rowing eight
- the FIRST female to cross the Indian
- the FIRST paraplegic to cross the Indian (my fellow female crew member and skipper Angela Madsen is a paraplegic, paralympian and has already crossed the Atlantic)
- the FIRST time a disabled athlete has crossed two oceans
- the YOUNGEST person to cross the Indian
The crew has already been receiving press in the UK and the US but there is so much more that can be done. I'm frantically trying to get as much publicity as possible and any corporate sponsor could be a part of that. Contact me for more details!
As from next week i am going to be in Oxford f0r 4-5 days a week so there will be plenty of opportunities to use the facilities and resources there (a lot more than back in Suffolk!). I will still be training with Sudbury at the weekends and be very much a part of the club but my old college has offered me the chance to coach their women's squad part time and use their boathouse as a training base whenever i like so i can't really refuse. It's a lot easier to cycle 10 mins to train than drive for 40 mins!
So news from when i was away. I returned to find that i had 75 emails to read and reply to. Many were from alumni from my college, Teddy Hall in Oxford, to offer support and help financially and with more practical things such as accomodation in Aus and equipment. it was such a great feeling to come back and be greeted by people willing to help. This challenge seems to be attracting attention from many people now so i can only hope that my good fortune continues - i'm still a very long way from my target! And i'm desperately looking for corporate sponsorship. I know that times are very hard for everyone at the moment but the potential return on events like these are huge. Just think about how much attention the Atlantic race and Cracknell and Fogle received and this is the very first Indian Ocean Race and the crew has the potential to break so many records:
- the FIRST ever ocean rowing eight
- the FIRST female to cross the Indian
- the FIRST paraplegic to cross the Indian (my fellow female crew member and skipper Angela Madsen is a paraplegic, paralympian and has already crossed the Atlantic)
- the FIRST time a disabled athlete has crossed two oceans
- the YOUNGEST person to cross the Indian
The crew has already been receiving press in the UK and the US but there is so much more that can be done. I'm frantically trying to get as much publicity as possible and any corporate sponsor could be a part of that. Contact me for more details!
As from next week i am going to be in Oxford f0r 4-5 days a week so there will be plenty of opportunities to use the facilities and resources there (a lot more than back in Suffolk!). I will still be training with Sudbury at the weekends and be very much a part of the club but my old college has offered me the chance to coach their women's squad part time and use their boathouse as a training base whenever i like so i can't really refuse. It's a lot easier to cycle 10 mins to train than drive for 40 mins!
Monday, 5 January 2009
Crew selection and local press
The crew has finally been selected and i'm definitely in it! Up to now, i've just been part of the squad but now the 8 has been picked. It's absolutely incredible and brilliant news and i can't wait to get to the start line. Before i can get there though i need to raise 15 grand and that is proving very elusive right now. It is probably the worst possible time to be looking for sponsorship but i will struggle on and i'm determined to get it. Anyone interested in joining the effort, please get in contact with me! For corporate sponsors there are many things that i can do for you in return, from wearing branded clothing, naming you on this blog and on the official crew site, potential branding on the actual boat, coverage in the local press and the opportunity to have myself or other members of the crew come and talk to your firm. There is a sponsorship pack available with more details so please get in touch. For individuals, again contact me and i will get back to you with more details.
Also the local press has gone a bit crazy with the story and there have been articles in the Suffolk Free Press http://www.suffolkfreepress.co.uk/news/Helen39s-naked-ambition.4828836.jp (bit obsessed with the possible nakedness on the trip!) and the East Anglian http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?brand=EADOnline&category=News&tBrand=EADOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=IPED04%20Jan%202009%2012%3A28%3A39%3A713. The Bury Free Press is running it this week as well so lots of exposure. Let's hope it results in some financial support.
And finally in the training front, it's been a week of rehab on the erg. I've managed 3 x 15k (about 1hr10mins) and an 18k (1hr25mins) plus 2 hours on the bike and lots of core stability which no adverse effects. From now on it really starts to rev up and hopefully within the next couple of weeks i will be training twice a day. I'm going away on Wed to Italy for a week but not on holiday. I will be coaching my old uni crew on their training camp and whilst i'm there taking advantage of the slightly warmer weather and 5km lake to get some quality time on the water (especially as the Stour is currently frozen over!)
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