A Day In The Life

Catherine Bristow

Posted 01 April 2014

New York Program

January 2001 Intake

Catherine works for Dame Vera Lynn (best known as the World War 2 forces sweetheart and her song "We'll Meet Again") as an events fundraiser. She works for her charity which supports children and babies with cerebral palsy. This means the parents can come to their school free of charge and receive the support and help they need. They have to raise £650,000 a year, as the charity receives no government funding. They are a small team of eight but they are award winning as at the end of 2013 they were granted Charity Of The Year by the West Sussex County Times.

"I would love to give you a typical day, but no day is ever the same. Last month I was helping my colleague out by dressing up as Velma from Scooby Doo and running in the charity pancake race. To last week face painting one hundred kids at our Easter egg hunt. It's great it helping out my colleagues, however my job is to organise the larger scale events, including the Arundle to Brighton walk we did in 2013 which raised £17,500, to our Swingtime Ball at the Grand Hotel in Brighton which had over 35 acts and nearly 200 guests. To my ladies lunch with Christopher Biggins, who happens to be one of our patrons. Christopher Biggins and a room full of 70 women is quite a hoot.

I am currently working on a corporate golf day, a Halloween night-time run, and of course, repeating our successful Arundle to Brighton walk and the Ball. My job is to not only put these events on and obtain prizes and sponsorship, but engage with corporates and new individuals so they will support the charity. Therefore I also have to be quite the saleswoman. Times are tough right now, but when I feel myself feeling a little disheartened I always take a walk over to the school, then when you see one of the children's smiling faces because they have managed to stand up today, you realise it's all worthwhile. Seeing the tears of a parent as they thank you for all you do puts things into perspective.

So I ask all my past and future Mountbatten fellows , if you work for a corporate or simply know of anyone who wants to support a charity that needs your help, perhaps think of the Dame Vera Lynn trusts www.DVLt.org Run a marathon jump, out of a plane, walk over fire, we do it all."