Saturday 31 January 2015

Thrive-abetes is live on iCrowdfund.ie

Conferences like Thrive-abetes cost money, unfortunately. 
Most of the cost of our conference will be covered through delegate registration and exhibitor fees. But we still need to raise €6,000 to ensure that this event takes place.
On the 22nd of January we launched a crowdfunding campaign so that we could raise this shortfall. We are using an Irish company called iCrowdfund.ie, based in Tuam, Co. Galway.

"Crowdfunding is a way of raising money by asking a large number of people for a small amount of money. Until recently, financing a business, project or venture involved asking a few people for large sums of money. Crowdfunding switches this idea around, using the internet to talk to thousands – if not millions – of potential funders." 

In our case, we are asking people to ask their employers for a donation. All donations are directed to Diabetes Ireland (registered charity no. CHY 6906) where they will be ring-fenced for our conference.
If 60 businesses/employers make one donation of €100 each, or 120 businesses giving €50, we reach our goal! 

How can you help?

The success of a crowd-funding campaign depends HUGELY on making as many people as possible aware that the campaign is happening. 
You can help by;
  • Posting this link on your social media page and asking people to share it. Here is the post I did on my Facebook page. Feel free to copy it. 
  • Consider asking your employer to donate to the campaign. If you feel nervous about doing this, contact me and I will email you a form letter that you can adapt for your own employer.
  • Do you have any friends or family members who own businesses that would donate?
  • Maybe you and all of your friend would donate €5 to the campaign?

Please help us make this happen!!!


Photo from Bad Apple Photography






Wednesday 28 January 2015

Welcome to the Thrive-abetes Blog

Well, what is Thrive-abetes?
Thrive-abetes is an abbreviation of “Thrive with Type 1 Diabetes”. It’s a one day conference for parents of children with diabetes and adults living with type 1 diabetes, taking place in Ireland on Saturday the 3rd October 2015. The event is supported by Diabetes Ireland, the national association for people with diabetes in Ireland (Registered Charity No. CHY 6906).

How did it come about?
I was lounging on my couch beside my hubby one Saturday afternoon looking at my registration for Friends for Life UK (FFL) and thinking to myself "Why do I have to go to London to avail of an inspirational and motivational conference like FFL?"

My ever-supportive and crazy-ideas husband said "Sure you could pull off something like that, NO PROBLEM!" Sometimes I wonder about him?

Well that's where the idea for Thrive-abetes; Thrive with Type 1 Diabetes came from.


Why do I need this event to take place?
I want to meet more people with type 1 diabetes; I want to hear their stories and draw support from them. I also want to learn more about ways to cope with my type 1 diabetes every day.

I am fortunate enough to meet some people with type 1 diabetes face to face but others are not. Through the amazingness of FaceBook, I've learned that others want what I want. We have done the research to prove it!

This conference is needed because one of the best sources of support and information to families with Type 1 Diabetes is other people with Type 1 Diabetes. We would like a non-virtual place to meet, share and support each other.

This type of event does not exist in Ireland.....until now!