The spark for fundraising ignited during my intermediate school days.

My best friend, Libby, and I organised a school fundraiser for the SPCA. The success of our sausage sizzle and bake sale, which raised around $300 (quite an impressive amount from a couple of 12-year-olds), filled us with pride. Witnessing the representatives from the SPCA accept our donation at a school assembly was a very gratifying moment – this feeling lingered.

Fast forward almost a decade.

Life threw me a curveball with a cancer diagnosis. Straight off the bat, this meant I had to consider preserving my fertility. Back then, the funding for fertility treatment was limited to cancer patients opting to freeze embryos. At just 20 years old, committing to this was overwhelming for both me and my boyfriend (now husband). In the face of this challenge, requiring $10,000 worth of “baby insurance”, my partner, my family and friends, and the community rallied behind me.

With the support of my partner, my family and friends, we held a remarkable head-shaving event at Richmond Mall. Followed by a month of quiz nights organised by Lee Fern at the Sprig and Fern Hardy St, and generous contributions from local businesses for raffle prizes. It only took 2 months to successfully raise the funds needed for my fertility treatment.

While I was sick, organisations like the Cancer Society, Canteen, and initiatives like Look Good Feel Better provided invaluable support. From then on, I have been inspired and committed to being an active member of our community.

My time working with the fundraising team at Nelson Tasman Hospice only fueled this passion.

Being in the fundraising team unveiled a world of possibilities for supporting our community. It made me even more aware of the critical situation some essential services face due to insufficient funding.

From these experiences came the concept for “Photos for Funds“. Utilising my professional photography experience, this initiative aims to support organisations and individuals in need. It’s a way of giving back to the community that stood by me, acknowledging everyone’s invaluable support.

With any luck, we can make a difference through the art of photography, and create lasting impacts together.