Charity Auction with an SFF Theme

A good friend of mine is going to be doing something amazing very soon. Now, when you say the word ‘amazing’ on Fantasy-Faction we are usually talking about Magic, Elves, Frodo getting the ring to Mordor and that kind of thing. However, this ‘amazing’ is something very human and something very real and in my opinion, even more amazing. The friend I mentioned, Nicola Budd, will be braving the harsh climates and ruthless inclines of the Himalayas in order to raise money and awareness for the charity ‘Have A Heart’.

Have a Heart is the charity of the Heart radio network, and aims to improve the lives of children living in the communities to which Heart broadcasts. We are currently supporting ChildLine – the free phone and online service, offering support and advice for any child who has nowhere else to turn.

Find out more about ChildLine and how well be raising money for them on the Have a Heart section of heart.co.uk

If you are taking part in the Brighton Marathon the money you raise will also be supporting Neuroblastoma Alliance UK with funds being split 50/50 with ChildLine.

Now, of course, this is being featured on Fantasy-Faction and therefore there must be some kind of Fantasy/Sci-Fi twist in here somewhere, right? Is Nicola searching for Big-Foot whilst over there? Does she intend to wear the ‘one ring’ around her neck for the entire visit? No, she will have enough on her plate with the trekking. However, before she heads off to the Himalayas, she will be holding a Fantasy/Science-Fiction themed charity auction in London.

The charity auction, which is being run with the help of Jo Fletcher Books and the British Fantasy Society will offer to the public a number of very rare books and some stunning artwork too. These range from first editions to hardbacks to paperbacks and some of them are even signed! This auction is ‘silent’ so you will not need to throw your hands up in the air to bid (as fun as that is), simply attend the British Fantasy Society’s meeting at The Mughouse in London Bridge on 2nd March 2012 and register your bid.

The team behind Fantasy-Faction has been lucky enough to meet Nicola Budd on a number of occasions and has been warmed each time by how dedicated she is to raising money for good causes. On a personal note, we wish Nicola all the best and look forward to being in attendance at the auction in March. If anyone else could make it – we look forward to seeing you too and even if you can’t make it to London, Nicola does have a donations page that you can visit: http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/nicolabudd

Thanks for reading and we hope you will join us in supporting Nicola and wishing her all the best on her Trek! I’ll now hand you over to Nicola who will explain to you in her own words why she is doing this and fill in any details I missed:

On 15th March 2012 I will be heading to the Himalayas to complete an eight day trek for the charity Have A Heart. Beginning in Nepal we will be trekking for 6-8 hours each day, with no beds, no showers and 6.30 am wake-up calls. I’m using up 12 days of holiday and have given over £700 of my own money, as well as almost every lunch hour since the end of October last year, in order to do this. Why? Because the charity Heart are providing for is Together For Short Lives, supporting children’s hospices in the UK.

This charity supports children who are not expected to live into adulthood, providing care at home – so that the child may live in familiar and comfortable surroundings, and support for the families of these children, both practical and emotional. It also provides the means to keep children’s hospices up and running in an age where funding is so hard to come by. The charity offers comfort for those most in need of it.

So it’s not hard to see why I feel the money I’m raising, with your help, is going to one of the best causes imaginable.

As a part of this I will be holding a silent auction in conjunction with Jo Fletcher Books and the British Fantasy Society on 2nd March 2012 at The Mughouse in London Bridge. The auction will begin at around 6.30, end at around 9.30, and will include signed PB, HB and 1st editions from across the SF, Fantasy and Horror genres as well as some signed original artwork.

To support Have a Heart, and my trekking efforts, please go to www.virginmoneygiving.com/nicolabudd and donate whatever you can, after all, every little helps!

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