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James Wood nominated FFI as his sponsored charity in the Great North Run in September 2008.
Q: Why do a sponsored event?
A: A sponsored event meant I could give so much more than I could ever afford to give on my own. It also helped motivate me to train harder!
Q: What made you want to raise funds for FFI?
A: I had originally decided to run the Great North Run just as a challenge for myself and since I got in on the general ballot I had no obligation to any particular charity. However, being interested in conservation, I thought it would be a good opportunity to motivate myself to train harder and help the world in general!
I had never heard of FFI before but came across it as a member charity of the ‘Justgiving’ donation service and was intrigued by the brief description of it and its work. Having just graduated in Applied Biology, I had recently been studying things like bioethics and the social impact of biology and thought FFI hits the nail on the head of how best to practically solve global conservation issues.
Sustainability is becoming more and more of a recognised issue in almost all areas of life and none more so than in conservation; which is inherently about making long-term plans for maintaining biodiversity, but where sustainability is often overlooked. In my experience, particularly in ‘ecotourism’, conservation is often talked about solely in terms of natural resources and biodiversity, with the human aspect being seen as part of the problem rather than an important part of the issue. I respect FFI’s commitment to valuing the ability of local groups to best understand their own environment and to create global change through sustainable local action.
Q: Were people interested in the cause you chose to support?
A:
For the most part, yes. In general I found that, like me, people hadn’t heard of FFI before but were extremely interested in the beliefs and achievements that I preached to them! Some people were happy enough to hear it was a conservation organisation and that was enough for them; but others, particularly among my university friends, were all ears as soon as they heard names like Sir David Attenborough and Dr Charlotte Uhlenbroek! Or once they heard about how long the organisation has been going and some of the things they’ve achieved.
Q: What FFI projects are you most interested in and why?
A: The projects I find most interesting are those in which the benefits to a particular ecosystem and local community are most intertwined. For example, where ex-poachers have been trained to protect rather than hunt endangered species. These are obvious win-win situations where habitats and species are protected and the local communities have alternatives to poaching as a source of income.
However, I’m also interested in the long-term prospect of the carbon credit system as a means of linking traditional business values with less easily identifiable conservation values. It’s not ideal since the world we live in is priceless, but like it or not we live in a capitalist system and if the people who care don’t put a value on ecosystems and biodiversity then someone else will.
Q: Why would you encourage other people to support FFI?
A: As the quote from Sir David Attenborough on the FFI website aptly puts it: “Investment in the work of FFI is an investment in the future of the planet”. Conservation work is obviously a good cause; but I feel that supporting FFI, more so than other groups, will have a more dramatic and long-lasting effect in the places where such work can make a real difference.
Q: Have you got any top training tips for other fundraisers?
A: Do what works for you. If you’re training for a big event then you obviously need to push yourself but don’t overdo it! Rest any injuries and build up gradually. A basic knowledge of physiology or sports sciences (even at the level often provided by the event organisers for free) can be extremely useful so you know the kind of stresses you’re putting your body under and how to prepare for training sessions and the event itself. Varying your training can sometimes stave off boredom as well.
Q: Is it important to be an experienced runner to take part in a sponsored event?
A: Not at all. When I signed up for the Great North Run I had never really done any running. I’d initially entered the event as a motivator for getting fit! The best thing to do is to build things up gradually. One thing I found that really helped was doing lots of cycling as well as regular running. It allowed me to build up strength in my legs, and especially in my knees, as well as increasing my overall fitness through low impact exercise. The most important thing to have isn’t fitness but enthusiasm.
Q: What were the best ways you found of raising money?
A:
Just hassling people! I highly recommend the Justgiving website as a simple way of getting all donations in one place, especially since people can’t really use the excuse of not having any cash on them at the time if you’re emailing them a web address or hassling them on Facebook or something. Most of the donations I got were from family and friends but when I run again next year the main thing is going to be spreading the word a bit more. Also, be positive; I think people respect it if you clearly believe in the cause you’re supporting and are training hard and sweating for it!
“Investment in the work of FFI is, truly, an investment in the planet.” – Sir David Attenborough, FFI Vice President. Please join FFI today.
FFI’s magazine, Fauna & Flora, examines themes that effect our work worldwide and includes interviews, notes from field teams and species profiles. Join FFI and receive your copy.
