This is the day in the life of Vikki, our Events and Individual Challenge Fundraiser here at Dove House Hospice!

Hello, my name is Vikki Fitzgerald and I am an Events & Individual Challenge Fundraiser for Dove House. I first started at the hospice in 2004 in the Office Services department as an Admin Assistant. I started to help with team cover in the Fundraising department and never looked back.

Working at the hospice is perfect for me as it offers everything I want in a job and a workplace. Dove House is very friendly, walking into the building I think people are surprised by how welcoming, light, and airy the place is.

What we provide and what we do to support local people and the friendly caring environment makes the hospice a lovely environment not just for patients and families but for us as staff and our volunteers.

I look forward to coming to work and making a difference, making sure we can continue the care we give is really important to everyone who works for the hospice.

I come to work each day and set up/work on events, but now I am also supporting our individual challengers.  I enjoy receiving those reply emails that are surprised and thankful for our good luck and best wishes for their upcoming challenge/event.  It feels good to hear after hospice events that people have enjoyed them and are keen to sign up for more.

I don’t always get to meet our challenge participants, so I really enjoyed our Skydive day in 2022 as the whole group finally made it to the airfield on the same day. I managed to meet them all, spend time with them and thank them for taking part in an amazing challenge whilst supporting Dove House.

I have also had the chance to support a few patients in the past with their wishes which was an absolute honor.
One patient had his family and friends did “a push-up” for every £1 he raised with a gaming day in his room (on the Inpatient Unit) and some of his friends and family shaved their heads. I organised and videoed members at my gym doing some pushups and rallied a group of hospice staff to get together and do some in reception to help toward the 1000s his family and friends were doing!!!! 

I recently worked with a patient and his friends to set up a quiz night, to be held here, so he could be quiz master one more time, sadly we didn’t get the chance to complete his night before they died.

A typical day for me looks like working on event logistics, working through registrations, creating event sponsor pages, packs, sponsor forms, and posters. Ordering items from t-shirts, and leaflets to toilets and barriers, anything needed for our event days, helping create magical last moments for patients, where I can. Whilst also supporting Individual Challengers on their journey, making contact, issuing support packs, wishing them well, and thanking them. I have also set up Treks (and taken part in most of them), Cycles to Paris, Fire & Ice Walks, and Sky Dives. In fact, I took part in the Fire & Ice Walks and the Sky Dive. They are incredible events.
Being part of creating some great events and supporting challengers including our Treks and Cycles which have raised a massive £368,935.48 for Dove House are by far some of my biggest achievements. Because of the work I do, I also challenge myself and get involved in the activities we ask people to take part in, which has resulted in fundraising over £30,000 for the hospice.

Some days can be stressful, especially in the run-up to an event but knowing why we are here and the support/services we help provide – although not directly, but as one hospice team helps.  
I hope for the future of events and fundraising continue to bring people together and that they grow to be bigger and better than ever.

Thinking of taking on an individual challenge for the hospice? click here

Find out what events are happening in 2023 here!