Supporter and trustee Penny Boreham explains how her birthday raised money for the Prison Phoenix Trust – with a Facebook Fundraiser

What is a Facebook Fundraiser?

About two weeks before your birthday, Facebook sends you a message in a News Feed giving you the option to create a fundraiser for your birthday. They list thousands of charities and non-profits available for fundraising. One of the charities available to choose is the Prison Phoenix Trust. So when I chose the PPT, my Facebook friends then received a notification inviting them to support the cause for my special day and some of my friends donated which was great !

Why did you think it was a good idea?
To be honest I am wary of being targeted and sent things by Facebook and of the way they use my data, but this did seem like a good opportunity. I had previously donated to my friends’ birthday fundraisers and I liked the fact that I found out about a charity they felt passionately about. It felt positive to support both a good cause and their passion on their birthday.

Why did you choose the Prison Phoenix Trust?
As a trustee, I have had the privilege of finding out about and witnessing, at first hand, the huge value of the work of the trust. I also know that every penny donated and raised will be well spent. On top of that, this was an opportunity to spread the word about the PPT.

How did friends react?
My Facebook friends who donated were very enthusiastic and also interested to hear more about the work of the PPT.

How much did it raise?
A few hundred pounds, so I was delighted. Also Facebook used to charge a fee but, thankfully, abolished the fee in 2017, so 100% of the donations go directly to the charity.

How else did you celebrate your birthday?
My birthday was just before Christmas and, at that point, it was possible to go out for supper and so my family and I went out to a local restaurant on the river. That felt like a very big treat.