BIG BUCKS BLACK TIE - Vikki Bruce and Sarah Duffin (Cycle India 2007) said they went against the good advice of Action for Charity and put all their eggs in one basket with a black tie dinner and auction for 100 guests that raised over £13,000.

We had fabulous raffle items (that alone raised over £2,000) and an auction of items such as a skiing holiday, a Lamborghini for the weekend, golf at St Andrews, hotel stays and a night in Edinburgh Castle.

It went off with only a minor hitch the caterers set off the smoke alarm while crisping the creme brulees. Two fire engines arrived providing a bit of unexpected entertainment!

FUNDRAISING SUCCESS - Shirley Hayfield demonstrated a real talent for making money when she exceeded her fundraising target by thousands of pounds and raised a whopping £6,000 plus for Women for Women Cycle India in February 2008.

Her fantastic fundraising included cake sales in the office; a Father's Day raffle and a curry night with the restaurant donating £5 per head). She also had Name the Dog and Name the Bear competitions at a local fete.

A hugely successful Office Hunks at Work and Play Calendar (featuring 12 guys from work) sold for £5 each and she had a successful Christmas raffle.

CAR BOOTY - Rebecca Barbour (Women for Women Cycle India 2007) raised £2,800 with lots of car boot sales and e-baying.

The boot sale above raised £202 towards her fundraising goal.

FUNDRAISING IS FUN - Mary Rose and three friends raised money with collections and bag-packing at Holmfirth Co-op supermarket.

GET PACKING GIRLS! - Women for Women participants Emma and Mel were among the bag-packers at the Co-op in Holmfirth.

BIG-HEARTED LARRY - Big Heart Bike Ride in India fundraiser Lawrence Hughes (known as Larry to all his friends who were on the first Big Heart ride in Cuba in 2007 with him) raised more than £8,000 with a spectacular fundraising ball.

Larry (pictured above with Claire Irving who helped arrange the event) was successful in getting fantastic sporting raffle prizes including signed Manchester City shirts and tickets to Wembley.