This week’s Wednesday Wisdom comes from Tom Holmes, who leads fundraising and events at Big C – a local, independent cancer charity dedicated to supporting people affected by cancer across Norfolk and north Suffolk.
Big C was founded in 1980 by two Norfolk men, David Moar MBE and Clive Bamford, after they were forced to travel outside the region for cancer treatment. Determined to improve access to support closer to home, they set out to make a difference for local people. Over the past 46 years, Big C has grown into the region’s largest cancer charity, funding specialist equipment and internationally significant research at the Norwich Research Park, while also providing vital emotional and practical support through its centres and hubs.
For Tom, successful fundraising events are about more than just the immediate financial result – although raising vital funds is always the top priority. Events play a crucial role in raising awareness of the charity, introducing new audiences to Big C’s work and helping people understand why support is needed. With limited marketing budgets, engaging, well‑planned events are a powerful way to build long‑term connections.
His key advice is to focus on relationships and the human impact behind every event. By showing the real people and stories at the heart of the charity, and recognising that everyone supports in different ways – whether through fundraising, volunteering or simply spreading the word – events can move supporters from one‑off involvement to lasting commitment, helping Big C continue its work for years to come.
Tell us more about Big C?
Big C is a local, independent cancer charity that was founded in 1980 by two Norfolk men who had to travel to London and Cambridge for cancer treatment. These two men, David Moar MBE and Clive Bamford vowed to do something so that local people would have access to the best treatment and support closer to where they live.
Over the last 46 years, Big C has grown into the largest cancer charity in the region, which funds specialist equipment and internationally significant research projects based at the Norwich Research Park. Big C’s network of centres and hubs provide an oasis of specialist emotional and practical support for those with a cancer diagnosis and their loved ones away from a clinical environment.
What’s the best way for individuals or businesses to support Big C through events?
The charity needs to raise over £3 million every year and doesn’t receive any government or NHS funding, so however big or small, the support of local businesses and the public is vital to us. There are lots of different ways people can support our Big C events; from volunteering at the events, buying tickets to attend the events, donating raffle prizes or corporate sponsorship. We also have lots of supporters who organise their own fundraising events, from bake sales to bowls tournaments and tractor runs; every penny raised really does make a difference.
What makes a fundraising event really successful – what do you focus on first?
The primary focus of our fundraising events is to raise money for the charity, so the top priority is always to make a profit. There is so much more to fundraising events than just the immediate financial result though, we also place a lot of emphasis on raising the profile of the charity. We don’t have huge marketing budgets for advertising campaigns, so using fun events to engage with new audiences is vital. An event can be a gentle introduction to what the charity does and why we need support, if we get that right it can lead from people being one-off event attendees to long-term supporters of the charity.
What’s been your most impactful Big C event or partnership, and why did it work so well?
I’ve worked for Big C for over 7 years now and I’m constantly blown away by the incredible support we receive, so it’s really difficult to pick just one highlight. In terms of events, I would probably choose our Strictly Big C event because it’s something I’ve watched my team and Miller Dance Studios grow year-on-year from an initial idea to something really impressive.
In terms of partnerships, I’d probably have to say the work we do with Talk Norwich City (TNC); Chris and Jack are great to work with and I’m a huge Norwich fan myself, so I have really enjoy working on various initiatives with TNC over the years.
What’s your top tip for turning one event into long-term support for a charity?
I think it starts with a focus on building genuine relationships and demonstrating the human element to everything we do. We’re fortunate that our staff and volunteers all live and work here in the community that we support and I think that really helps donors connect to the charity. Our co-founder, the late David Moar MBE was fantastic at building connections and explaining the need for the charity, and we still have many supporters who have been fundraising for us since the 80’s as a result of this.
We also recognise that there isn’t a one size fits all approach for how people want to engage with and support the charity. Everyone has different financial situations, time restraints and skillsets but whether people support us financially, through volunteering or simply spreading the word about what the charity does, it all makes a massive impact.
Follow the Tom Holmes & Big C on both Instagram and Facebook for more information on the amazing work they are undertaking and how you can support the charity moving forward.
