Pride of Polegate Calendar Raises

Dan Dunbar has presented £1150 to Polegate based charity children with cancer fund. The money was raised through the sale of the Pride of Polegate calendar. Dan Dunbar early this year organised a photography competition giving the residents a chance to submit photographs of Polegate. These images were than reproduced into a calendar sponsored by local business.

Dan Dunbar organiser said, “Polegate residents have been very supportive in making this project work and I would like to thank everyone involved for their support. I would like to thank all the sponsors for being able to produce the calendar and also those who have been able to sell the calendars and my extended thanks goes to Withers Diy who have sold over 80 of the calendars. I have really enjoyed the overseeing of the project and hope to do a similar project in the future.”

Ursula Downton CWCF “We are amazed by the fantastic amount that Dan has raised by his Pride of Polegate Calendar project. He deserved to do well as he's put so much hard work and effort into it. We really appreciate that Dan chose Children With Cancer Fund to benefit from the project. ”

Dan Dunbar organised this in association with his gold Arts Award, which is nationally recognised qualification that the highest recognitions of your abilities as a creative arts leader. Dan has now been successful in achieving his Gold Arts Award and the moderator commented that his portfolio was "an outstanding and unique portfolio where clearly the young person has embraced both personal arts development and arts project leadership wholeheartedly and with flair. The online portfolio was laid out in a compact and professional manner and creative in approach"

Willingdon Community School supported Dan through all levels of his award. Marina Castledine, Arts Award adviser said “ We are hugely proud of the hard work Dan has put it. He is a credit to the school and community and an inspiration to other students. We wish him all the best for the future”

U2.3 Project Report

For my project I organized a photography competition for my local area, seeing the best 12 images reproduced into a calendar sold for a local charity. The aspect I enjoyed the most was receiving the photo and guessing what the panel would like. I found the most challenging thing to be was getting the sponsorship to pay for the calendar as I had to contact over 60 local business before getting 12 to confirm.

I first looked into the price to make 150 calenders. I than started to get the sponsors so I knew that the project was going to work. It was at this stage I decided there would be sold for charity. I than approached the local parish council for their support in the use of their website as well as using the office as a drop of point for entries. I than got all the information sorted out and send to different people who could help spread the word. I than ran the competition for about 8 weeks and than the judging took place, where it was decided that we needed more calenders so I contacted the printer the charity uses which resulted in a better price but also a better finished project as they did a lot of work on the design and turned it around quickly. Once the calenders were out being sold and people were still coming to me for calenders and places to sell them at and I know that there was a few places I wanted to sell at I decided to privately fund for some more to be produced.

There was been mixed opinions about the finished product but gladly the most of them was positive:

"seemed to be very well run and you ended up producing an excellent calendar"

"Been very impressed with the quality of the finished product"

"I am pleased to be associated with this calender"

"Thought the idea was an excellent one as a fundraiser"

"I have been really impressed with the professionalism Dan has shown"

I have discovered that most people of Polegate really do like the product however I fell that a few images needed to be more recognizable of scenes of Polegate as one lady said there was a few pictures which she did not know of being Polegate and I feel. It that aspect which could of been improved on I also think that people feel that the price may be slightly too high which I think has put people of buying the calender.

What I have learned about leadership is that what you have leading the project that you know the idea in side out so you know about every aspect of the project to answer any questions or to know what is happening. I have also found out that you all ways need to be in contact with people involved otherwise it drags on and takes longer to happen. I have found out that every detail needs to be planned out otherwise a plan could easily fall behind schedule for example it took two weeks to get something it a local newspaper which I did not think would happen.

When running the competition I have discovered new ways and ideas on photographing the local area which I had never thought about before and new techniques others have used. I also had a chance to compare ways of presenting images for example borders etc.

I have allready been asked if I was doing this again and I would consider it as I have enjoyed seeing the project come along and develop into a finished product. I would either plan a lot more out or take more time and just let it plod along. I would like to see a price drop giving more chance of selling more calendars. When it comes to the competition I would like to see more people involved e.g. the younger age group, under 11 which no one entered. I would also give different themes to photograph as some people had problems in finding ideas and also have a simpler brief with no technical words which some did not underspend. I would also want a point where people could go to get more information as some people could not access the internet.

U2.2 Calendars now Available

Eastbourne Herald

Sussex Express

U2.3 Calenders Feedback

Calenders Feedback

Comments will be posted here.

U2.2 Calendars now Available

Today I split up the calenders and went round giving them to winners, sponsors and the shops they are being sold in.

25 calenders - Winners and Sponsors
30 calenders - Sold in the Junction Tavern
30 calenders - Sold in Withers DIY
40 calenders - Sold in Polegate Town Council
25 calenders - Sold in the Archers
15 calenders - Sold in Willingdon Commodity school.
35 calenders - Sold by myself / pre orders

U2.2 Calendars now Available poster

Poster for the shops which are selling them in.

U2.2 Calendars now Available

This was in Willingdon schools, weekly news.

U2.2 Calendars now Available

Today I sent the flowing to the Sussex Express and the Eastbourne Herald

"Calendars now Available
The 'Pride of Polegate' calendar showcases images of the town taken by its residents. Calendars will be available from Tuesday 9th November from Withers DIY, Willingdon Community School, Archer + Partners and the Junction Tavern. Calendars will be sold at £5, which will go directly to Polegate Charity Children With Cancer Fund. Dan Dunbar organiser said, “ The project has been well supported and would like to thank everyone involved for their support to make the project happen."

U2.2 Calender

U2.2 Calender

U2.2 Calender

U2.2 Calenders

Today I collected the calendars and put them with an envelope just the back page is in side so people see it when it is handed over.

U2.2 Printer's

I have now returned the proof to the designer with my choice of cover and only 1 minor change.

I have decided not to take it all the sponsors as I feel they will be much happier as the quality has improved, and if i did do this it will slow down the whole printing process.

U2.2 Printer's

Today I collected the proof from the designers.

I am very impressed with the design layout used. All the logos have been re-designed to a much higher level, and a great choice of different front covers.

I will have to go though it to make sure I am happy with all aspects.

U2.2 - envelopes

Today I have ordered the C4 envelopes which the final calendar will be given in.

U2.2 Printer

Today I went to see the designer and printer. I took the sample page with me to show him what I would like on the page.

We talked about making a few changes which are:

Month not over the image so people could cut them out etc
Having the charity information on every page.

I will be getting a fully made calendar to look at instead of an online prof.

Info for the calendar.

U2.2 Charity

The charity have asked for some general information about the project to use to write something in their newsletter.

This Is what I have sent them:

The competition and project have been created as part of my Gold Arts Award, a national qualification supporting young people develop as artists and leaders.

I have chosen Children with Cancer so the project benefits local people as well keeping it all in Polegate, Polegate residents images, sponsorship and the final product sold for the charity. Each calendar sold will being going directly to the charity as the production costs are covered.

U2.2 winners

Today I rang all the winners to inform them and to get any digital images that I did not all ready have and I have arranged this in a series of folders to help the designers.

I also spoke to two local business about the possibility of donating any envelopes.

The charity also suggested a local printer as my costs would only cover 150 and he does a lot of printing for the charity and may do it cheaper. He has said he will do the printing at a much cheaper rate so my costs now will cover 200.

U2.2 judging

At the judging we all spent some time looking at all the images, that we made selections of ones we thought we very good, possible images and ones we did not like. We than talked about the selections and than ordered them for the calendar. This took the best part of an hour.

We felt than the calendars images should be focused tightly on Polegate so we were happy for some people to have 2 or 3 images in there.

We talked about having the calendars at a fixed price. This price is £5 and we feel this should not be a problem to sell them. Each sponsors and winner will be given a calendar as they have made the project possible.

It was suggested that an envelope should be issued with the calendars and I will look into this.

I will also be looking into increasing the print run of the calendars from 150 to 200. The council would like 50 to sell to staff and at an event in November.

U2.2 judging

The 12 winning images

U2.2 judging

U2.2 judging

Today I have been talking to Willingdon school to confirm which room the judging will take place in and to find out if I can get there at 15.30 to lay out the images ready to judge at 4pm.

U2.2 - images

Today I went to the council officers to collect fist lot of images and plan to go back next week.

I have had to make sure each image had a form with in and all the details are on the back of the image.

I also have set up a reference sheet for all the images.

U2.2 Competition Info

I have now started to get emails and calls from people about the competition.

U2.2 Competition Info

I put a poster on the photography notice board at college.

U2.2 - selling

These are the confirmed places which the calendars will be sold at

Willingdon Community School
Withers diy
Archer + Partners
Junction Tavern

Over the past two weeks I have designed all the adverts for the calendar, some of them have been designed 3 times to make sure the client is happy. I have also made one about the project and the the charity.

U2.2 - adverts

U2.2 - adverts

U2.2 Sponsors

This is the list I have been using to gather all the information about my sponsors.

U2.2 - contact

This is a page of Willingdon schools magazine contact which goes out to every student (over 900)

U2.2 - Parish Pump

this was in the parish pump section of the Eastbourne Hearld and Sussex Express and should be for a number of weeks to come.

U2.2 - Feedback

This article is in the newsletter "Feedback" from a local councilor. This newsletter is deviled to 8000 households across Polegate and Willingdon. For this reason I have decided to open the competition to Willingdon residents as well.

U2.2 - my blog

U2.2 - entering

Today I had a phone call from a member of public who wanted to enter but did not have a computer so I send him this letter.

Thank you for enquiring about the Pride of Polegate photography competition and calendar. Please find enclosed the entry from and further information.

For the calendar digital files are needed however if you are unsure about this please still enter the competition and if possible enter the bigger size print (10x8) as than I will be able to scan the images for you.

If you have any more questions please feel free to get in contact.

U2.2 Sussex Express

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