Finally after what seemed like 100 setbacks, my 100 minds event is coming together! I've secured a venue for my April 7th event and I've also sorted the guest speaker. Now I'm going to canvass across my town for some raffle prizes for the night and maybe some sponsorship for printing tickets/posters and for the venue. So excited its all finally taking a step in the right direction - Stay Tuned!

Posters, flyers and tickets are printed, Facebook event is just set up and live, Local newsletters/papers advertising sorted and tickets have begun to sell! Its been a tough couple of weeks getting all of this together as I've been really ill and in hospital but thankfully I have great support from my family and friends and although a little later than I'd hoped, everything is going to plan!

You can check out the event here -> https://www.facebook.com/events/1067101966684445/

Posters are up and Tickets are being sold! Just had my final meeting with the venue before the big night and went around to the boutiques to make sure they are set to go. I'm really excited/nervous about the event but know that no matter how many people show up, it will be a good night regardless! Last but not least, Huge huge thanks has to go to a family friend Joanne who has helped me far beyond what I ever expected.

Event is over and my adrenaline is finally coming back to normal! Everyone had a fantastic night and over half the room came up to me personally at some point or another during the night to tell me how well organised the whole thing was and what a great night they were having! Im delighted to say that combined with the donations I already had, I reached my €1,000 target!

As it is the last week for online donations I thought it was fitting to look back on just how I got where I am today with 100minds!

Thinking way back to that very first day sitting in the DCU business building at 7pm. It was an awful night...cold, rainy and dark. I was tired, I had had a full day of lectures and a hospital appointment but none the less I wanted to make it to this talk about 100minds. I'd heard of 100minds vaguely before but honestly had little to no idea what it was only that it involved charity. Declan spoke for probably a half hour total but by the end of it, I knew I had to be involved.

Just like that my 100minds journey began! Once accepted I was given a mentor, The lovely Padraic from Twitter and I was off. Although we were advised "think small events" that was never really my style, and with the support of my mentor knew I could pull off something great. We were to plan local events as so many of us were based in and around Dublin and it could get congested full of 100minds events very quickly so off to little ol' Kinsale I went with a mind full of ideas and the enthusiasm to execute them. Unfortunately around this time, there was a local tragedy where a teenage neighbour of mine fell from a roof and was paralysed. Everyone in the town rallied to help the family deal with the new financial and emotional strains they were facing and so I put 100minds on the back burner.

Once my January exams were done and I saw the 1st of February on the calendar I knew I had to get cracking! And so "An Evening of Style & Fun" was born. Deciding on a speaker, Finding a suitable date, Sorting a venue, designing and finding a printer for posters and tickets (with reasonable rates!) It was all an experience.

To say it was a rollercoaster would be an understatement! There were days when I thought "I wont be able to pull this off" or "Maybe I should drop out of 100minds" but honestly the support and encouragement I received from the 100minds team made it SO easy to continue pushing on. I am so delighted to have been chosen to be apart of this experience this year. Would I change a few things if I did it again? YES. But despite some bumps along the way I managed to smash my €1,000 target and knowing its going to such an amazing cause makes every single second of work/planning worthwhile.