As we are approaching the deadline, I have decided to sell some of my best dresses online (debs etc.).

The cost of these dresses amount to €1,200 in total, and am selling each for €50.

Wish me luck!

So today my event finally took place. I am so happy that I can finally just sit back now and relax.

Since last Saturday, I have been under immense pressure, running back and forth to town all week, collecting raffle prizes, buying ingredients, and finalising the minor details in my workplace, Aviva.

My event was a cookery demonstration in Aviva, given by Ruth Wassel, a former tutor in Ballymaloe Cookery School. We arrived to Aviva at 11am, and after several trips back and forth from the car park to the events hall, we finally had our room set up.

All attendees paid €10 at the door, and each received a recipe booklet of upto 10 recipes to take home. We had paper plates, plastic knives and forks, and everyone received constant tastings throughout the demo. As the event took place at lunch time, I was conscious of people's hungry tummies! Some of the recipes included; seedy brown bread, French baguettes, granola bars, poached chicken with a brown rice salad, raspberry, blueberry and lime traybakes, and a feta and pistachio dip. We had no food left over! It all went down a treat.

The demo concluded with the raffle. I generated majority of my fundraising money through this, as the prizes were just insane. As my fundraising event was food related, I wanted to base my prizes all around food. I had over 12 top restaurants in Dublin as prizes (all of which included a meal for 2 and bottle of wine). The top prize was 'brunch for two in the Merrion hotel'. It was incredibly stressful trying to pull all these prizes together, it was definitely very cut throat at times. One would need thick skin to deal with the rejection which I faced at times from restaurant owners. I'm so glad now that I persevered, as it was all worth it in the end.

Unfortunately I am back in the office tomorrow after having the past 4 days off, so I will be able to count the monies raised then. Very excited !

A massive thank you to all who attended the event today, and to those of you who couldn't attend and bought raffle tickets instead, and also to those who just simply donated. I am so grateful and I feel a huge sense of achievement, thank you.

Zoë