Boom – cheesy heading!

Wow! Saturday night’s fundraising evening was incredible. Together, Debbie Bowles and my wife Jen organised an evening I will never forget. One packed church hall, a three-course meal for 112 people, 1,500 raffle tickets sold (that’s a lot of folding!), 12 auction prizes, and too many raffle prizes to mention.

So many people donated the most incredible prizes for auction – their time, their property, their generosity. The same goes for the raffle prizes. And the cakes… Teresa and Jan made the most creative cakes I’ve ever seen (see photo) – absolutely stunning! Thank you.

It was so humbling to share a room with so many people, all there to listen to my story. A show of strength. A reminder that there are so many good people in the world, willing to share what they have to help me get to Russia and kickstart my life – our lives – for Jen and me.

Naturally, there’s a number you hope to raise, but reaching nearly three times that? Mind blown. Speechless. Saturday raised close to £15,000!!

A journo asked me the other day, ‘What does the potential of this treatment mean to you?’ To which I replied – how do you put that into words? The potential to be released from this physical prison. To be granted so many of the things I used to enjoy. A brighter future… hopefully with a family.

Similarly, the difference everyone made on Saturday night cannot be put into words. It has almost guaranteed my place in Moscow. There aren’t words.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all who came, and equally to all those who have donated so far. Over the last four weeks since receiving my invitation, I’ve been constantly blown away by the messages and efforts from everyone. I’m an incredibly lucky man.

Thank you. x