Martin Cook's unique fundraising project raised over £8,000 toward diabetes research
Novel fundraising hits the right note
An Exeter alumnus found an inventive way to raise funds for a vital medical research centre at the University – by allowing donors to choose whether to hear him sing – or not!
While it had a serious aim, the fundraising project itself was devised purely as a bit of fun. Martin Cook gave potential sponsors the opportunity to vote for or against hearing him perform some tracks he’d composed himself – warning them ‘boy it will be awful’ if they voted yes. Despite the light-hearted approach Martin Cook raised over £8,000, which will go towards supporting leading research into diabetes.
Martin stressed he doesn’t see himself as a serious musician and devised it as a joke. Even so, the majority who gave to his fundraising page opted to hear him perform and Martin, as promised, recorded the tracks, singing and playing all of the instruments himself.
“My own son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was just a year old. While he’s now a hulking great brute, doing ghastly teenage things, it hasn’t always been easy for him, or the rest of the family,” he said.
“I’ve been really impressed with the research being carried out at Exeter into the genetic links with diabetes. I wanted to do my bit to help spare other families the difficulties we faced.”
Martin, who graduated in history, admitted he hit on this specific fundraising idea when a 'mid-life crisis' saw him composing and singing his own songs at home. He thought it would be fun to let supporters choose whether or not to hear his efforts.
The money raised will go towards a new £19m medical research facility, which is being designed to further the world-leading research into diabetes being carried out by Professor Andrew Hattersley FRS and his team.
