They Were Dumballers

A few highlights from the last five years of dumballing to give you a taste of what you can expect on a typical dumball rally. Obviously the true madness of it all is impossible to capture - but here is 2minutes that comes pretty close.

Diary of a fundraiser

On Friday afternoon, I was sat at work, and I looked at our miserbale funraising total - just £220. Now as we all know this year we have set the dumball a ridiculous challenge - for all of us to try and raise £1000 (each!). Other charity rallys have done it - and we want to be one of the best, so we thought, why not?

Now I must admit it was highly embrassing to look at our page, with such a low amount, this close to the dumball. And so I decided to take our own advice. I sat down, logged onto facebook, and sent 50 tailor made messages to friends, family, acquaintances, and people that I just happen to be mates with on facebook (you know the sort). It took me about an hour, but it was well worth it. By the end of the day I had raised an extra £650. Now we're talking...and it was so easy! I just said hello, asked how they were doing, added some comments specific to them, then hit them with it: I'm targeting 50 of the most generous people I know, and asking them all for £20. But here's the best bit...some gave £30, some £50...some £100! Amazing. I urge you all to give this a try, if you haven't, your not making life easy on yourself - it was so simple.

The target we have set ourselves is ridiculously high - but everyone has hundreds of friends on facebook - so lets tap them up for cash...and it's a great way to catch up with people!

Peace

Muzza, DUMBALL HQ

To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail....

With just 40 days to go, here's what you dumballers should be getting your noggins round....

Your Car

Buying your car is a magnificent moment, but don’t forget, we need your car reg details when you have them. Use the link from your personalised members service e-mail. If you can’t find it don’t worry - another one will be sent to you in the next 48 hours.

Remember to send your V5 ownership slip away as soon as you physically can. If you don’t receive your full registration documents in the post before we leave you could find yourselves in all kinds of trouble at the Montenegrin border. Make sure you have plenty of stuff to bribe people with!

For your insurance, you don’t need anything special – after all you are not taking part in a rally – just an organised driving holiday. We recommend Aviva’s short term insurance- you can pay for just 7 days worth. You won’t be covered for Kosovo – but you can purchase insurance at the border – for around 30 euros. Another option is to take out a 12 month policy, and then cancel it when you get home, within the 14 day money back clause. That way you pay nothing, unless you crash, in which case you’ll end up paying for 2 months insurance (on direct line).

Where we are meeting: the Brighton Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony is now finalised and we can reveal that it will take place right on the beach front at Bar 211, The Honeyclub. We have special permission to meet and park our cars on the sea front on Madeira Drive, Brighton, BN2 1EN (at the end nearest to the Pier) where registration will take place between 3pm-6pm. To register you must arrive at this time – get there extra early to make sure you don’t mess this bit up!!! After the opening speeches, we will make the short walk, en mass, to the party (with mystery celebrity guests) which you can invite everyone you know to. We will be selling tickets on the door – all proceeds to the TCT.

At 10pm prompt (ish) we will line up our vehicles on the seafront and the starting flag will be waved. We will then drive in one huge convoy to Folkestone. From this point on, you will have your drivers manual, which will guide you through the week, step by step – so don’t worry about what happens next, but so your psyched up, we’ll be overnighting in Folkstone before catching an incredibly early Eurotunnel train to the continent. Woohoo!

Ditching your car and getting home

We arrive in Sicily on Friday 10^th September and have 2 nights accommodation there. The award ceremony is on the Saturday night at an exclusive venue. Food is provided and transport to and from our hotel. On Sunday 12^th September we have organised for our cars to be handed over to a local mechanic at our hotel (lucky man)– that’s if you want to cut loose quickly and easily. If not – you can make you own arrangements to ditch you wheels.