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Lydia Greatrix (Theatrical Lydia)

Lydia Greatrix (Theatrical Lydia) is crowdfunding

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£5,543
raised of £500 target by 88 supporters

Iʼm raising £500 to help pay forward kindness with the UK Tour of Come From Away in memory of Laura Townsend

UK
28 days to go

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Story

My name's Lydia and I'm a self confessed theatre nerd based in Essex, and a huge fan of the musical Come From Away.

Come From Away is about the five days after 9/11 in 2001 when 38 planes were grounded in Gander, Newfoundland, causing the population of this small town to double overnight. The people of Gander, and other surrounding towns, opened their hearts and homes to 7,000 air passengers, providing them with food, clothing, shelter, and more, for five days, expecting nothing in return.

Watching the show for the first time in December 2019, I was instantly inspired by the kindness shown by the Newfoundlanders. Fast forward three years, I met my friend Laura Townsend. Laura saw the show over 150 times worldwide, championing its message, spreading kindness wherever she went. She was due to visit Gander with me and a few friends in July 2023 to meet the real people the show is based on. Unfortunately, Laura became ill in February 2023 and she passed away on 1st June 2023, never having visited Gander.

Laura's wish was to follow the UK tour of Come From Away in 2024, doing acts of kindness as she travelled. When she first told me about this idea, I was sceptical, wondering how on earth she'd pull it off. But when it became clear that Laura wouldn't be able to do this herself, I knew I needed to bring her vision to life.

So, in March 2024, the tour started in Leicester, and ever since, I've been setting up community initiatives and doing random acts of kindness in each of the cities I've visited. I've also been raising awareness of real-life plane person Kevin Tuerff's charity, Pay it Forward 9/11, which aims to encourage people to do small acts of kindness and see the ripple effect of good deeds happen in the process.

So far, I’ve donated supplies to a pet food bank in Leicester, bought Easter eggs for a care home in Liverpool, done a beach clean in Plymouth, donated 25 crates of food and toiletries to a foodbank in Southampton, bought some tea and coffee for strangers in Oxford, and cleaned up a park in Leeds.

In some cities, I’m collaborating with the theatre to organise a mass community project, and in others, I’m doing smaller acts of kindness that’ll make a stranger’s day.

You might be wondering: “How on earth are you funding all of this, Lydia?!” Well, throughout the second half of 2023, I worked three jobs, saving as much money as I could to make this tour as kind as it can be.

However, as of May 2024, my funds are running slightly low, and there’s still acts of kindness to be made in Birmingham, Belfast, Dublin, Ipswich, Aberdeen, Wimbledon, Wolverhampton and Salford. Therefore, I'm asking for donations to this project so I can continue to spread Come From Away kindness throughout the UK.

Every penny will go towards making someone's day in these cities, and any left over money at the end of the tour will be split between Pay it Forward 9/11 and the Gander SPCA.

You can keep up to date with my campaign on my Instagram and TikTok, and please get in touch if you'd like to help out with a Pay it Forward in one of the cities on the tour.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theatricallydia

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theatricallydia

Thank you for your kind donation.

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Updates

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  • Lydia Greatrix (Theatrical Lydia)4 days ago
    Lydia Greatrix (Theatrical Lydia)

    Lydia Greatrix (Theatrical Lydia)

    4 days ago

    Last week in Salford was special! It was time to do the final two Pay it Forwards of the tour, as Come From Away comes to an end in January in Manchester after a month of shows there. I was joined by six of my friends, including the real gay lumberjack - Kevin T - who'd flown over from New York. We spent over £380 on toiletries for the Bags of Hope Project, set up by St Philips Chapel in Salford. Lizzy and the team there give out bags of essential/treat items to people in need, and they are always looking for donations. Thank you for having us!

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  • Lydia Greatrix (Theatrical Lydia)23 days ago
    Lydia Greatrix (Theatrical Lydia)

    Lydia Greatrix (Theatrical Lydia)

    23 days ago

    The second PIF for Chichester happened today, and it was a big shop of toiletries and stationery for My Sister's House, a charity which supports women in the area with lots of things, from employment skills to support with dealing with domestic abuse. We bought them £230 worth of supplies, which they'll distribute to their service users who may be facing period poverty/hygiene poverty. The stationery will also be used in their valuable workshops. Thank you for helping us make a difference with your donations.

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  • Lydia Greatrix (Theatrical Lydia)24 days ago
    Lydia Greatrix (Theatrical Lydia)

    Lydia Greatrix (Theatrical Lydia)

    24 days ago

    It's the penultimate stop of this tour for me, as I can't make Milton Keynes next week. So here in Chichester, I'm making the most of the opportunity to pay it forward. Today, my friend Flora and I did a supermarket sweep for Stonepillow, a homelessness charity in Chichester. We spent £250 on lots of supplies for them, which we delivered to their donations hub. Thanks to your donations, we've bought them 20 bottles of shampoo, 40 pot noodles, 30 loo rolls, 20kg of sugar, 40 bags of crisps, countless sweet treats, and loads more. 🩵💛

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7 months ago

Lydia Greatrix (Theatrical Lydia) started crowdfunding

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Page last updated on: 12/9/2024 15.56

Supporters

88

  • Alannah Purslow

    Alannah Purslow

    Dec 3, 2024

    It’s been amazing to watch the PIFs unfold. Islanders unite! 🗺️

    £10.00

  • Ellie Talks Theatre

    Ellie Talks Theatre

    Nov 25, 2024

    £5.00

  • Leigh Bull

    Leigh Bull

    Nov 15, 2024

    Saw this on Ellie's video, I don't have much to give but I hope this helps x

    £5.00

  • Anonymous

    Anonymous

    Nov 13, 2024

    £15.00

  • Anonymous

    Anonymous

    Nov 3, 2024

  • mynamemolly_

    mynamemolly_

    Nov 3, 2024

    Proud to have been a small part of some PIF action while following the tour. Belated HBD Laura, and congrats everyone involved in these amazing achievements. Happy to help with the final stretch 💛💙

  • Shannon Smith

    Shannon Smith

    Nov 1, 2024

    Sorry it's not much but inknkw it's a help 💙💛 keep doing what you are!

    £5.00

Lydia Greatrix (Theatrical Lydia)

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About the fundraiser
Lydia Greatrix (Theatrical Lydia)

Lydia Greatrix (Theatrical Lydia)

UK

A twenty-something year-old theatre nerd from Shropshire, now living in Essex. Follow me on Instagram and TikTok for theatre news, reviews and more. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theatricallydia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theatricallydia

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