# Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson: RAG fundraising at university helped me find my voice - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/07/05/dame-tanni-grey-thompson-rag-fundraising-university-helped-find-voice/ - Published: 2016-07-05T10:20:46+01:00 - Author: Howard Lake **Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson presented the opening plenary on the second day of the Institute of Fundraising’s National Convention at the Barbican Centre in London. She encouraged fundraisers to keep telling the story of the change they help to make.** She also told us that she had been involved in fundraising since she was a RAG fundraiser at Loughborough University.   ## Advertisement > Great! [@Tanni_GT](https://twitter.com/Tanni_GT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) was a Rag > fundraiser at university. [#FundraisingConvention](https://twitter.com/hashtag/FundraisingConvention?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)@ > RAGConference [pic.twitter.com/XCwepczLp1](https://t.co/XCwepczLp1) > — Howard Lake (@howardlake) [July 5, 2016](https://twitter.com/howardlake/status/750250364956450816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > Wow. Didn't know [@Tanni_GT](https://twitter.com/Tanni_GT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > was a fellow Raggie! [#fundraisingconvention](https://twitter.com/hashtag/fundraisingconvention?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > — Bill King (@billjking) [July 5, 2016](https://twitter.com/billjking/status/750252994126635008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > "When it feels like everyone is having a go, don't forget the amazing work that > you do", [@Tanni_GT](https://twitter.com/Tanni_GT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) tells [#FundraisingConvention](https://twitter.com/hashtag/FundraisingConvention?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > — Steph Siddall (@stephsiddall) [July 5, 2016](https://twitter.com/stephsiddall/status/750252863910244352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > 'Fundraising as part of RAG at university helped me find my voice' & now [@Tanni_GT](https://twitter.com/Tanni_GT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > uses sport for change across world [#FundraisingConvention](https://twitter.com/hashtag/FundraisingConvention?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > — Liz Tait 💙 (@liztait) [July 5, 2016](https://twitter.com/liztait/status/750250920714330112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) https://twitter.com/tararwest/status/750252571491729408 > "I wouldn't have been an athlete without the support of the third sector." [@Tanni_GT](https://twitter.com/Tanni_GT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#FundraisingConvention](https://twitter.com/hashtag/FundraisingConvention?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [pic.twitter.com/m20zQNNes5](https://t.co/m20zQNNes5) > — IFCo (@Group_IFCo) [July 5, 2016](https://twitter.com/Group_IFCo/status/750252418445828096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > 'Don't forget the amazing work you do' says [@Tanni_GT](https://twitter.com/Tanni_GT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > to [#FundraisingConvention](https://twitter.com/hashtag/FundraisingConvention?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > — Liz Tait 💙 (@liztait) [July 5, 2016](https://twitter.com/liztait/status/750251990328958976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > Wise words about being a team from [@Tanni_GT](https://twitter.com/Tanni_GT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [@ioftweets](https://twitter.com/IoFtweets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [#FundraisingConvention](https://twitter.com/hashtag/FundraisingConvention?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [pic.twitter.com/9bgVtKvMVk](https://t.co/9bgVtKvMVk) > — Beth Upton (@Beth_Upton) [July 5, 2016](https://twitter.com/Beth_Upton/status/750252175146844160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > Great to hear [@Tanni_GT](https://twitter.com/Tanni_GT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) talk > about the charities that have inspired her as she opens [#FundraisingConvention](https://twitter.com/hashtag/FundraisingConvention?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > day two [pic.twitter.com/4uBjdLgCSS](https://t.co/4uBjdLgCSS) > — Ceri Edwards 🌈 (@jceriedwards) [July 5, 2016](https://twitter.com/jceriedwards/status/750250817966440448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > 'No' & 'never' didn't stop Tanni. It pushed her to be the tour de force she is. > What an inspiration. [#FundraisingConvention](https://twitter.com/hashtag/FundraisingConvention?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > — Deanna Wolf (@deannawolf) [July 5, 2016](https://twitter.com/deannawolf/status/750250662894661632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#FundraisingConvention](https://twitter.com/hashtag/FundraisingConvention?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [@Tanni_GT](https://twitter.com/Tanni_GT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) says "try and be > the best you can be and learn from yourself what you can and can't do" > — Chartered Institute of Fundraising (@CIOFtweets) [July 5, 2016](https://twitter.com/CIOFtweets/status/750249980200382464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [@Tanni_GT](https://twitter.com/Tanni_GT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) What an inspirational > lady, just ignore the never's and achieve your goals [#FundraisingConvention](https://twitter.com/hashtag/FundraisingConvention?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [pic.twitter.com/ujVUtbvq6k](https://t.co/ujVUtbvq6k) > — Julie Roberts (@Julie_Roberts1) [July 5, 2016](https://twitter.com/Julie_Roberts1/status/750249805444739072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [@Tanni_GT](https://twitter.com/Tanni_GT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [#FundraisingConvention](https://twitter.com/hashtag/FundraisingConvention?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#youcanican](https://twitter.com/hashtag/youcanican?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#inspiration](https://twitter.com/hashtag/inspiration?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > beating a list of nevers to achieve [#worldisanamazingplace](https://twitter.com/hashtag/worldisanamazingplace?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [pic.twitter.com/kyPb5bSCgc](https://t.co/kyPb5bSCgc) > — Terence Lovell (@tejlovell) [July 5, 2016](https://twitter.com/tejlovell/status/750248488781438976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)   You can follow Dame Tanni at [@tanni_GT](https://twitter.com/tanni_GT). * **[Five fundraising tweets for 11 July 2016](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/07/11/five-fundraising-tweets/)**( 11 July 2016) * **[Richard Radcliffe wins 2018 IoF Lifetime Contribution Award](https://fundraising.co.uk/2018/07/04/richard-radcliffe-wins-2018-iof-lifetime-contribution-award/)**( 4 July 2018) * **[IoF launches Access Fund for this year’s Fundraising Convention](https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/03/14/iof-launches-access-fund-for-this-years-fundraising-convention/)**( 14 March 2019) ![Loading](https://fundraising.co.uk/wp-content/plugins/page-views-count/ajax-loader- 2x.gif)