Many of you will have followed the story of estate agency training expert Julian O’Dell’s fundraiser music festival Catfest 2023.

Lots of you attended the event which took place on 19 August. It was the sixth Catfest but significantly the first one without Julian’s wife Cat, who lost her life to cancer in October last year.

Julian got in touch with EYE to say thank you to his friends and clients within the property industry, without whom Catfest could not happen. This is his message:

“The total raised for Action Against Cancer from Catfest this year was beyond my wildest dreams.

£74,298.62 beat our previous best and when added to monies raised through our other projects Hitmakers Against Cancer and Art Against Cancer, it takes our total now to well over £250,000.

The chosen charity Action Against Cancer helps to fund cutting edge research which will ultimately save the lives of countless people including potentially some of you reading this and/or your loved ones.

Catfest wouldn’t happen without the help of a whole load of special people within the property industry so I must take this opportunity to thank them – our sponsors and supporters Kerfuffle, Rightmove, Abbey New Homes, Drivers and Norris, Rush, Witt & Wilson, Agency Express, Property Industry Eye, Agents Giving and many more.

Thanks too to Steve Thompson of Thomas Morris Sales & Lettings and his handpicked crew who manned the bar for 11 hours with constant smiles – one of the most important functions of a festival of course!

Thanks also to those of you within the wonderful world of estate agency who provided raffle prizes and auction items – there are too many to list here but you know who you are.

Thank you so much to all of you estate agency folk who came to Catfest 2023, for buying raffle tickets, bidding on auction lots, buying my pictures, throwing money in a collection bucket and so on.

Everyone mentioned above should all take pride in their roles in helping raise such a huge sum.

I just hope somehow somewhere Cat knows what we have achieved in her honour and what an inspiration she will always be to me and everyone lucky enough to know her.

Keep her in your hearts. There would be no Catfest without Cat.

Thank you all. You are marvellous.

Julian”