Joyce’s quiz has gone from strength to strength. In previous years, we have told readers that in 1997 Joyce Rothschild received the news everyone dreads: a diagnosis of aggressive breast cancer. It really was the last news a 40-year-old mum of two boys aged five and seven wanted to hear, especially as she had just started a new job.
Even during the nine months of gruelling chemotherapy, Joyce’s positive attitude on life shone through. Along with a mastectomy, she also had to endure the removal of lymph nodes, as the hospital didn’t have the equipment necessary to measure the spread of cancer. As if raising her children wasn’t enough during this incredibly tough time, she also set her sights on raising money towards the equipment. And so, Joyce’s Quiz was born.
Since its inception it has topped £275,000 in total donations. The first year raised over £2,000 and from then it has gone from strength to strength. In 2023, the quiz brought in £23,861, far more than Joyce originally envisaged and more than enough to buy the medical equipment many times over.
The early years
Joyce’s idea for raising money was simple but effective. In the run up to the festive season, she created a quiz sheet and asked for a donation. Doing it at this time of year made most sense as people tend to be a little more generous and sometimes want to have something to do other than eating, drinking and watching TV. The quiz can be completed by one person or as a group, making it an ideal festive activity.
A close friend, Yasmi Roberts, was keen to help and over a quarter of a century later is still involved each year. In a stroke of luck, Yasmi worked for Barclays Bank, who, for the first couple of years, agreed to match the funds that were raised. These days, the internet makes it much easier to administer.
A different theme each year
Each year, a hundred questions are set around a theme; for example, the very first quiz was all about numbers. Since then, themes have included everything from countries ending with ‘A’, animals, plants and even threesomes! (No, not that sort of threesome, it’s all great family fun!) The ‘threesome’ was the connection between three words.
Over the years, people have asked if they can use her quizzes, so Joyce came up with an ingenious way of raising yet more money by producing two books, available on Amazon, with all proceeds going to Macmillan.
The quiz attracts a wide range of participants, from people who take it very seriously to those who are more casual and are simply delighted to have a fun way to support a charity during the festive season.
Five prizes are on offer: a top prize of £35, a second prize of £20, along with three prizes of a £10 Marks and Spencer voucher for anyone sending back the quiz. The closing date for this year’s quiz is 9 January 2025 and the answers are announced around a week later once all the entries have been checked and the prize draw has taken place.
Where the money goes
At first, the money raised went locally to the Oasis Cancer Centre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. As the quiz grew in popularity, money began to come from all areas of the country (and even internationally), so Joyce thought it only fair to give the money to a charity with a wider reach, so chose Macmillan Cancer Support. The charity was chosen as sadly Joyce has first-hand experience of Macmillan’s wonderful work when they supported her late father during his battle with cancer. She was incredibly grateful for the practical support they offered during those dark days.
The future
There seems to be no stopping Joyce, who was in fine fettle when we were in contact. Last year, she’d just returned from a dream trip to Mauritius and Madagascar and this year she was about to embark on a journey to Egypt. Even on the other side of the world, her thoughts are still with the quiz, which she says has become like an additional member of her family. It certainly seems to have a life of its own!
It’s often a surprise when people find out the quiz hasn’t got a huge team behind it. Currently, Joyce thinks she can continue for another three years taking the quiz to its 30th anniversary. To reflect this, the theme is once again something to do with the number three. Joyce is always hugely grateful to everyone who plays a part in keeping the quiz going in whatever way they can, and most especially to anyone who makes a donation or helps to promote the quiz to family and friends.
How to get involved
A copy of the quiz can be downloaded from joycesquiz.weebly.com or you can email joycesquiz@gmail.com. On the website, you’ll also find a link to the JustGiving page where UK taxpayers can increase their donation through the Gift Aid scheme. There’s a suggested minimum donation of £3 to take part, of course any additional generosity in reaching or even surpassing £300,000 would be most welcome, helping Macmillan support more people through very difficult times.
