Organising your own events - How to...

Organising your own fundraising activity, whether large or small, is a brilliant way to support us.

As with most things, it may involve a lot of planning and they'll be several things to consider, from where to hold an event to how many people to invite.

It may seem a bit daunting to begin with, especially if you haven't fundraised before. But don't worry, help is at hand!

Below you'll find some useful tips that will help make your activity fun and as stress-free as possible.

Fundraising tips

Decide on a date for when you'd like to hold an event. The weekend may be easier for everyone to attend, unless you plan to hold your activity during work or school hours.

Find a venue.
If your event is too big to hold in your workplace or school, then consider local halls, community centres and sport centres. You will need to contact the owners of these venues and get their permission. Make sure you plan your activity well in advance as some venues book up quickly.

Work out a budget.
Set yourself a fundraising target and make sure it's around three times as much as you spend – otherwise it may not be worthwhile.

Write a checklist...
...of all the things that you'll need, for example costumes, equipment, refreshments, then tick them off as you go along. If you're in need of clothes, for example for a fashion show, ball or fancy dress party, perhaps our charity shops can help.

Delegate.
Find out what skills people have, then try to give them tasks they'll enjoy. So if some of your friends are creative, why not get them to design and make badges, banners etc?

Try to keep costs low...
...for example, ask local businesses if they'd donate prizes and cover the cost of printing posters, banners and so on.

If you are under 18...
...please check with your parents or guardians that it's ok for you to take part in a fundraising event.

Advertise your activity.
Tell everyone in your neighbourhood, social club, gym, office etc, for example by putting notices in your staff or social group newsletter. Remember, word of mouth is always one of the most successful forms of promotion!

Contact local newspapers, radio and TV stations and ask them for publicity.
Ask them to also include your contact details in case readers or listeners wish to sponsor you. Perhaps you could get a local celebrity to come along to your event, which could help with its promotion.

Invite everyone you know!
The more people you involve, the more money you will raise for our research. So look to invite friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, business contacts, even your dry cleaner!

Put your most generous sponsor at the top of your form.
Hopefully others will follow suit!

Ask your sponsors to Gift Aid it
This means we get an extra £28 for every £100 you raise, for free. As long as your sponsors tell us their home address, we can claim this extra money from the government.

Ask your employer if they operate a matched-giving scheme
If they do, they will be able to match £ for £ on the money you raise.

Record
Keep details of everyone who has supported you, this is good practice but also helps you keep track of who you need to thank.

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