Fundraising events
CHALLENGES
Dragon Boat Festival Crews of 12 to 16 paddlers, plus a drummer, race in Chinese-style boats to complete a course. Crews take part – only willing to have fun! The minimum age is 16 and an entry details with your local organiser. Events run from May to September. Find a dragon boat festival near you at .
Mud runs Not for the faint-hearted, mud runs usually involve an army-style assult course with obstacles and cloying mud! The best known is probably Tough Mudder () which runs from 28 April to 29 July 2018 in London, Scotland, Yorkshire
and the Midlands. While Tough Mudder courses are generally only suitable for over 18s, seven- to 11-year-olds can take part in a Mini Mudder. Find local mud run events listed at , but we recommend contacting organisers to check any fundraising restrictions.
Abseiling Do you know anyone who's keen to conquer their fear of heights? A sponsored abseil may be the perfect challenge! Companies such as Dave Talbot () and the National Abseil Centre () specialise in charity abseiling events. Prices start at around £25pp and include all equipment, risk assessments and instruction.
CASE STUDY ‘Our Three Peaks
‘The idea of completing the Three Peaks
Challenge (
threepeakschallenge.uk) came from one of our team who was looking for a unique way to celebrate his birthday! What began as a team of four, soon grew to 12 (ten walkers and two drivers). We felt that raising money would make us more committed to the challenge. As most of our team have children at Falkland School, this seemed an obvious cause, and the Headteacher requested money for classroom furniture. We set up a JustGiving page a few months
before the event, and began raising money quickly. In fact, we had to increase our target because the campaign was so successful! We promoted our cause through regular
updates on the JustGiving page and on social media. A number of our team run local businesses, so they promoted the event to their customers. Some of us also asked our employers for contributions, and we were featured in our local paper. Five out of 10 walkers completed the
more sponsorship. An ‘It’s A Knockout!’ fundraising event will attract spectators as well as those taking part – after all, what’s not entertaining about people stumbling course? And what better way to encourage more donations than
to let the donors see the challenge for themselves! Companies such as Simply the Best Events () can adapt a package to suit your school size and budget, and come with their own insurance, PA system, trophies and medals.
CASE STUDY ‘We organised a sponsored walk to
‘Eleven years ago I had a cardiac arrest, and a defibrillator saved my life. That’s why I wanted to raise money to have our very own defibrillator at school. I arranged for each child to do a
sponsored walk around our sports track with a one-, three- or five-mile target. I set up a JustGiving page linked to SADS UK, a charity that offers defibrillators to charities at a reduced cost of £1,100. This meant we didn’t have to deal with any cash, which made things easy. Within a few weeks we had dozens of sponsors and, with the help of a non-uniform day, had raised over £1,300! This allowed us to buy a defibrillator with paediatric pads, and the extra money will help us buy replacement pads in two years’ time.
challenge in the required time, and all but one of us finished the climbs – amazing considering we were battling road closures and the odd injury! The satisfaction of completing the challenge was huge and we raised over £3,600.’ Richard Ransom, parent, Falkland Primary School, Newbury, Berkshire (450 pupils)
Tips and advice
Using an online platform to collect donations means you don’t have to worry about keeping track of cash.
Claiming Gift Aid means you can raise an extra 25p for every £1 donated. Use JustGiving’s online platform and they take care of this for you.
Let people know what you’re raising money for. People will always be more willing to donate when they know the difference their donation will make.
The process created such a
strong sense of community, and the children were very proud to have raised the money for this potentially life-saving equipment. The day the defibrillator arrived, I showed them in assembly, and they were so excited!’ Nicky Hargreaves, Teacher, Gotham Primary School, Gotham, Nottingham (199 pupils)
Consider your timing. A sponsored read run over half-term means pupils can get in some extra hours of reading. Check local events guides to ensure no competition from similar events.
Contact local community groups such as Lions Clubs International as they often organise events such as sponsored swims into which not-for- profit organisations can enter a team.
FundEd SPRING 2018 47
IMAGES: BRIANAJACKSON; AXIO-IMAGES/
THINKSTOCK.CO.UK
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