WELCOME From Simon Mottram

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1 1 FUNDRAISING PACK

2 WELCOME From Simon Mottram Hello and welcome to the team, My name is Simon Mottram, Founder of Rapha, Ambassador of Ambition about Autism and one of riders who took on this fantastic challenge last year, and what an amazing day it was. On Sunday 6 th September, as the dawn is about to break, you and your fellow riders will set off from the Manchester Velodrome, the heart of cycling in the North and travel the backbone of England experiencing some of the best of British offerings before finishing at the new home of cycling in the South, the Olympic Velodrome. This ride is a great personal test, I can vouch for this, as you cover 220 miles in one day. But it is not just about the challenge; this ride is also about making the difference in the lives of children and young people with autism. By taking part in this Rapha Manchester London ride, you will be raising money to support Ambitious about Autism. This is a charity very close to my heart. My son, Oscar, has autism and has been helped enormously by Ambitious about Autism - the charity behind TreeHouse, the school that he has attended since the age of five and the new Ambitious College launched last September which Oscar has now moved on to. Autism is profound and life changing, and I feel you shouldn t just tinker around, you should really go for it. This is an ambitious ride; 220 miles is a long way. And that s why the charity is so successful, it s really ambitious for people with autism So why is our support so vital? The money raised will help to make a huge difference to the lives of the 1 in 100 children and young people with autism in the UK. That is around 100,000 children, with around half a million family members directly affected by the condition. 1 in 5 children with autism are excluded from school, 40% are bullied. Less than 1 in 4 young people with autism go onto further education and 85% of adults with autism are not in full time employment. We need to support Ambitious about Autism in helping to change this. Ambitious about Autism has put this pack together so please take a moment to read through it. It gives further information about the charity and the work it does, and is full of fundraising ideas, along with a template press release. The Ambitious about Autism team asked me to pass on a massive thank you for getting involved and showing your support. Rapha, and myself, are proud to support Ambitious about Autism and we hope you will be too. Best wishes, Simon Mottram Chief Executive R A P H A Performance Roadwear 2

3 Contents Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Fundraising pack overview About us Why we need your help Living with Autism How you can make a difference Asking for sponsorship Be ambitious about your fundraising Keeping it safe and legal Boost your fundraising Promoting your fundraising Celebrate your achievement! Press release template 3

4 PACK OVERVIEW Please do take the time to read through this pack as it will help support your fundraising, and may help answer questions from those looking to support you. This page gives a summary of some of the topics within the pack to give a flavour of what you will find enclosed. Getting your fundraising started 1. Set up your online sponsorship page here 2. Contact all your friends, family, colleagues, suppliers, and basically everyone you know and ask that they sponsor you on this challenge and let them know the difference their support will make. 3. Go social! Make sure to get the message out on LinkedIn, FaceBook, Twitter and any other social networks you have. Be sure to link it to Ambitious about Autism s Facebook page and Twitter feed. The more people who hear about what you are doing the quicker you will hit that target! 4. If you work for a company ask if they have a matched giving policy or another employee fundraising scheme. These schemes will often match your fundraising 1 for 1. Also some company donations may be tax deductible. 5. Organise an event, or have a clear out. This doesn t have to be time consuming and can be a great boost to your sponsorship total. Get your friends and family involved to help with organising a pub quiz or dinner party or simply sell some old bike parts on Ebay. Ambitious about Autism in a sentence Our ambition is to make the ordinary possible for more children and young people with autism. Why we need your help 1 in 100 children have autism, a lifelong neurological condition which has no cure. There are around 100,000 children with autism in the UK. How you will make a difference 75 could fund one day of advocacy for a young person, to help them transition to adulthood and give them a voice to influence the provision of further education, health, social care and housing. 600 could fund our Ambitious Support Service for one day the support team provide specialist support to young people with autism aged enabling them to learn, be healthy, enjoy and achieve in their own communities could fund one week s autism training for teachers, enabling them to better support the 70% of children with autism in mainstream education. Currently over half of teachers have not had the specific training they need to adequately support children with autism. 4

5 About us Ambitious about Autism is the national charity for children and young people with autism. We provide services, raise awareness and understanding, and campaign for change. We exist to enable children and young people with autism to learn, thrive and achieve. Through TreeHouse School, Ambitious Support and our online community Talk about Autism we offer specialist education and support. Our ambition is to make the ordinary possible for more children and young people with autism. What is autism? Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects 1 in 100 people in the UK. It affects the way a person communicates and how they experience the world around them. Autism is described as a spectrum condition. This means that while people with autism including Asperger s Syndrome share certain characteristics, they will be highly individual in their needs and preferences. Some people with autism are able to live relatively independent lives but others may face additional challenges including learning disabilities which affect them so profoundly that they need support in many areas. We are here to help This pack contains many useful fundraising tips and advice about how to get started with your fundraising and ensure that it is both enjoyable and successful. We have many novice fundraisers taking part in our challenge events each year who reach and often far exceed their targets. If you have any questions or need further advice, please contact the Events Team on or Events@ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk - they will be more than happy to answer your questions and get you started. 5

6 Why we need your help 1 in 100 children have autism, a neurological disorder which has no cure There are around 100,000 children with autism in the UK 1 in 5 children with autism has been excluded from school Over 40% of children with autism have been bullied at school Many families with autism live in poverty as it costs on average three times more to raise a child with a severe impairment than a non-disabled child Only 15% of adults with autism are in paid work Caring for a child with autism puts a huge strain on families and parents are 60% more likely to divorce Only 11% of carers who have children with autism work full time, and 70% say the lack of appropriate care facilities stops them working Over 50% of teachers in schools in England have not been trained to teach and support children and young people with autism 6

7 Living with autism Alison: My sons' experiences in school Every parent of a child with autism has a different experience. I have two children with autism, Cian and his younger brother Conor. Cian was five when he was diagnosed. He was at a mainstream school at the time and we were really lucky to get him into a local autism-specific school. I was expecting Conor at the time Cian was diagnosed. I remember saying to one of the mums that it was unlikely that the baby would have autism too. But she told me that both of her sons had autism. I didn t think too much about it until two years later, which is when Conor stopped speaking. Conor changed from being a really sociable little boy. He knew everyone s names, even the cat s name. He used to stand at the backdoor and say outside and blow kisses to say goodbye. Now you re lucky if you get a wave. By the time he was three he had lost all of his words and was completely away in his own world. Conor was attending a special needs nursery, as the brother of a child with autism, he was in the best place to be diagnosed and get the support that he needed. Unfortunately this is far from the experience of many families. Conor s original diagnosis was a severe learning disability with autistic features. I wanted Conor to go to Cian s school and was devastated to be told that he was not able enough to go there. I felt as though I had lost my bright little boy. He was regressing and his behaviour became more and more challenging and unpredictable. The most upsetting aspect was his self-injuring behaviours the hand biting and head butting. He used to lie down in the bathroom and just bang his head against the floor. Not even the Clinical Psychologist knew why he was doing it. There was also the aggression the head butting other people (he once broke my nose) hitting, punching and biting (he also once bit my face).i was black and blue and the effects of all this were putting huge amounts of stress on the family. It limited our freedom and the amount of time I could spend with Cian. I began considering a residential school for Conor. He is now in his second year at TreeHouse School and has learnt to communicate using a picture exchange system which he uses at home as well as at school. Conor now has the tools to communicate so the self-injury and anger happen much less frequently. My big concern, now that Conor is coming up to 16, is what is next for him. Cian, who is at the more able end of the autism spectrum, went to mainstream college and studied drama and social skills. It wasn t perfect but at least he could see a future for himself. But for Conor, who is less able, and other young people like him, there is a real lack of provision when they reach 19. I just want the same as all other parents for my son to continue making progress in a setting that suits him and where staff has the expertise to support him. I know that with the right opportunity and support he can continue to learn and move towards a more independent and fulfilling life. 7

8 How you can make a difference Here are some examples of how the money you raise can make a difference to children and young people with autism 10 could support half an hour of our online community forum Talk about Autism. This service provides a vital platform for parents, carers and young people with autism to support each other and share their story. 25 could fund one hour of outreach to support children with autism in mainstream early education settings, helping to reduce the 40% of children who are bullied and 27% who currently will face exclusion at least once. 75 could fund one day of advocacy for a young person, to help them transition to adulthood and give them a voice to influence the provision of further education, health, social care and housing. 100 could pay for a family to attend a day s resilience training, helping families to deal with challenging behaviour and stay together. 150 could fund the assessment of a child under the age of 5 with complex needs, enabling them to get the right support as soon as possible. Early intervention can make a real difference to a child s language and social skills, giving them the best start and avoiding any lost years. 600 could fund our Ambitious Support Service for one day the support team provide specialist support to young people with autism aged enabling them to learn, be healthy, enjoy and achieve in their own communities could fund one week s autism training for teachers, enabling them to better support the 70% of children with autism in mainstream education. Currently over half of teachers have not had the specific training they need to support children with autism could pay for four TreeHouse School pupils to spend a week at an autism friendly residential activities centre where they will have the chance to experience staying away from home, often for the first time and can get involved in a wide range of exciting outdoor activities with their peers. 8

9 Asking for sponsorship Now you ve registered for Manchester - London with Rapha and set up your online fundraising page*, you re ready to start asking for sponsorship. Getting started is often the hardest part so here are a few ideas to help get you going! Have a look at the diagram below and see if you can apply it to your social connections. It might help you visualise reaching your target by writing your own list of personal contacts. When you start to think about it, you ll be amazed at how many people you can approach for support. *If you have not set up your online sponsorship page as yet follow this link and it will only take two minutes - here TOP TIP If you work for a company, don t forget to ask if they have a matched giving policy or another employee fundraising scheme. This often gives our fundraisers that extra boost they need to get them over the line! Also a company donation may be tax deductible! Start by asking everyone you know the more people you ask, the more you will raise! You may find that people who are close to you, either personally or professionally, are quite happy to sponsor you. However approaching people who you don t know can be more difficult. To raise the additional money, try organising an event. Think of activities that you and your friends enjoy, and it is likely that others will enjoy it too and want to take part to help you reach your target. 9

10 Be ambitious about your fundraising Fundraising is an excellent opportunity to organise fun activities for your friends, family and colleagues. Here is an example of you reaching your target: Everyone loves a good pub so why not hold a quiz night with raffle 150 Everyone loves fancy dress, so why not hold an Ambitious Dress up Day. Ask your work colleagues to make a donation and dress up as what they wanted to be when they grew up. The best dressed could win a prize! 50 Ebay some old bike parts, or have a general clear out. 100 Organise a local sponsored bike ride for friends and family let them experience first hand what you and your fellow riders will be facing! 100 Host a Dinner party for 10 friends who each pay Challenge friends, family or colleagues to cycle, walk or run to work for the week and ask them to donate their travel costs 50 Create an online giving page and ask friends, family, colleagues, suppliers, basically any contacts you have to sponsor you 200 TOTAL 750 Don t forget about matched giving and employee fundraising schemes! With matched giving an employer will match the money you raise 1 for 1, normally up to a set limit. 10

11 Keeping it Safe and Legal We are so grateful to you for giving your time and energy to fundraise for Ambitious about Autism. Additionally, your safety and wellbeing during these activities is our priority. With this in mind, please follow these basic guidelines to ensure that your fundraising activity is safe and legal. Health and safety Before organising any fundraising event, you must consider health and safety requirements. Conducting a risk assessment will ensure that you have planned for the safety of participants and will help to identify strategies needed to prevent accidents from occurring. It is important to ensure child participants are adequately supervised throughout your event. Consider what insurance you might need for your event. Raffles and lotteries There are strict and complex laws relating to raffles and lotteries; no cash prizes can be given, no more than 250 can be spent on prizes and the ticket sales and announcing of the results must be held during the event Full guidance is available from your local authority or the Gaming Board; for more details please visit: Food hygiene It is important to ensure that you take great care when preparing food. Follow the basic rules for preparing, storing, cooking and displaying food to avoid any stomach upsets! You can find more information at: Licences You will need to check whether you need a licence from your local authority before you organise your fundraising event. Providing alcohol or entertainment, such as live music, showing a film or an indoor sporting event must be licensed. Putting up banners and selling goods in a public place will also require a licence, as will any public street collection or collections on public property. Please contact your local authority to arrange for a licence to be issued. You can find more information about this at: 11

12 Boost your fundraising Set a precedent Try to get payment upfront to half the effort, and ALWAYS start each sponsorship form with a generous sponsor as this will set a high standard for the rest. (It really does work!) Gift Aid It and make your donation worth more! Always ask your sponsors to tick the Gift Aid box on the sponsorship form if they are a UK tax payer. This means that for every 1 that you raise, we can claim an extra 25 pence from the Inland Revenue so your 10 becomes without any extra effort! Getting it right To ensure Ambitious about Autism is able to claim Gift Aid, ensure your sponsors complete the sponsorship form in full including their surname, first name (or initials) and full residential address (including postcode). By ticking the Gift Aid box, they are agreeing to the declaration printed on the sponsorship form. We have included some sponsorship forms in this pack. However, if you require any more, please contact The Events Team. 12

13 Promoting your fundraising event Word of mouth This may seem obvious, but simply spreading the word is the easiest and most effective way of promoting your fundraising activities. Tell your friends, neighbours, social club, gym, local shops or office what you are doing and why. Telling people face to face can make your efforts seem more genuine and will motivate people to help you reach your target. your friends, family and colleagues to ask them for support. Don t forget to include the link to your online fundraising page so that they know how to sponsor you! You might also want to include some information about Ambitious about Autism and remember to let them know why you need their support and how it will make a difference. Social media A great way to get in touch with people is through Facebook and Twitter. Make the most out of your network of friends by posting a link to your fundraising page on Facebook or by spreading the word on Twitter. We would love to hear about your fundraising efforts too so please follow Be sure to like our Facebook page and please send us your twitter name! On average, 20% of donations are received after the event date so remember to send everyone your page again once you have completed your challenge. Add some extra content to your page like photos from the day and how gruelling you found the challenge! TOP TIP BLOG People are more generous and willing to support when you keep them updated with your progress and the name of the charity. Create a blog to keep your donors or potential donors informed of your latest challenges and training anecdotes, pictures and video clips. Local media A great way of spreading the word and attracting more sponsors is through your local media. Local newspapers, radio and TV stations are always interested in stories about local residents taking part in activities. We have included a press release template in this pack which you can fill in and send to your local media. Remember to include some photos and the link to your online giving page. Celebrate your achievement! You will have put enormous time and effort into training for your Manchester - London challenge and after all your hard work, it s important to celebrate your achievements! Cycling 220 miles and raising money for charity is no walk in the park and you should certainly not let your efforts go unnoticed! 13

14 Thank your supporters Make sure you thank those that have sponsored you and let them know how much you have raised. Write letters or use , Facebook and Twitter to boast about your fantastic achievement - people who have donated always like to know how much you ve raised and whether you have reached your target. Stay in touch Please keep in touch with us after your event we would love to hear from you and find out how it went, whether you enjoyed it and what you got out of it. Photos and videos If you have taken any photos or even a video of your event, please send them to us. We would love to see you in action and could share these with other supporters through a news story on our website. Spread the word Contact your local newspaper and ask if they would be interested in running a story on your fundraising success. Make sure you include some photos proof that you really did put yourself through it and aren t just looking for praise! We hope this pack has given you some inspiration and some handy tips to help you have a successful, fulfilling and fun experience! 14

15 Template Press Release [Insert date] Day, month, year [Enter headline] Fundraisers from [insert town name] raises vital funds for Ambitious about Autism [Insert information about your event who, what, where, when, why and how] [When] On Sunday 6th September 2015, [who] James Smith [where] from Highgate [what] will be taking part in the Manchester - London cycle [why] to support Ambitious about Autism, the national charity for children and young people with autism. [How] More detail about your event and how much money you are raising. [Why] Ambitious about Autism provides information, training and support, runs a range of high-quality services including TreeHouse School and campaigns to make the ordinary possible for children and young people with autism. [Name of fundraiser taking part in the event] says: Supporting Ambitious about Autism is very important to me because everyone knows some who has been affected by autism. [If you have a personal and emotive reason for supporting the charity and you are happy to share this, please and your quote here] I m really looking forward to the challenge and raising money for Ambitious about Autism. Notes to Editor: 1 in 100 children have autism. Autism is a lifelong neurological condition which affects communication, social understanding and behaviour. Ambitious about Autism is the national charity for children and young people with autism Its flagship service is TreeHouse School. The charity was formerly known as TreeHouse Trust. This is the third in a series of rides created by Rapha Racing in aid of Ambitious about Autism. So far this series of rides has raised over 350,000 in support of Ambitious about Autism. 15