Muscular Dystrophy Campaign Volunteer fundraising pack....we ll be with you all the way

Transcription

1 Muscular Dystrophy Campaign Volunteer fundraising pack...we ll be with you all the way

2 Leading research Supporting people By choosing to organise an event and fundraise for us, you will make a huge difference to the community we serve: the 70,000 children and adults around the UK who are affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions. If you are new to fundraising for charity, you might feel a little daunted by the task. Don t be! We ll be with you every step of the way, to give you advice and support and to keep in touch. This pack is designed to answer all your questions, give you some handy hints and tried-and-tested tips on how best to reach your fundraising target and more! We are also available by phone and to answer any queries you may have. The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign is the leading UK charity fighting muscle-wasting conditions. We are dedicated to beating muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions by finding treatments and cures and to improving the lives of everyone affected by them. Our work has five main focuses: n we fund world-class research to find effective treatments and cures n we provide practical information, advice and emotional support for individuals with muscle-wasting conditions, their carers and families n we campaign to bring about change and raise awareness of muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions n we award grants towards the cost of specialist equipment, such as powered wheelchairs n we provide specialist education and development for health professionals. We rely almost entirely on voluntary donations and legacies to fund our work. Our fight against muscle-wasting conditions depends on the support of people like you hooray hooray hooray Muscular Dystrophy Campaign hooray clap clap clap clap page 2

3 The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign in numbers 70,000 people in the UK are directly affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions. 1.7m annual investment into high-quality, pioneering research in the UK. An equal amount is invested into the provision of care and information for individuals and families affected by muscle-wasting conditions. 1,400 people, right across the UK, have organised fundraising events for the charity over the past twelve months. Fundraising organised by volunteers accounts for almost a quarter of the charity s annual income. How you can help 35 funds an hour of research that could lead us to an effective treatment or cure to improve and lengthen people s lives. 50 gives parents one hour with a specialist physiotherapist who can show them the valuable muscle-stretching techniques that could keep their child walking for longer. 148 funds our Freephone Information Line for one day so our staff can provide vital support to families and healthcare professionals on a wide range of conditions and issues. 500 allows our nationwide network of young people with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions the Trailblazers to get together in their local area, to discuss how best to get jobs, socialise and live independently. 3, allows the charity to make a grant towards the cost of a child s powered wheelchair. people took part in the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign running events last year, raising vital funds for the charity s work. 2,000 covers the running costs of a Muscle Centre for a week, providing diagnosis and multi-disciplinary care. 30,000 funds a PhD studentship for one year. 100,000 supports a research student through their PhD, encouraging the brightest young scientists to stay in the field of neuromuscular research. page 3

4 Some fundraising ideas Our volunteers, through fundraising for us all around the country, bring in around a quarter of our charity s income each year. We cannot do the work that we do without your support, hard work and dedication. This pack is designed to give you ideas for your own events; we bring you tried-and-tested ideas or you can think of your own unique event. Whatever you choose to do, we ll be with you. Every step of the way. If you have any queries, do get in touch with our Volunteer Fundraising team on or volunteerfundraising@muscular-dystrophy.org We ll support you all the way. Sports and games Organise your own walk/run/cycle Many of our fundraisers organise outdoor and sporting events in their regions, as a way of generating much-needed income for our charity. TJ and Baz Nye live in South Woodham Ferrers in Essex, with their five-year-old twins Georgie and Lili. With the support of family, friends and their local community, the family raised a staggering 14,000 to help the charity fund promising research projects into treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which affects their son Georgie. They get their whole community involved with their fundraising and have organised a fantastic range of fundraising activities including a cycle ride for my boy led by Baz. The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign also offers places in a number of running, walking and cycling events throughout the year. Download our charity s Running Pack and Cycling Pack (follow the links from our Fundraising help and support section on our website) to see the range of events you can choose from. Equally, if you would like to organise your own event, we will be with you every step of the way offering support, advice, hints and tips. Sports matches organise a football or cricket match, or host a golf day at your local club. Question of Support host your own quiz night at home or in your local pub. Cakes and treats Come dine with us host a Come dine with us event at home where your friends pay to take part to discover who is the host with the most! Coffee mornings host a coffee morning at home or at your local community centre, and invite friends and family to bake treats that you can sell there too. Cake sales get baking and sell cakes and biscuits in the office or at your local community centre. Music and dance Balls looking for an excuse to dig out that glamorous dress or tuxedo? Then why not hold a ball and raise money for a great cause? You never know, you might just be the belle of the ball. Dinners why not brush off that tuxedo, haul out that little black number, and organise a sports dinner or another themed dinner? Themed do you really have a love for something? Then why not theme your evening around that? Themed events are a great way to have fun and laughter while raising money. Concerts or choirs, or our own Spirit of Christmas events do you enjoy singing? Or do you know an amazing choir? Then why not organise an evening of choral entertainment? These are especially popular at Christmas. Talk to us about our own Spirit of Christmas portfolio and add yours to the list. Holding a coffee morning for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign was a great way to raise both funds and awareness in my local community. We had great fun on the day with lots of delicious home made cakes and treats on offer, and we raised a brilliant 640! I would definitely recommend holding a coffee morning to anyone who wants to raise some funds for the charity. Sally Harcourt from Winchester, Hampshire When Georgie was diagnosed, our lives just fell apart and our hearts broke in a million pieces. However, we soon got strength from our boots and started to fundraise for research projects. Our home town of South Woodham Ferrers has been a fantastic support to us too. TJ and Baz Nye page 4

5 Is it a scary movie? We decided to support the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign through our school fundraising as one of our families is affected by the condition. All the children have thrown themselves into our organised events and have also come up with lots of their own ideas, which has been great. So far we have held a sponsored musical scalathon, a dress-up day and collected donations while carol singing. Everyone is really enjoying getting involved and we have lots more events planned we can t wait! Angela Franklin, a teacher at Lingfield Notre Dame Junior School in Surrey School and community Christmas fairs Christmas is always a good time to fundraise and everyone loves a Christmas Fair where they can buy that little something special for loved ones, share a coffee and mince pie and help others at this magical time of year. Dress-up days hold a special dress day at your local school or club. Invite children to dress up as princesses or pirates; fancy dress is always a favourite. School discos fundraising doesn t just have to be for the grown-ups. Encourage your local school to dance the night away by holding a fundraising school disco. While they dance, the next generation will be making a difference. At the movies invite your friends round to your local school or community centre for a movie night. Charge an entry fee and for popcorn and drinks. Eeeeek! Eeeeek! page 5

6 At work Charity of the year more and more local companies want to engage with their local community and support a charity through their staff. Do you have any contacts within a local business that you could introduce us to or ask if they have a Charity of the Year scheme? Collections if you re new to fundraising and are looking for an easy way to fundraise, why not think about holding a collection? This is always made easier if you have contacts within a local supermarket. Matched funding opportunities there are a number of banks and companies that will match funds raised from your fundraising through their matched funding schemes. This can potentially double what you have raised. Chat to us about opportunities for matched funding or ask your employer if they run a similar scheme. Dress-down days hold a special dress-down day at work and ask people to pay. page 6

7 My fiancé and I wanted to make a difference with our wedding gifts so asking people to send in a donation to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign was the perfect solution. We knew the money would be spent supporting those who really need it and we were delighted we could help the work of the charity to continue and raise its profile among our family and friends. Catherine Farrant, Berkshire Special occasions Birthdays make every birthday count. Birthdays are a time to spend in celebration with family and friends. Help us by asking your loved ones to make a donation to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign in lieu of a gift for your birthday so we can continue to help those living with muscle-wasting conditions. Weddings why not consider asking for donations to the charity in lieu of gifts for your wedding? Alternatively, if you d like to include a special favour for your guests, our branded pin badges and wristbands offer you a unique way to celebrate your day and make a difference to many people at the same time. Anniversaries have you reached a milestone you want to celebrate and share with others? Why not ask for donations in lieu of a gift and help us achieve more milestones for those living with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions? Christmas there are many ways to support us at Christmas time. Hold a collection, arrange a carol service, ask for a donation in lieu of gifts, enter one of our many Santa Runs or organise your own event. Help us to make a huge difference at this special time of year. page 7

8 Top tips for organising a fundraising event Planning your event Any event, no matter how big or small, can be planned with a few simple steps. Each event is unique so some other factors may need to be considered too. The Four Ps: Planning What do you want to achieve from the event? Fundraising, awareness-raising or both? Do you want media coverage? Who do you envisage will attend your event? Does it cater to their taste? When will you hold the event? Does it clash with any local events? Is it planned on a bank holiday? How long will it take to organise the event? List everything that you need to do in preparation for the event, along with a timescale and assign a person responsible for each task. Product What type of event are you organising? Dinner dance, sports challenge, fashion show, coffee morning, conference? What is the theme for the event? Be creative; make it an event to remember. Venue? Consider your guests requirements and your budget and then choose the appropriate venue. Entertainment? A speaker, a band, a disco? Resources? Think about what you ll need: props, table decorations, lighting, etc. Price What will you charge for the event? Make sure this covers your costs and is also affordable for your intended audience. What is your budget for the event? Work this out carefully and be disciplined in sticking to it. Value for money? Think about what extras you can add, to make the price of a ticket more appealing. Have you shopped around? Get quotations from different suppliers and appeal to them to give you their best charity price or see if they can sponsor your event by providing their printing services for free. Promotion Advertising: how will you promote the event, and to whom, and what will it cost? Flyers/posters: be creative, stick to the charity s brand guidelines (ask your local Volunteer Fundraising manager about these) and make them stand out from the crowd. Networks: use your existing networks and ask friends and colleagues to promote your event at their places of work or study. Media: if your event is newsworthy, contact your local media to generate local interest in your event. Promote your event online: ask your local Volunteer Fundraising Manager to include your event on their regional page on the charity s website. page 8

9 Fun-raising and the Fun Factors What event or activity will attract a crowd? What will your participants enjoy? When planning an event try to think about tapping into the following Fun Factors: farce an event that involves humour and fun family and friends events and activities that bring people together. fight most people are stimulated by challenge and competition; you will do even better if you can design your fundraising involving teams with the added benefit of creating a spectacle for others to watch fear seeing if you can do something that frightens or challenges you or makes you face your fears fantasy and flutter the chance to be lucky, to gamble a bit and to win something; a Tombola is always popular fame seeing, hearing and even meeting celebrities is a powerful fundraising draw. Auctions where a celebrity has contributed are also often successful food eating and drinking are associated with enjoyment and work well in fundraising. [Please make sure you are able to satisfy health and safety standards.] fashion see if you can build what is fashionable and popular into your fundraising fitness sponsored walks, aerobathons, fun runs, cycle rides along with many other physical activities are always a good way of raising money. money money money Support available The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign has a range of support materials available for your event, from sponsor forms, posters, leaflets, handouts, collection goblets and buckets, banners, balloons, printed materials and branded clothing including T-shirts. Your local Volunteer Fundraising Manager will discuss these with you when you arrange your event, but do get in touch if you d like to find out more about what support materials are available. page 9

10 Funds Tribute Funds We ve partnered with MuchLoved.com and can offer you the opportunity to start your own Tribute Fund where you can create a living tribute to a loved one and support the work of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. This living, ongoing celebration of the life of someone special is easy to set up and requires little administration on your part. Family Funds Setting up a family fund is a great way to fundraise for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, as a family or group. We will look after the administration, Charity Commission paperwork and accounts on your behalf so you can concentrate on fundraising. Why set up a Family Fund? n You can name your fund however you choose; name it after your friend or family member or your local area. n We will help promote your story on our website and through our social media activity. n You will have a dedicated Volunteer Fundraising Manager who will support your fundraising activities and update you on the impact this is making on our work. n We will provide you with fundraising materials including sponsor forms, posters, balloons and collecting tins. n You will receive quarterly updates about our work, local fundraising events and have the opportunity to advertise your own events. How your Fund will be spent By raising funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, you are supporting our work to find treatments and ultimately a cure for muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions and making a real difference for people affected by them in the UK. If you re interested in a particular condition or a specific area of our work, please let us know. We are keen to match our work to donor interest and we can restrict your funds to planned projects and broader areas of activity such as our Duchenne Breakthrough Research Fund or other condition-specific research, as well as our young Scientists of the Future programme, family support and advocacy, and education. Your funds will then be spent on projects for those areas of work. For more information about setting up or supporting a Family Fund, please contact your local Volunteer Fundraising Manager or visit our website to have a look at some of the Family Funds that have already been set up. page 10

11 Get online The easiest way for you to collect your money is by using an online fundraising page. They are simple to set up, and secure and easy to share with friends, colleagues and family via , Twitter and Facebook. How do I set up my page? Just go to JustGiving s website at or Virgin Money s website at and click on the Start Fundraising box and the site will guide you through the simple steps. Send the link to everyone in your address book so your friends and contacts can make a donation. What happens to the money? JustGiving and Virgin Money transfer donations straight to the charity along with any Gift Aid due on the donations. Top tips 1. Personalise your online fundraising page, add photos, and write updates on your fundraising and planning so supporters can follow your progress. 2. If you can, make sure your first funding pledge is a high one, as it will set a good example for others to follow. 3. Make sure you include your fundraising target on your page and in any s you send out to people asking for support. 4. Promote your page using social media. Here are JustGiving s top tips and insights on social media and fundraising: Share your page on your Facebook timeline A whopping 97 percent of all social media donations are driven from Facebook. Updating your Facebook status with a link to your page means it will appear in the timeline of all of your friends. A great tip is to ask your friends to like or share your status, and news of your fundraising will spread to their friends. Each viral Facebook share is worth an average of 5 in donations. Spread the word on Twitter Twitter might not drive quite as many people to the site as Facebook, but those coming from Twitter tend to give considerably more. The average donation from Facebook is 18.33, while Twitter users give an average of Tweet a link to your page and ask your followers to retweet. Make a video and share it on YouTube Video is a great tool when it comes to telling your fundraising story. With smartphones and digital cameras, it s easier than ever to make a short video, share it on YouTube and then add it to your JustGiving page. With donors coming from YouTube donating an average of 28.77, it can have a massive impact on your fundraising. 5. Be persistent. Send an to your contacts when you decide on your event or sign up to your challenge, while planning or training, just before the event and just after. Try and send these s around pay day. Text giving JustGiving has a free text giving service where people can donate money via SMS. Once you have set up a JustGiving fundraising page, you can create a unique text giving code so friends, family and colleagues can sponsor you via text. It s completely free and 100 percent of the money will come to us. page 11

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13 Boost your money Matched fundraising Ask your employer about matched fundraising: many employers will donate an amount to your cause based on how much you have raised yourself, which is a massive incentive for all your friends and colleagues to sponsor you. Gift Aid it! The Gift Aid scheme enables charities to reclaim tax on donations, which means the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign receives an extra 25p for every 1 donated at no cost to you or your sponsors. If your sponsor is a UK tax-payer, their sponsorship money is eligible for Gift Aid, but remember to write their name clearly on your sponsorship form we need their surname and initial; include their home address in full (including postcode) as well as the amount they personally donated. Don t forget to tick the Gift Aid box, and don t forget to send us the original forms, otherwise we cannot claim the Gift Aid. If sponsors donate via your online site, the site will do this for you. Shout about your work Contact our press team and tell them why you are supporting the charity. Sharing your story will help us to promote your fundraising event to the local media and help you to reach your fundraising targets. Now for the legal stuff In order to keep the fun in fundraising, make sure you abide by any regulations and stay safe if you are organising your own activities. Raffles, lotteries and collections You may need to apply for a licence from your local authority if you are collecting money in a public place, selling alcohol or holding a raffle. There are strict rules in place, so contact our Volunteer Fundraising team first, as they can advise you. Health and safety It s all about common sense, so make sure you read instructions and follow advice carefully if you re organising your own event. To make sure your event is safe, why not contact your local branch of St John s Ambulance for advice? Food hygiene This is vital: you obviously don t want to make your donors ill! Please take great care when handling food and work to basic rules for safe preparation, storage and display. Data protection Make sure any record about those involved in your fundraising event, whether an electronic or a paper record, complies with the Data Protection Act. Don t share information or data about someone without their permission. More information can be found at Returning money Please return all the money you have raised through sponsorship forms or cash collection by cheque made out to Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and send it to us together with your sponsorship forms and Gift Aid forms, as appropriate. The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign has a number of forms and resources available for you to do risk assessments for a variety of events. Do get in touch with your local Volunteer Fundraising Manager, or contact our Volunteer Fundraising hotline on to find out more. yummy cakescakes cakes yummy raffle raffle raffle giftaid it The Gift Aid scheme enables charities to reclaim tax on donations, which means the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign receives an extra 25p for every 1 donated at no cost to you or your sponsors. giftaid it giftaid it Muscular Dystrophy Campaign page 13

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15 thank you thank you thank you thank you Meet the Goldthrites The Goldthrite family from Neath in south Wales organised two fundraising events over the Easter weekend in 2013 for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. What made these fundraising events unique was that they were organised by Sadie, aged ten. Sadie rallied not only her mum and dad, Michelle and Joel, around her, but also their Neath community. Ably assisted by her eight-year-old sister, Abbie, Sadie s fundraising walk and disco attracted around 70 people and raised more than 1,400 for the charity. Michelle (44) has facioschapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), as did her mother. Sadie too was diagnosed with the condition in September The idea for a walk came to me when I found out I had muscular dystrophy, like my mum, and that my sister might have it too. My mum s friend does fundraising so she kind of inspired me to organise the walk, said Sadie. When Sadie was diagnosed with FSH, we contacted the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and our local Volunteer Fundraising Manager, Andy, encouraged us to get involved in the South West Wales branch. We did just that, and they have been a massive support and a great help to us, said Michelle. Initially the girls were going to walk alone but soon friends and family were asking to join them and the sponsored walk got bigger and bigger as the day approached. I told my friends from school and they told their friends, and my mum told her friends. They talked about it at school too, said Sadie, who is in year six at St Joseph s Primary in Neath. I had fun on the day and I liked helping Sadie with the walk, said Abbie, who is in year three. Although it was absolutely freezing that weekend, we were delighted that 70 people arrived to take part, including one teacher from the girls school who came dressed as a sheep! said dad, Joel. Along with Minnie and Mickey Mouse, the Cat in the hat, and a Banana, Muscular Dystrophy Campaign supporter and head of the Cross Party Group for Muscular Dystrophy, Bethan Jenkins AM, and Ray Thomas, stalwart supporter of the charity and founder of the south Wales branch, joined in the walk along Aberafan beach. Everyone had a lovely time and we collected 106 in our buckets, along the walk, said Joel. Sadie and Abbie are both very special. Only three weeks before the walk, Sadie was in a foot splint as she had broken her foot, said Michelle. The walk was followed two weeks later with a disco at the local Naval Club. The night raised 180, some local families sold sweets and the fundraising branch took over the decorating of the hall. Together with the sponsorship funds and other donations, the Goldthrite girls raised more than 1,400 for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. We are very proud of everyone s participation and grateful to all our family and friends who have supported the girls. We can t even say how proud we are of the girls; it s really beyond words, said Michelle. It was an amazing opportunity and a great turnout, said Sadie. I would definitely do another walk a longer, twilight one next time. I think it s important to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign because so many people have muscular dystrophy and there are different types. If we raise money for research, there may not be so many people with it in the future, said Sadie. If you, like Sadie and her family, would like to arrange your own fundraising event for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, do get in touch with us. Our fight against muscle-wasting conditions depends on the support of people like you. n Michelle s and Sadie s condition Facioschapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSH) FSH is the third most common form of muscular dystrophy, affecting more than 1,300 people in the UK and at least 140,000 people worldwide. The degree of weakness or disability can vary widely between different affected members in a family, but can show even greater variation between people in different families. For some, it can result in weakness not only of facial muscles and shoulders/upper arms, but also of additional combinations from neck, forearms, wrists, fingers, hips, legs, ankles and the back muscles. There is currently no treatment or cure for FSH. page 15

16 Muscular Dystrophy Campaign Volunteer fundraising pack Muscular Dystrophy Campaign 61A Great Suffolk Street London SE1 0BU t: e: w: Leading research. Supporting people. Contact your local Volunteer Fundraising Manager on Registered Charity No and Registered Scottish Charity No. SC Printed on PEFC paper, produced at a mill that is certified with the ISO14001 environmental management standard Cover photo: Chris O Donovan. Illustrations: Deborah Waters.