School Fundraising and Education Coordinator Kit Note: This coordinator kit is designed for students aged 14 and up, or anyone else looking to run a fundraising event over the age of 14. It contains some basic information about eating disorders, body image, and self-care along with tips and ideas for running a fundraising event for EDV. Prepared by Eating Disorders Victoria www.eatingdisorders.org.au
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Contents About this kit... 4 How your fundraising will help... 5 Planning and organising your event... 6 Important stuff... 6 Time to get planning!... 7 Planning checklist... 8 Talking about eating disorders... 9 Things to avoid... 10 Positive messages... 10 Facts about eating disorders... 11 What are eating disorders?... 11 The impact of eating disorders... 11 Other important topics... 12 Body Image... 12 Media literacy... 12 Looking after yourself and others... 13 Getting help... 13 Self-care... 13 Mindfulness meditation... 14 Ideas and activities... 15 Fundraising ideas... 15 Awareness-raising ideas... 16 3
4 About this kit EDV Education is a part of Eating Disorders Victoria, a charitable organisation that aims to support anyone in Victoria affected by an eating disorder. We treat, educate, inform and advocate for people with eating disorders, their families and carers to promote early identification and intervention of eating disorders so as to reduce their incidence and manage their impact. This kit outlines the essential information you need and a step-by-step guide for fundraising for our organisation. It also provides some important guidelines for communicating about body image and eating disorders. We also include suggestions for learning activities, because we hope that not only will you raise funds for our organisation through your activities but also contribute to the important task of raising awareness about mental wellness and body image among your school community. While we acknowledge that body image and eating disorders aren t always the easiest topic to talk about, we feel that an honest and positive discussion is necessary now more than ever. If you have any questions about the contents of this kit or your planned fundraising activity please do not hesitate to contact us at edv@eatingdisorders.org.au or on 1300 550 236.
5 How your fundraising will help In fundraising for Eating Disorders Victoria, you support us to put eating disorders and related issues like healthy body image on the agenda. This means engaging in an open discussion about the topic, educating others about the importance of a healthy attitude towards food, exercise and body image, and thinking more critically about the messages that we are bombarded by each day by the media. We exist to support anyone in Victoria affected by an eating disorder. We treat, educate, inform and advocate for people with eating disorders, their families and carers to promote early identification and intervention of eating disorders so as to reduce their incidence and manage their impact. We provide services to anyone affected by eating disorders, regardless of their age, gender, or background because eating disorders affect almost a million Australians and less than 4 in 5 of them receive any treatment. Through our helpline, support groups, website, counselling and therapy, skillsbased learning programs, schools programs and community education, we have a direct impact on the mental health and wellbeing of thousands of Victorians every year. Your fundraising can help Eating Disorders Victoria to: Educate teachers, students, parents and families about eating disorders Support GPs and other health professionals to identify eating disorders and help people get treatment Advocate to government and work with other organisations to make sure that programs and services are funded Run awareness campaigns about body image, mental wellness and eating disorders Provide information and advice to people experiencing an eating disorder, as well as their family and friends Run our website to make sure anyone who wants to find out more can get the information they need.
6 Planning and organising your event First of all, thanks for getting involved! Your support means a lot to us. We have prepared a list of things you will need to do to help prepare for a successful fundraising and education campaign, regardless of the specific activities you plan to conduct. But first, a few important things to keep in mind Important stuff You need to ensure that you manage the fundraising in an appropriate and responsible way, as you are individually responsible for the organisation and management of the event. Eating Disorders Victoria isn t responsible for the running of your event, nor any damage, loss or injury occurring to anyone associated with the event. You will need to ensure that the activity is run in accordance with relevant Victorian charities legislation and must obtain any permits, authorities or licences needed. For example, you might need to organise permits from councils and shopping centres for events in their area, or other permits for raffles or prize draws. You are responsible for ensuring the safety of the event and you might need to consider things like First Aid, food safety, disability access and signage. If you re concerned, chat to a teacher or parent about making sure your event is run safely and according to relevant regulations. For activities involving donations directly to us we recommend using our Everyday Hero donation portal. You can make an account so people can sponsor you directly, or you can create a team page for your school, set a fundraising goal, and keep track of how much you have collected. All donation money should be collected and handled under the supervision of an adult and should be stored somewhere safe under lock-and-key.
7 In all your communication, it is important that you make it clear that you are conducting your event in support of Eating Disorders Victoria, as opposed to the event being an official Eating Disorders Victoria event. The event should be in your name or your school s name. And ask your school first before using their name for your event! To find out more about Victorian legislation and regulations, check out: Consumer Affairs Victoria (www.consumer.vic.gov.au) The Fundraising Appeals Act 1998 (www.legislation.vic.gov.au) Time to get planning! We recommend you start letting people know about your event at least three weeks before any activities commence. This is probably enough time for the word to spread and to get people on board, but not enough time that people will forget all about it. Also make sure you have approached the right person in your school to get permission to run the campaign and any events you might conduct. It s generally a good idea to run it by someone before you begin planning (in case they say no altogether) and then again after you have finished your plans and know exactly what you want to do and how you will go about it.
8 Planning checklist Get permission to run a campaign Check out any state and federal fundraising requirements, and ask someone to help you understand these if you need to Make a campaign plan: o Break down the campaign into tasks that need to be done and decide who will be in charge of each task, and when they need to be completed by. o Common tasks might include: Deciding how you will let people know about the campaign and speaking to anyone who you will need to about it Creating of posters and other awareness materials Deciding on what fundraising activities you will be conducting, and what materials and venues will be required Speaking to teachers to organise in-class education and activities Creating any materials to be used in the fundraising activity Organising and booking any venues to be used in any activities Setting up any venues to be used in the fundraising activity Run your plan by a teacher or adult and get permission to begin the campaign Let people know, promote, and communicate your campaign!
9 Talking about eating disorders Let s face it, eating disorders are a bit of a heavy topic. But given that 9% of all Australians will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime, it s a topic that needs to be addressed. People with an eating disorder, unhealthy dieting habits and/or body image issues can be very sensitive to certain types of messages, language and imagery. Although the term eating disorder covers a wide range of symptoms and conditions there are common elements among some types of eating disorder, for example, feeling a lack of control and needing to take action to fix it. A strong concern with physical appearance, body shape or size and weight is also a common fixation. Talking about certain topics in the wrong way can do more harm than good, because they might: - Trigger disordered eating behaviours or relapse (a return to illness). - Misrepresent the facts about eating disorders. For example, representing them as a problem that only affects young girls (when they also affect males and all age groups), or that they are a fad rather than a serious mental illness. - Increase stigma around eating disorders, such as by making light or trivialising them, as this reduces the chance of an open discussion and people seeking help.
10 Things to avoid It s not all doom and gloom, and as long as you think about what you say and write and avoid certain things, you can have a helpful and productive conversation. Try to avoid: - Imagery of very skinny individuals, even if it is to raise awareness of eating disorders. - Comparison between people, as social comparison (comparing yourself with others, on looks/body type, skills and ability, money, achievement, etc) is a major factor in many eating disorders. - Themes of perfection or achievement, because for many people their eating disorder is related to a strong desire to be perfect. - Numbers relating to body weight, body mass index (BMI) or calories, as many people with eating disorders may try and beat the efforts of others. - Playing down the seriousness of eating disorders. Eating disorders are not a fad or a diet gone wrong, they are a family of serious and sometimes life-threatening mental illnesses and need to be understood as such. If you re ever unsure whether something is appropriate, go get a second set of eyes. If you re still not sure, feel free to send us an email and we can let you know. Positive messages So we ve told you what we would like you not to say, and to balance it out here are a few positive things that we definitely encourage you to remind yourself and others of: - That people are valuable for much more that their physical appearance. - That no-one is perfect and that s okay. - That people come in all shapes and sizes, that s it s normal to look different to other people, and this is something to be celebrated. - That the best way to get other people to like you is to first like yourself.
11 Facts about eating disorders What are eating disorders? An eating disorder is characterised when eating, exercise and body weight/shape become an unhealthy preoccupation of someone's life. There are a variety of eating disorders that can affect a person, with different characteristics and causes. There is no single cause of an eating disorder, and they can be linked to a combination of factors, such as family relationships, psychological problems, and genetics. However in general, eating disorders can be linked to low self-esteem and an attempt to deal with underlying psychological issues through practising an unhealthy relationship with food and exercise. Common disorders include Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder. You can read more about the various disorders currently recognised by mental health professionals here: www.eatingdisorders.org.au/eating-disorders/what-is-an-eatingdisorder/classifying-eating-disorders/dsm-5 The impact of eating disorders Eating disorders cause a significant amount of personal distress and reduced quality of life to both the person with the eating disorder and their families. There are lots of physical, emotional and psychological effects of eating disorders, and they impact on people in many different ways. They can cause major health problems and should be taken very seriously. Often, someone with an eating disorder will struggle with the illness for many years, and may not seek help for some time, if at all. The earlier someone can get help for their eating disorder, the better their chances of recovering.
12 Other important topics Body Image Body image is the way we see our own body, and more importantly the thoughts and feelings we have in relation to our bodies. These thoughts and feelings can be positive or negative, or a combination of both, and are influenced by a combination of personal and also environmental factors (such as our peers, family situation, and representations of the bodies that we see in the media). Having a positive body image is essential to maintaining selfesteem and self-acceptance, which in turn is important for a healthy outlook and behaviours. Negative body image (body dissatisfaction) results in feeling unhappy and self-conscious about the way we look, and if we let it, this can reflect on our overall evaluation of ourselves. Body dissatisfaction can lead to extremely unhealthy dieting, weight loss and exercise behaviours. Media literacy Related to body image is media literacy, which is our ability to interpret representations of beauty and health in the media for what they really are. People in advertisements, magazines, music videos and television shows are in general abnormally good looking as well as being heavily made up and filmed/photographed under studio conditions with controlled lighting. It is also common practice for these images to receive extensive re-touching and postproduction work (ie. Photoshop). The images created by the media display a very narrow ideal of what is beautiful and healthy. These portrayals are largely an illusion, having been created with the help of production technology and do not reflect at all what the vast majority of people look like. Engaging in comparisons with these unrealistic ideals can make people feel inadequate and impact on self-esteem. Because of this, building media literacy is an important part of increasing wellbeing and preventing mental health issues within the population.
13 Looking after yourself and others Getting help If you or anyone you know is showing signs of disordered eating or body dissatisfaction (binging, restricting food intake, purging, excessive dieting or working out, or any combination of the above) then it is important not to go it alone. The best starting point is the Eating Disorders Victoria Helpline which you can call on 1300 550 236 (Mon-Fri 9:30am-5pm). Our friendly and understanding staff can point you in the direction of a number of resources and services that are available, whether for yourself or someone you are concerned about. If you or someone you know is in serious trouble and needs emergency assistance, always remember to call the emergency numbers: 000 for police, ambulance or fire 13 11 14 for 24/7 support from Lifeline Self-care We often find ourselves leading busy and sometimes stressful lives, with a lot of demands and expectations that we have to contend with every day. It is important to recognise the sources of stress in our lives and take the time to look after ourselves to prevent burnout and keep things in perspective. Below are a number of suggestions for things that might help you de-stress: - Taking a bath - Take a power nap - Play a musical instrument - Cuddling your dog or cat - Going for a walk, jog, or bike ride, particularly in nature - Talking to your friends and family - Having a cup of tea - Reading a book
14 Mindfulness meditation A great way to practice self-care is through mindfulness. Mindfulness refers to living in the present and allowing our thoughts and sensations to happen, without guiding them (or letting them guide us), without trying to fight against them, and importantly, without judging them. It is a state of mind generally achieved through mindfulness meditation, a relatively simple practice that involves sitting somewhere quiet and comfortable and focusing on breathing and certain thought exercises that help dampen all the background noise in our minds. Mindfulness can reduce our negative self-talk and a tendency to see small problems as being more catastrophic than they really are. In doing this we can build a healthier and more balanced perspective on a wide range of things including our body image and the control we have over our lives. There is a fantastic free app called Smiling Mind (available on Android and iphone) which provides guided mindfulness meditation in an audio format, which we recommend for anybody wishing to improve their mental wellbeing, particularly those suffering from depression, anxiety, disordered eating or body dissatisfaction.
15 Ideas and activities Finally, here comes the fun part of fundraising! We have prepared a list of activities that you might like to conduct for the purposes of raising awareness, education, and getting people involved in your campaign. These are just some suggestions; feel free to make up your own! Remember to get permission and any necessary supervision for any activities you conduct. Fundraising ideas Art Show Magazine/Book Publication Have students create artworks, either with a body positive theme, or about whatever they want. Organise a night for parents to come see the students art displayed as a gallery, with gold coin entry. Parents can then buy the students artworks, with proceeds of entry and sales going to EDV. Create a school publication it could be about movies, fashion, art, human interest, anything you like! Even better, you could include messages or stories that promote positive self-esteem and body image. You could even get a little subversive, and challenge the narrow beauty ideals seen in the mainstream media! Food Day Car Wash Auction/Raffle You could ask anyone who is interested to contribute, and could even see if local businesses would like to advertise in your publication to help cover printing costs. Magazines/books could then be sold to parents and friends, with proceeds going to EDV. Hold a sausage sizzle, a bake sale, or get a bit more creative and do something different! After covering the costs of the food, the proceeds of the sale could go to EDV. A good old fashioned car wash is a fun way to get some fresh air and have some fun in the sun while raising funds. There are a couple of ways you can go about this. Participants can donate the prizes, or even better, ask some local businesses to donate some. But keep in mind that if you run a raffle, you might need to get extra permits from the appropriate body. Cooking Class Know someone who is a good cook? Perhaps you are? This would be a great way to get students involved in cooking. Just make sure that the message, if there is one, is that food is to be enjoyed in a healthy and positive way. You could charge a small fee for the cooking class and then donate the proceeds to EDV. 5 Cent Frenzy Ask students to collect spare change from parents and friends and put it in a big jar at the front of the classroom. Which class can collect the most?
16 Giant Garage Sale Fun Run/Sponsored Activity One person s trash is another one s treasure! You could ask students and parents to collect items that are not being used around the house and bring them in to school. You could then hold a giant garage sale one weekend morning. Just imagine all the things a whole school could rustle up! Just make sure everyone takes responsibility for any items that are not sold, and that some minimum standards are enforced on what to bring in, so that you don t need to hire garbage disposal at the end. You could even throw in a sausage sizzle and make a day of it! I think we all know how the humble fun run goes. You could mix it up by thinking of a unique activity or challenge! Awareness-raising ideas These activities aren t intended to raise funds, but will help build on the awareness and education aspects of your campaign and make a positive impact on participants. And they can be fun too! Strengths selfies Cover the mirrors Compliments cards Love, Yourself Positive body pledge Meme Contest Have students take a selfie with a positive message about their strengths. Just make sure students don t make it superficial or about the wrong sort of things (see page 9). Cover the mirrors in the bathrooms with paper or cardboard, and have people write messages of positivity and encouragement. Just like a secret Valentine s admirer, get students to fill out compliment cards for one another as an opportunity to express what they value about their friends and classmates. Get students to write themselves a letter which they will post to themselves or open at a later date, reminding them why they love and value themselves as a person. Invite people to take a pledge to stand for positive body image in their words and their actions. Your whole school could even take the pledge, promising as a group to embrace people of all shapes and sizes. Have students create memes that support the theme or message of your campaign, and choose the best one at the end.