FUNDRAISING GUIDE
Welcome... T hank You for supporting Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust. The Cornwall Air Ambulance first took to the skies in 1987 the first service of its kind in the UK. Today, it remains one of the busiest and most vital Air Ambulance services in the country, attending around 1,000 missions per year and proving itself an invaluable part of the county s emergency services. The helicopter costs around 1.7m per year to operate, and with no government funding, relies entirely upon the generosity of our fundraisers. To the thousands of airlifted patients, their friends and their families, this service and your support truly is priceless. This guide should help you in your fundraising efforts by giving you some hints and tips, as well as a bit of inspiration. Don t forget, the charity team is always on hand to offer help and support, and we love to hear from our supporters. You can always call us on 01637 88 99 26 or email enquiries@cornwallairambulancetrust.org Whether it s a run, cake sale, quiz night or swear jar, your support really will help save lives in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Top 10 Fundraising Tips 10 Check the A-Z of Fundraising guide for ideas. 9 Plan ahead! Give yourself plenty of time to plan your fundraising activity or event. 8 Keep it simple! No event or activity is too small to help keep the Air Ambulance flying. Often, tried and tested ideas are the best! 7 Set yourself a fundraising target that s achievable. It ll make your fundraising easier and more enjoyable. 6 Get friends and family involved don t try and go it alone! 5 Make it easy for people to donate! Combine paper sponsor forms, collecting tins, and online fundraising to give people options. 4 Stay safe and legal! Even small things like carrying a first aid kit are important. Also make sure you find out about any licenses you need. We can help with this. 3 Find out if local businesses will sponsor your event or provide goods/services at a discounted rate. Also ask your employer if they do match funding. 2 Ask the charity for help and advice! If we can t help, we probably know someone who can! 1 HAVE FUN WITH YOUR FUNDRAISING! If you start to flag, take a breather, have a cuppa, remember why you re supporting us, and go back feeling inspired and refreshed!
7 Steps to Success Take a minute to sit down with a cuppa and make a plan of action for your event! Follow these 7 simple steps to success and you ll fly through your event preparations in no time! Pick an event: Choose something easy and fun to organise. Start with what you know if you like baking, how about holding a cake sale? Check the A-Z Guide for ideas. Choose a date and time: Have a look and find out when other events are taking place in your area so you re not competing. Weekends and evenings are best but also busiest! Decide on a venue: See if any local companies will donate their venue, or for sporting events, ask sports teams or councils if you can use their fields for free. Work out all your costs. Come up with a budget to ensure your event doesn t end up costing you money, and set a realistic fundraising target make sure it s achievable. Be safe and legal: See if you need a collection, music, event or alcohol license more info overleaf! Also think about first aid kits or, for larger events, medical cover. Tell everyone: We can send you free poster templates. Use social media, and contact local papers and radio stations. Don t forget word of mouth advertising it s often the best kind! Keep in touch: We re always here for advice, and if we can t help, we probably know someone who can!
Collecting Money Sponsorship Forms Doing a sponsored run, cycle, baked bean bath or silence? Give us a call and we ll send you an official sponsorship form by email or in the post. Unfortunately we can t accept homemade sponsor forms. Online Sponsorship There are so many benefits to online sponsorship! Never have to chase people to pay Easy for people to donate by card Easy to share on social media Money sent straight to charity Go to www.justgiving.com or www.virginmoneygiving.com and create your page, selecting Cornwall Air Ambulance as your charity. If you need any help, give us a call and we can talk you through it. Collection Buckets and Jars How do I get cash donations to you? Using our official collection jars and buckets makes people feel safer donating their money. We can send you jars and buckets for your event just contact us! You can pop your money into our Newquay HQ or any of our charity shops, or post us a cheque. Please don t post us cash! Top Tips for Fundraising: Keep it personal share photos and tell people why you re supporting Cornwall Air Ambulance Keep updated Tell your donors how preparations are going, and afterwards, how you got on Set a good example People often decide how much to sponsor you based on previous donations, so get your big donors to give first
Gift Aid Explained Gift Aid allows us to reclaim tax on donations, adding 25p to every 1 given, at no cost to your donors! Anybody can Gift Aid their donation, provided they ve paid UK income or capital gains tax equal to the tax that will be claimed. Unfortunately, donations from businesses cannot be Gift Aided. It s vital that we get every Gift Aid donor s full name, address and postcode, and that they sign and date the form. Legal Stuff As your event is not being organised by the charity, you will need to think about some basic legal and safety considerations. This guide is not exhaustive, so if you re at all unsure, please get in touch! Can I collect in public for Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust? To collect in the street, you ll need a street collection license from Cornwall Council (call 0300 1234 100). To collect in a private space like a pub or shop, you ll need to ask permission from the business. Do I need a license for my event? You may need a license, especially if your event involves music or alcohol. It s best to speak to the local council about any event you re planning and check about any permissions you need. How do I keep my event safe? It s best to carry out a risk assessment for your event, as this will flag up any potential issues. For larger events, consult your local fire safety officer about fire hazards, and consider getting first aid cover from an organisation like St John s Ambulance. For help with risk assessments, contact Charity HQ.
Corporate Fundraising Supporting Cornwall Air Ambulance is a great way of getting everyone together and having fun in aid of a brilliant cause! Organise a fundraising event or encourage your employees to take part in our rewarding volunteer opportunities. Promote team spirit, boost staff morale, and build your profile as a great, caring Cornish business. Collection Jars Own a pub, café, tourist attraction, garage or shop? One of the best ways to help Cornwall Air Ambulance is to have one of our Collection Jars on your counter. All the pennies really do add up, and you ll get a certificate telling you and your customers how much you ve raised! There s no hassle we deliver, collect and count the jar for you. To get one, call 01637 88 99 26. School Fundraising Non-uniform days, discos and sponsored silences are all really fun ways to fundraise for Cornwall Air Ambulance, and we can also come and give an exciting talk about the work of the charity. By fundraising for us, there s even the chance for one lucky school to win a visit from the helicopter, giving the children a chance to have a look inside, get their photo taken, and meet our paramedic heroes! To find out how your school can get involved, call our education coordinator Jackie on 01637 88 99 26.
FAQs Can I use your charity logo on posters? Of course! Just get in touch and we ll send you the logo. Please ensure posters state the event is in aid of Cornwall Air Ambulance, and is not organised by us, and that you include our charity number (1133295). We can provide you with template posters just call us! Can I design my own sponsor form? Sorry, we re unable to accept homemade sponsorship forms. Contact Charity HQ and we ll send you an official one! Can I hold a raffle or lottery? As Cornwall Air Ambulance has its own lottery, we would ask you not to run a competing lottery. Raffles are great, and provided you sell the tickets and make the draw on the same day you won t need a license. Can I use my own collection buckets? It s best to get one of our official collection jars or buckets, which are sealed and branded. Just contact us and we ll arrange to get you some! Thank You! Thank You for choosing to support Cornwall Air Ambulance! If you have any questions or want advice, we re here to help! We can also provide you with merchandise, template posters and more. Just call Charity HQ on 01637 88 99 26.