Do it for us - British Heart Foundation

Do it for us
BHF, the nation’s heart charity
your little red guide
to fundraising your own way
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FUND
Thank you for choosing to fundraise in aid of the
British Heart Foundation.
This guide is packed full of information and ideas to help
you make your fundraising event a success. We have
added some personal stories of people, much like you,
who decided to help us make a real difference. From an
A-Z of fundraising ideas, legal concerns and inspirational
stories - it's all in here!
If you do have any questions, need some fundraising
resources (collecting tins, balloons, posters etc.) or just
need some extra help, you can call your local fundraising
office (details on back page) and they will be happy
to assist.
Remember it doesn’t matter how much you raise –
many people raising small amounts, save a lot of lives.
Have fun with whatever you decide to do to help our lifesaving and life-changing work continue. From the many
individuals and families who you may never ever meet –
a big thank you.
Good Luck
Page 2 h Do it for us - a guide to fund raising
Why do it for the
BHF?
Unfortunately, heart and circulatory
disease remains the nation’s biggest
killer and affects thousands of families
and individuals.
As the nation’s heart charity, we play a
leading role in saving and changing
lives through:
h investing in pioneering research
into the prevention, diagnosis and
treatment of the heart, which has
already saved thousands of lives
and improved the lives of
thousands more
h supporting and caring for heart
patients through our Heart Helpline
and over 400 great BHF Specialist
Health Care Professionals
h providing vital information, through
our easy to understand literature
and targeted campaigns, that helps
everyone reduce their own risk of
dying prematurely from a heart or
circulatory illness
h campaigning for change – to
improve the lives of children, heart
patients and their families
Page 3 h Do it for us - a guide to fund raising
Steven did it for his Mum
Steven has raised more than £10,000
and has been declared a Heart Hero
for his fantastic efforts. Steven’s mum
Katie died suddenly following her
triple heart bypass surgery. She was
just 49. So, Steven threw himself into
fundraising and has cycled, climbed
and hiked his way to raise more than
£10,000.
Steven and a team of friends took
part in the Scottish Grand Slam, a
tough challenge event that saw them
hiking the Cairngorms, Ben Nevis and
cycling over 100 miles! And Steven’s
team of John, Kevin, Phillip, David,
Stephen, Gordon, Kris and Paul raised
the inspiring sum of £6,160 for that
challenge alone.
In recognition of his awe-inspiring
efforts Steven was one of seven
recipients of a Heart Hero Award.
Steven says: “I’m really pleased to get
this award and it’s good to get
recognition of what’s really been a
team effort with friends and family.
Sometimes it takes losing someone
close to you to realise that you
should do something to make a
difference to your own life and
to others.”
do it for children like Jake
Over 4,600 children are born with congenital heart disease every
year. Baby Jake was one of these.
When Jake was born, there was no
sign there was anything wrong but
when a community midwife visited,
instinct told her there was a
problem. Jake was rushed into
hospital for emergency open surgery
at just five days old - diagnosed with
Transposition of the Great Arteries,
a condition in which the two main
arteries of the heart are back
to front.
Due to complications Jake’s chest
had to be left open, but at just ten
days old, he had a further operation
to close his chest. Thankfully Jake
recovered from his operation and
Page 4 h Do it for us - a guide to fund raising
was allowed to leave hospital, to the
immense joy of his family.
Jake has since made an incredible
recovery and is now happy, healthy
and mischievous.
Jake’s mum, Lisa, told us “Unless you
have had personal experience of heart
disease, it is difficult to comprehend
the importance and relevance of the
work of the BHF. Without
developments in heart surgery, Jake
would not have survived this condition
30 years ago.”
Page 5 h Do it for us - a guide to fund raising
Whatever your reason Do it your own way
Lesley did it
because she’ s
still here
Lesley is just 42 and despite being so young and in good health she had her
first heart attack at 36. Luckily she received the treatment she needed and
during her recovery was so impressed with the work of the BHF that she
decided to organise a fundraising event at her parent’s Edinburgh pub and a
Halloween Party - supported by the local fundraising office.
They did it
for their
colleague
and friend,
Mar k
Keith from Derby was inspired to arrange a charity football match after his
friend, Mark, died of a heart attack – “We thought the best way to honour
our football mad friend was to hold a charity football match to raise money
for the BHF and remember him. We went about contacting local football
players and asking them to get involved. They were really keen to help and
once we had the teams we got loads of advice from the local fundraising
team as to how to book venues and start selling the tickets”.
Page 6 h Do it for us - a guide to fund raising
There are many ways you can raise money for the BHF. From
putting on your own celebrity ball to sitting in a bathtub of beans –
here are some ideas.
Cake sales and bring-and-buy - a
delicious partnership to get rid of
something you didn’t want for
something you did
Guess the winner - pick a name out of
a hat events are great for football
tournaments, Grand National winners,
reality TV shows and well, anything
where there’s a chance of victory. A
twist on this would be to guess the
weight or how many in...
Walk your way- organise your very
own walk and promote it locally; a
ghost tour or a walk with a twist
(three-legged, balancing books,
orienteering) or check out one of our
walks events suited to you at
www.bhf.org.uk/events
Knitting for charity - Easy, fun and
gratifying - Any craft goes really!
Hobby does equal fundraising.
Photo competitions - guess who
from baby photos to caption
competitions
Give it up - for us! - give up
something you like to raise a few
pounds. From Chocolate to Shaving!
Hold a dress down (or up!) day people will pay good money to wear
their own clothes. They’ll probably pay
even more to come in their ball
dresses and tuxedos. Or you could get
that ‘bad taste’ tie or tights out for
one day
What a difference a day makes from Valentine’s Ball and World Heart
Day Walks, these are fundraising
landmarks for us – but what about
other memorial days such as National
Grammar Day or National Cheese on
Toast Day
Be very swish - get your friends
together to swap gorgeous clothes.
Everyone brings at least one good
quality item of clothing, or an
accessory - sold to the highest bidder
or have a party and a fashion show
auction. A great opportunity to get
those modelling careers finally back
on track too!
Coin Mile - organise coins around the
office, school or town centre - any
distance will do
Page 7 h Do it for us - a guide to fund raising
Doing it at college
or university
Hold a golf day - raise money, keep fit
and get competitive at your club. Get
local companies to support with raffle
prizes and hold a dinner at the
nineteenth hole? The local fundraising
office can support you
Take a baked bean bath or get
gunged - get sponsored to take
the plunge
Everyday’s a learning day - always
wanted to juggle, swim 1km, learn a
language or play the flute - magic! Get
sponsored and invite everyone to a
show to demonstrate your new skill.
Why not get your friends to set
the challenge
Be a borrower - ask local companies,
artists, celebrities to donate goods and
organise an auction (include gifts of
time or goodwill)
Dine for us - get friends, colleagues &
family to cook their most mouthwatering feast and put on their best
entertainment. Get everyone to pay
restaurant prices over the week
Doing it with
colleagues
Abandon your car - get your office to
do their hearts and environment a
favour and get sponsored to walk or
get on your bike to work
Stag and Hen Kiss-o-grams - it’s all
for charity! Why not play cupid and
organise a speed dating event
for friends
Run for Fun - find your own route and
distance (or just run on the spot!) or
check out one of our running events
suited to you at
www.bhf.org.uk/events
Hold a Charity Varsity Tournament –
raise the profile, add more passion and
raise money by teams doing RAG raids.
End the games with a sponsored
tug-a-war for honour! Or find out how
many crackers can you eat in a
minute?
Strictly darlings - put on a dance
night (or marathon!) - Or get local
drama and musical groups to put on a
show for us with money raised from
tickets, programmes and tombola’s.
Put on a talent contest to see who’s
got that certain X-Factor
Quizzes & Games - from bridge, bingo
to poker, put on a games night or why
not persuade your club or pub to put
on a quiz. Or you could consider
putting on a snail race night, or
venture outdoors for a duck race
Office Olympics - why should threelegged racers be only for kids! A space
hopper race is great for team building or if you’re feeling more adventurous
set up your own ‘It’s a Knockout!’
Small Change Challenge - ask your
colleagues to empty their loose
change into a jar and at the end of
the week/month it will make a
big difference
Ransom Breaks - find a willing VIP
(very important prisoner) such as a
Head, Chancellor, Mayor, or local MP
and hold them captive; getting friends,
family and colleagues to pay a
charity ransom
Swap Shop - Canadian Kyle
Macdonald traded a red (how
appropriate!) paperclip for a pen, and
ten trades later had a house. Auction
what you end up with for us
Jailbreak - find some friends, dress up
like Elvis in Jailhouse Rock and get
dropped off in a mystery location
without any money – and blag your
way home, raising money along the
way (legally, of course)
1 in 365 – give up a day’s salary and
persuade your colleagues to do the
same. Ask if your employer is willing to
match fund
End bad hair days - fancy a sponsored
shave? Let’s raise the stakes sponsored wax sir?
Celebrate with us - from garden fetes,
parties to balls. If you have everything
you need, ask guests to donate and
give a gift that saves lives!
Page 8 h Do it for us - a guide to fund raising
Page 9 h Do it for us - a guide to fund raising
An A-Z of fundr aising ideas
Hopefully you will now want to get to grips with an idea - if not,
here’s a quick list to hopefully inspire you - you may want to mix
a number of ideas to maximise your fundraising
Doing it at
school
Jump Rope & Dodgeball - speak
to your local fundraising office
about these great, fun events
Sponsored Silence - parents and
teachers are sure to pay good
money to see how long you can
keep... sshh!!
Sponsored Quiz - get sponsored
and challenge your teachers to a
lunchtime quiz
Shiver me timbers my hearties –
devise some clever clues on where
to find the loot, get sponsored
and away you go
Spelling Bee - hold your very own
spelling competition and get
parents to sponsor you for
each word
Bag-packing or Car Washing get your teacher to organise a
fundraiser at your local store or in
the school car park
Pantomimes & Sports Days get sponsored, challenge and
have fun
Non-Uniform days - great for that
last day of term, or National Wear
Red Day in February!
Page 10 h Do it for us - a guide to fund raising
Aerobathon Challenge
Art Exhibitions
Auctions
Balls & Dances
Balloon Race
Barbecues
Beard Shaving
Beauty Evening
Beer Tasting
Bingo Benefit
Bonfire Night
Book Sale
Bridge Evening
Bring & Buy
Cake Sale
Calendar
Car Boot Sale
Car Show
Car Washing
Carol Concert
Carol Singing
Cat Show
Clothes Show
Coffee Morning
Craft Fair
Cricket Tournaments
Dance Competition
Darts Tournament
Dinner Party
Disco
Dog Show
Dress Down Day
Duck Races
Easter Egg Hunt
Education Day
Eighties Night
Entertainment
Fancy Dress
Fashion Shows
Festival
Fetes
Film Night
Fire Walks
Fireworks Night
Five-a-side Footie
Fun Run
Garden Shows
Golf Tournaments
Grand National
Guess the weight of…
Halloween Party
Head Shave
Heroes & Heroines
Party
Hill Walking
Indulgence Evening
Insect Racing
International Party
Jazz Night
Job Swap
Jumble Sale
Karaoke
Kissogram
Knitting Competition
Ladies Lunch
Mastermind
Model Car Racing
Musical Evening
Netball Tournament
National Day Party
Non Uniform Day
Obstacle Course
Office Party
Parachuting
Pamper Parties
Photo Competition
Pub Quiz
Punk Party
Quiz Evening
Race Night
Raft Race
Salsa Evening
Silent Auction
60’s / 70’s Party
Sponsored Silence
Sponsored Slim
Sports Tournament
Street Party
Swear Box
Swimming
Talent Competition
Treasure Hunt
Ultimate Challenges
University Challenge
Valentine Party
Variety Show
Volleyball Tournament
Walks
Wine Tasting
Xmas Fair
X Factor
Yes / No Competition
Yodelling
Yoga Marathon
Page 11 h Do it for us - a guide to fund raising
Do it legally and safely!
We want you to have fun and keep things as simple as possible.
To put our minds at rest and to stop you from accidentally
breaking any laws, please read the important stuff below.
h You need to consider health and
safety and legal requirements
when doing this fundraising
activity. It’s all about common
sense. Follow the professional
advice of equipment
manufacturers and staff
supervising any facilities. The
formal bit: the British Heart
Foundation cannot accept liability
for any loss, damage or injury
suffered by you or anyone else as
a result of taking part in a
fundraising event. Please seek to
get adequate cover and ensure
third party suppliers have
likewise. Loads of advice can be
found at www.hse.gov.uk
h Food hygiene is vitally important.
No one likes to get sick, especially
as a reward for raising money for
a charity. Please take great care
when handling food and work to
basic rules for safe preparation,
storage, display and cooking. You
can find lots of useful information
at www.food.gov.uk and
www.eatwell.gov.uk/keepingfood
safe
h Be sure you are in good health to
undertake your event and if in
any doubt, gain clearance from
your doctor, particularly in
Page 12 h Do it for us - a guide to fund raising
relation to a physically
demanding activity.
h There are strict and complex laws
relating to raffles and lotteries.
There are also legal requirements
regarding prizes, the costs of
running a raffle or lottery and the
way they are organised. Get in
contact with us before holding
one of these events and before
you spend money on getting
some tickets printed. There are
numerous laws relating to
charitable giving - if you need
support or advice please contact
your local offices. We usually give
our supporters a special logo to
use to promote their fundraising.
Do it in style! - publicity guidance
Publicising your event in the local media is a great way to attract
support, whilst raising awareness of the British Heart Foundation’s
fight against heart disease.
To help generate publicity for your
event you could send a press release
to your local media. Written in a
journalistic style, a press release is
a public relations announcement
for the purpose of gaining media
coverage for your event and informing
the general public - so make it as
interesting as you can.
Finished press releases can be sent
to news editors at your local
newspapers, TV, radio stations and
online media’. You should be able to
find the contact details in your
newspaper, on the internet or in the
Yellow Pages. Remember, it’s always
worth following your press release
up with a phone call.
Many newspapers welcome a follow
up to initial press releases or
announcements. This could be a story
on the amount raised for the BHF
and could be accompanied by
photographs from the day.
Template press releases are included
in this pack for you to add your
event details and other information
that may be of interest.
BHF Communications staff can also
offer expert advice and support
to help you adapt template press
releases to suit your needs.
Page 13 h Do it for us - a guide to fund raising
Ten Top Tips to fundraising success
Making your money grow
1. Have fun - and choose a fundraising project that you will enjoy. If you’re having a
good time people are more likely to respond.
Use www.justgiving.com/bhf and
create your own page- and encourage
everyone you know to sponsor you.
We recommend you use our sponsor
form for most fundraising - as this will
help maximise the amount of gift aid just contact one of our local
fundraising offices listed at the back
and they’ll pop some in the post.
2. Keep it simple - The best fundraising projects are the simplest. Be realistic and cost
out your event carefully. Keep a checklist so you know exactly what needs to be done
at every stage.
3. Keep it legal - Keep in close contact with your local office and check out
www.how2fundraise.org which has loads of external advice to ensure everything you
are doing is legal.
4. Do your sums - Make sure you keep an accurate report of all financial transactions
you make for your event. If you use a sponsor form to capture names and addresses
of donors, and they are eligible we can claim Gift Aid on every donation - cake sales
to marathons! Also see if your employer is willing to Match Fund donations. Please
don’t send cash in the post.
5. Why are you helping us? - If you have a personal reason for supporting the BHF
share it with potential supporters and the local press as it will help bring your
fundraising to life. Visit www.bhf.org.uk to find out more about how your money will
be used to change people’s lives and what we have going on locally. If you haven’t
got access to the internet have a quick chat with the team in the one of the local
offices.
6. Choose your date carefully - Be aware of major sporting events and school holidays
and work around them.
7. Tell us about it - We’d love to hear what you’re planning and can provide you with
posters, balloons and materials to help make your event a success. Join one of our
Facebook groups and see what others are up to.
What is Gift Aid? Please ask donors to
Gift Aid their donation as it enables us
to claim 28p in every £1 back from the
Government - so if someone donates
£100 we get an additional £28. That’s a
lot of money and it doesn’t cost your
sponsors anything.
Double your Money. Some
companies will consider match
funding - where they will donate £1 for
every £1 you raise. It’s a great way to
boost the money you’ve raised and an
extra incentive for all your friends and
colleagues.
Sending your money in to us
So, you’ve raised lots of money to
help people affected by heart and
circulatory disease. But what do you
do with all those cheques and coins?
Well, simply contact your local
fundraising office - or post it in to the
nearest office. They’ll tell you
everything you need to know to get
your money working. And do
remember that the quicker you pay
your sponsorship money in, the
quicker it can fund vital services and
the quicker we can send you a big
thank you letter telling you how
amazing you are.
A few things to remember:
h Please don’t send cash in the post
h Wherever possible encourage
people to write cheques payable
to the ‘British Heart Foundation’
8. Tell others about it - Tell your friends, family and work colleagues about what you’re
up to and let your local paper and radio station know. If you’re online, then use the
internet - it’s a great way to keep friends and their friends and their friends’ friends
updated - either through Facebook, Bebo, MySpace or by sending a blanket email to
your address book. Work with local media, especially if you are planning a large event
- TV and radio too.
9. Maximise your reach - Especially if you are getting sponsored, use
www.justgiving.com/bhf and create your own page. This way you can email it to your
friends, family and colleagues - make sure that the first donation is high, as this will
inspire others to be equally generous!
10. Thank everyone - Let people know how grateful we are for their support and
when you know how much you have raised, tell them so they know what a valuable
contribution they have made.
Page 14 h Do it for us - a guide to fund raising
Page 15 h Do it for us - a guide to fund raising
Please consider how you could do it
for us again
We very much hope you have
enjoyed your fundraising efforts thank you. If you want to continue to
support us here are just a few of the
options you might want to think
about
h It’s easy and fun
h It’s whatever suits you
h You’ll be joining a great team
h Volunteer for us and help us beat
heart disease
Join us as a local contact and we will
keep you updated on local
opportunities, for you to choose how
and when you can help us in the
future - help us map the whole UK
Volunteer in a BHF Charity shop
or specialist Furniture and
Electrical store.
Fundraise for us again - and support
us during National Heart Month in
February, by going Red for Heart.
Help us in our annual campaign by
promoting and fundraising - any red
way you want!
Become a campaigner to protect the
UK’s heart health
If you want something a bit more
challenging, then please speak to
your local office about volunteering
opportunities tailor-made for you.
Maybe promoting our schools
initiatives or being a local speaker
ambassador - we have something
you will find rewarding.
Let us help you live with a healthy
heart. Heart Matters is the FREE
service from the BHF that gives you
personalised information on how to
look after your heart health. Sign up
today and you’ll enjoy regular issues
of heart matters magazine, access to
our friendly HelpLine, an online
lifestyle check and much more. To
find out more visit
www.bhf.org.uk/heart or call 0300
330 3300
Why not take part in a BHF Event?
Every year the BHF hosts hundreds
of local events from bike rides to
jogs to walks to exhilarating national
and world challenges. There are
events to suit everyone: families,
teams and individuals. To find out
more, visit www.bhf.org.uk or
contact your local office.
Start a Gift of Hope Heart Fund in
memory of a loved one. At a time of
sadness and loss, it can be difficult to
“Volunteering.
You achieve
more than
you thought
possible, and
enjoy every
minute”
adequately express sympathy and
condolences in a way that is both
appropriate and timeless. Your gift to
the BHF could last even longer
through a Gift of Hope which is a
very special way to celebrate and
remember the life of a loved one
who is sadly missed. It's also a
permanent tribute in his or her
name that will have a lasting effect
for many years to come.
Consider leaving a gift in your Will to
the BHF. Almost half of our total
funds come from supporter legacies.
So much of our work would not have
been possible without the kindness
of those who leave us a gift in their
Wills. By remembering us in your Will
you can make a real difference, and
help us to continue our life-saving
work. For help or information about
legacies please send an e-mail to
[email protected] or call us on
020 7487 7194.
Clare Clinton
BHF volunteer
+(/3 86 %($7 +($57 ',6
($6( <285 :$<
Volunteer at bhf.org
.uk/volunteer or call
0300 456 8353
© British Heart Foundati
on 2010, a registere
and Wales (225971)
d charity in England
and in Scotland (SC03942
6)
A4 UK
Page 16 h Do it for us - a guide to fund raising
Page 17 h Do it for us - a guide to fund raising
Your local BHF office - please contact us
for further fundraising advice or support
If you live in: Scotland or Northern Ireland
Ocean Point
94 Ocean Drive
Edinburgh
EH6 6JH
T: 0131 5555891 Fax: 0131 5555014
Email: [email protected]
WE’R E
HER E
P
L
E
H
O
T
There are lots of lovely people who can’t wait to
support you with your fundraising.You can contact
themat any one of our local volunteer fundraising
offices, listed on the opposite page.We also have
local fundraisers - and social media groups - who
might just be round the corner from you.
We’d love to hear from you.
Page 18 h Do it for us - a guide to fund raising
If you live in: Cleveland, Co. Durham, Cumbria, Derbyshire,
Greater Manchester, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Leicestershire,
Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Northumberland, Tyne &
Wear, Yorkshire
The Willows
RansomWood Business Park
Southwell Road West
Mansfield
NG21 0HJ
Tel: 01623 624558 Fax: 01623 629982
Email: [email protected]
If you live in: Cheshire, Herefordshire, Merseyside,
Staffordshire, Shropshire, South Manchester, Warwickshire,
West Midlands, Worcestershire
Cannon House
2255 Coventry Road
Sheldon
Birmingham B26 3NX
Tel: 0121 7228350 Fax: 0121 7429571
Email: [email protected]
If you live in: Wales
Admail 4065
Cardiff
CF1 1ZA
Tel: 02920 382368 Fax: 02920 382390
If you live in: Beds, Berks, Bucks, Cambs, Cornwall, Devon,
Dorset, East & West Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire,
Guernsey, Hants, Herts, Isle of Scilly, Isle of Wight, Jersey,
Kent, London, Norfolk, Northants, Oxfordshire, Somerset,
Suffolk, Surrey, West Berks, Wiltshire
PO Box 296
Tunbridge Wells
TN2 9DA
Tel: 01892 890002 Fax: 01892 891655
Email: [email protected]
© British Heart Foundation 2010, registered charity number in England and Wales (225971) and in Scotland (SCO39426)
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bhf.org.uk
The British Heart Foundation, the nation's heart charity
registered charity number 225971