Your fundraising journey begins here A guide to fundraising Registered Charity Number: 1048542
Andun Ltd employees and friends got together for a festive fun run, raising money for our Robotic Surgery Appeal.
Your kind support enables Our Charity to fund so many important projects and extra amenities to enhance the environment and hospital experience for our patients, visitors and staff. It may also be used to purchase additional medical equipment to assist our doctors and nurses with the treatment they can provide to patients, and we work closely with staff and patients to ensure that every donation is used wisely. This guide is here to help you along your fundraising journey, with tips, hints and fundraising ideas. Whether you have hours, weeks or months to spare, there is something for everyone! So get your thinking cap on and together let s fundraise!
Event Fundraising Why Why would you like to host an event? What is your cause? What What are your particular skills and interests? What do you enjoy doing most? (e.g. for a sponsored event) When When are you free? Weekend or weekday? What time of year? Where Will your home be big enough? Do you need to hire a hall? Who Who will you invite? Friends, family or the local community? Stage One - Plan Choose a date Choose a venue Set yourself a realistic fundraising target Set a budget Let us know what you re planning Stage Two - Spread the Word Social media Posters Media: Contact our communications officer Lauren Nash to discuss involving local media via Lauren.Nash@meht.nhs.uk Stage Three - Raising Funds Use your letter of authorisation as proof when approaching organisations Create a fundraising page Download an Our Charity sponsorship form Ask your workplace if they will do matched giving Stage Four - The Event Arrive early to make sure you are fully set up ready for guests Meet with all volunteers and brief them on their role Take plenty of photos! Stage Five - After your Event Chase all donors for their contributions Collect and count all money, make cheques payable to MEHT and indicate on the cheque the specific department for funds to go to if relevant Send cheques along with any sponsorship forms in to the charities office (address on contact us page)
During your event Fundraising is all about having fun and raising funds for your chosen cause, however, it is also important to ensure that you and your supporters are legal and safe. Staying Safe When planning an event it is important to take time and consider any risks that may be involved. For example, if you are organising a sponsored walk or running event, it is important to make sure you have enough marshals and also have someone available who is first aid trained. Collections This is one of the most traditional tested methods of raising funds, giving you the ability to talk to those donating and tell them your story. Depending on where you are collecting money you may need to speak to local authorities, so give us a call beforehand so that we can send you collection boxes and further information. Raffles and lotteries Raffles, lotteries and sweepstakes where a winner is chosen at chance are all activities that are governed by the Gambling Act 2005. To find out about the legislation and licenses that you may require to host such an event, check our fact sheet www.meht.nhs.uk/our-charity.
Fundraising Event Ideas There are a number of ways for you to get involved with Our Charity, from annual events such as the London Marathon to local pop-up fundraisers, the opportunities are endless! If an organised event isn't for you then how about setting up your own? Take a look at the suggestions below for ideas and inspiration, fundraising is only limited by your own imagination! Ideas for in the home: There are several ways in which you can use your home environment as a venue for fundraising: Come Dine With Me style dinner party - Invite a group of friends and let the cooking commence. All guests contribute an amount for the prize money - instead of the winner taking the prize money for themselves they can donate the money to Our Charity. Sponsored activity - To gain the most sponsorship from family and friends, it is important to pick the right activity. Perhaps give up something that they all know you love, or choose your favourite activity and set yourself a high challenge. Clothes swap - Invite friends and family to bring three or four items of clean, good quality clothing that they no longer wear. Ask for a donation for the clothing e.g. 1 for a T-shirt or 3 for a jumper. It s a great event to bring people together and find a use for quality items rather than throwing them away. To add to your event, why not have a cake sale too?
Ideas for in the workplace: Bake off - Invite your team and other departments to enter a cake baking competition, gather everyone together and choose a judge (it could be your team manager) to decide on the best cake. You could provide a prize for the winner or a winner s certificate. After the judging, ask for donations towards the slices of cake or the cake as a whole. Fancy dress day/dress down day - Organise for the office team to come to work in fancy dress, perhaps add a specific theme such as a pyjama day or Disney day and ask them to theme their clothing choices. Ask each staff member to give a 2 minimum donation for taking part. Guess the sweets in the jar - For this fundraising activity, all you need is a jar and lots of sweets. You can either guess the amount of sweets or guess the weight of the sweets in the jar. The great thing is you already have your prize - whoever wins gets the jar of sweets. Broomfield Hospital now has two dementia-friendly gardens on site This demonstrates the value that Our Charity adds to patient and carer experience around our trust and that we really couldn t fund projects such as this one without the generosity of all those that support Our Charity. - Yvonne Carter, Charities Manager
There are a variety of events you can take part in, for example: Skydive https://www.skylineregistrations.co.uk/ parachuting/booking.aspx?clientid=53463 Trek Hadrian s Wall https://booking.globaladventurechallenges.com/? id=236&d=hw06072018&r=1&charity=10137 Cycle coast to coast https://booking.globaladventurechallenges.com/? id=230&d=ukc2c09082018&r=1&charity=10137
Participating in fundraising activities Why What is your cause? Why do you feel strongly about raising money? What What are your strengths and weaknesses? Maybe you re sporty, so a sponsored running event would be ideal, or if you re known as the local daredevil, perhaps it s time to jump out of a plane? When/where This tends to be dictated to you by the event organisers, so make sure you thoroughly research the event. Is it easy to get to? Does it clash with other activities? Who Sponsored events are great as part of a team. Why not get a group of work colleagues together, or family and friends? We are currently working with Skyline Events and Global Adventure Challenges. For more information, please see Our Charity s challenge webpage. With such a variety of events and activities, there really is something for everyone! Alternatively, you can also get involved with local events.
Spread the word Face-to-face interaction Whoever you may be talking to, let them know what you are up to. Word of mouth is one of the best communication methods. Posters Template posters are available on our website. This enables you to make sure that you are including all of the important information e.g. charity number. We are here to help Let us know what you are doing so we can share your fantastic efforts with our followers. Work meetings Add it to the agenda - at the end of your staff meeting give a brief talk on what you are doing and how people can help. Social media Social media is a great free tool, providing quick and easy communication. Please use it responsibly information you post can be accessed easily. Media Contact our communications officer Lauren Nash for advice: Lauren.Nash@meht.nhs.uk. Head and neck cancer team host charity evening, raising 7,500 After months of planning, we held the first ever (in Essex) head and neck cancer charity evening, which was attended by more than 200 people. So many patients who have suffered with mouth cancer came to support each other and the cause. It was a humbling experience for all of us who work at the Broomfield head and neck cancer unit. I was overwhelmed by the generosity of so many patients, family members and friends to raise more than 7,500 in one evening it was amazing.
Donating funds raised couldn't be easier Online JustGiving is a great way to donate money as it goes straight to Our Charity. You can donate directly to Our Charity s page at www.justgiving.com/midessexhospitals. Alternatively, you can set up your own page for your event or cause. Cash All cash should be counted and put into a sealed container or envelope. Please make sure that a note is inside stating where the money has come from (sponsored event/ donation), your name and contact details. Cheques Cheques should be made payable to MEHT and if you wish for your donation to go to a specific ward or cause, please state this on the cheque e.g. Stock Ward, Broomfield Hospital. Make the most of your donation Gift Aid If your supporters are UK taxpayers, they can add 25% at no extra cost to their donation. This really makes a big difference, so please make sure your UK tax-paying donors fill in their details on your sponsorship/donation form. They must tick the option for Gift Aid, and include their full name and home address (including postcode). Matched Giving Lots of companies operate matched giving schemes that can double the amount of money you raise. Find out if your employer operates a scheme, and if they ll match what you raise. Remind them that it s tax efficient for them and that it benefits Our Charity. If they are able to match your fundraising, don t forget to let us know so we can look out for their contribution.
After Before Supportive sister has her long locks cut to raise money for the Children s Burns Club in thanks for the care of her sibling A supportive sister had 18 inches of her long hair cut off to raise money for the Children s Burns Club in thanks for the care of her sibling. Mia Graham, 10, from Feering, near Colchester, wanted to make a difference to other children who have suffered burns like her younger sister, Maizie. In 2013, at the age of eight months old, Maizie was involved in an accident at home in which she nearly lost her life. Due to a fault with the family s boiler, the water from the hot tap in the bath was coming out at 82 C and Maizie suffered 45% deep dermal burns. Their mum, Jodie, said: Maizie was a very poorly baby and spent three-and-a-half months on the Burns Intensive Care Unit at Broomfield Hospital and then became even more poorly and spent a month in Great Ormond Street Hospital - all of this time she was on full life support. Finally she started to pull through and get better and we managed to get her home days before her first birthday. Maizie is now a very happy, bubbly five-year-old. She still spends a lot of time in and out of hospital having operations, physiotherapy, laser treatment etc., but she is such an inspiration and takes everything in her stride and with an infectious smile. The Children s Burns Club helps burn survivors and their families to cope with everyday life, gives them the chance to feel that they can be themselves and shows them that they are not alone in their injuries. They have helped and taught us so much and we would truly be lost without them all. Tell us your story We can t wait to hear all about your fundraising, so don t forget to get in touch and let us know how it went. If you have any photographs of your fundraising, remember to send them in with a permission form - found on Our Charity s fundraising webpage. You could appear on our website and social media pages, along with other marketing materials. Email: Fundraising@meht.nhs.uk.
Thank you! We recognise that one of the most important parts of fundraising is to say thank you to those who have supported you through your fundraising journey. Thank you for taking time to read this guide, we hope it helps you on your fundraising journey. But most of all, thank you for choosing to support Mid Essex Hospitals Charitable Foundation - Our Charity. Our Charity was founded in 1992 and only through charitable giving are we able to improve and enhance the environment, helping to create pleasant and comfortable surroundings for patients and their visitors during their stay in hospital. This includes schemes such as refurbishing patient and visitor areas, funding complementary therapies and providing artwork to make the environment stimulating and positive. We also support additional training sessions, courses and conferences for staff to further their medical knowledge. Thank you! In addition we fund medical equipment to complement the specialist care staff can provide to patients, offering better and faster treatment that might not otherwise be available.
Our Charity contact details Fundraising co-ordinator: Email: Fundraising@meht.nhs.uk Tel: 01245 514860 Online: www.meht.nhs.uk/our-charity Twitter: @mehtcharity Facebook: @mehtcharities Instagram: @mehtcharity Address: Charities Office Broomfield Court Broomfield Hospital Chelmsford Essex CM1 7ET Registered Charity Number: 1048542
Hosting a raffle as part of your event Hosting a raffle is an excellent way to raise funds. Please see the below guide for advice about how to organise a successful raffle at your event. Step One: Keep it Legal We recommend that when hosting a raffle you only sell tickets on the day of the event - this way you don t have to worry about a licence. If, however, you are hoping to host a large scale raffle where you sell tickets days, weeks or months in advance, you will be required to obtain a licence from your local authority. You will also need to follow the Gambling Commission s stipulations on what to include on your tickets. For more information, visit www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/ for-the-public/fundraising-and-promotions/fundraising/lotteries-at-events.aspx. Step Two: Prizes We suggest asking for donations of prizes. You can speak with local businesses, family members, friends and supporters to see what they can donate. Legally, if your raffle is held on one day only, you can use 100 of the proceeds from the sale of the raffle tickets for prizes. However, we do not recommend this as it will reduce your fundraising total. Step Three: Let People Know If your raffle is part of your fundraising event, promote it! On all event posters let people know that there will be a raffle on the day. Step Four: Get Support It is important to make sure that you have enough support on the day to carry out your raffle. Ask friends and family members to volunteer to sell tickets, call out numbers and hand out prizes. Fundraising is a great group activity! For further advice on hosting a raffle please get in touch fundraising@meht.nhs.uk Registered Charity Number: 1048542
Supporter sponsorship form Our Charity Taking part in a sponsored event is lots of fun to help you collect funds and gift aid, please use this form Gift Aid - By ticking the box and kindly giving us your name and address, you are letting the government know that you would like them to give us the tax back on your donation. It is important that you are paying income and/or capital gains tax at the time of paying your sponsorship money and that the amount of tax you have paid is more than the amount we reclaim. Name Home Address Postcode Amount Date Paid Gift Aid Hear more from Our Charity What I am doing and why I am doing it: Make cheques payable to: Mid Essex Hospital Charitable Foundation. Please don t send cash in the post. Collect donations online: Raising money online is quick and easy for you and your supporters, as your donations are automatically sent to us. Set up your online fundraising page at: www.justgiving.com/midessexhospitals Please send your completed form to: Charities Office Broomfield Hospital Chelmsford Essex CM1 7ET Registered Charity Number: 1048542