Your Bliss fundraising pack

Your Bliss fundraising pack Bake, cycle, run, skydive, swim, collect, trek and raise money for babies born premature or sick. t 020 7378 1122 e events@bliss.org.uk w bliss.org.uk Registered charity no. 1002973 Scottish registered charity SC040878

2 Bliss fundraising pack Welcome to your Bliss fundraising pack Thank you for raising money for Bliss! We rely on amazing supporters like you to help continue our work for babies born premature or sick. In this pack you will find information about Bliss events and advice for organising your own event. We hope you find it useful. We love hearing from our fundraisers and we are always on hand to help in any way we can so please do keep in touch. Thank you and good luck, t 020 7378 1122 e events@bliss.org.uk The Bliss Events Team Contents Welcome to your Bliss fundraising pack... Why raise money for Bliss?... Your fundraising... Bliss personal funds... Challenge yourself... Organising your own event... Get active... Get together... At work... At school... Getting it right... Promoting your event and Bliss... Collecting sponsorship... Online fundraising... Materials order form... Send in your fundraising... Thank you... Sponsorship form... 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19/20

Bliss fundraising pack 3 Why raise money for Bliss? Bliss is the leading UK charity for babies born premature or sick. We are a community of parents, families, volunteers, health professionals and researchers all working together to make sure the sickest and most vulnerable babies in the UK have the best possible start in life. By raising money for Bliss you will be making a real difference to the lives of babies born premature or sick. You will be helping Bliss to: Empower families Evidence shows that babies are more likely to thrive when their families are fully involved in their hospital care. Bliss empowers families with the information and support they need to be involved and make decisions about their baby. Influence policy and practice Babies deserve the highest quality hospital care, however long they live or however long they spend in hospital. Bliss works with doctors and nurses to improve care for babies and campaigns within government and NHS for investment and better standards for babies. Enable life-changing research Research has the power to change the lives of babies born premature or sick and give them the best chance of survival and quality of life. Bliss supports vital neonatal research to make positive changes to the lives of babies now and for generations to come.

4 Bliss fundraising pack Your fundraising Bliss relies on donations from fantastic fundraisers like you to fund our vital work for premature and sick babies. So that you can see the impact you are making, here are examples of the ways your fundraising will make a difference. 25 Could provide emotional support to parents through a family group meeting 65 Could support neonatal research, which can be life-changing for babies 150 Helps to keep the Bliss helpline running for one week, providing a lifeline for parents 500 Could provide 250 families with essential information to understand how best to care for their baby in hospital One day I saw a Bliss leaflet and it was like a light had suddenly been switched on and all of a sudden I wasn t alone any more. I went to the Bliss website and read through stories from other parents and found out about the various terms I d heard on the unit. After reading through everything I had the confidence to ask the doctors questions and understand what was really happening. Georgia Melbourne, Mum to Scarlett born at 28 weeks

Bliss fundraising pack 5 Bliss personal funds Join the Bliss family by becoming a personal fundholder Setting up a personal fund in the name of your loved one allows you to donate to Bliss in a really special and lasting way. Here s how Any money that you, your friends or family donate to Bliss will be paid into your loved one s fund. The fund acts like a virtual collection bucket which grows over time. The fund doesn t cost anything to set up, plus it stays open for as long as you like and there s no obligation to pay into it each year. You can set up an online page to collect thoughts, pictures and fundraising activity, making it easy to share them with friends and family. Celebrate your child with a Sunshine Fund It s a real cause for celebration when a baby or child thrives after a difficult start. Our Sunshine Funds are a special way to express your joy while making a real difference to the lives of babies born premature or sick. When your child s fund reaches 1,000, we will show our thanks for your support by dedicating a tree in their honour in a woodland near your home. Give in memory with a Precious Star Fund When someone has died, setting up a Precious Star Fund in their name can be a long-lasting way to remember them. It can also be comforting to know that the money you raise in memory of them will help babies born premature or sick. When the fund reaches 5,000, as a way of thanking you and giving you a lasting tribute to your loved one, we will dedicate a star in their name. To find out more Please contact our Fundraising Team on 020 7378 1122 or email personalfunds@bliss.org.uk

6 Bliss fundraising pack Challenge yourself Our fundraising events are great fun and easy to enter. You can take part in: Cycle rides Runs Skydives Walks and treks Obstacle races There are thousands of events you can take part in up and down the country and all over the world. Secure your own place with the event organisers then simply get in touch to let us know you will be fundraising for Bliss. We will provide you with a vest or t-shirt and lots of support. All we ask is that you raise as much money as you can! When fundraising for any challenge such as a marathon, cycle or trek, many people ask for donations as well as holding fundraising events to help boost their sponsorship. Please read on for great ideas to help you raise as much as you can. For a full list of all the activities you can do for Bliss visit bliss.org.uk/events

Bliss fundraising pack 7 Organising your own event Here s a check list of things to consider when planning an event for Bliss Activity Think of an event that you would like to organise and that would create a good turnout. Venue When you book your venue, let them know it s for charity, they may give you a discount or donate it for free! Plan Draw yourself a timeline so you know when to do things and if you might need some help along the way. Budget Set a target, making sure your costs are covered. Safety Check with your venue or council for any specific details and if you need to do a risk assessment. Tell Bliss Let us know what you have planned so we can help you make your event a success. Date Check out what else might be happening on your chosen day, so that you don t have a clash. Guests Find out your minimum and maximum capacity, then decide who you want to invite and whether you need to spread your promotion to a wider circle than just your friends and family. Fundraising Think of all the ways you can raise money from your event such as ticket sales, raffles or sweepstakes, for example. See if you can get some prizes donated. Promotion Work out all the ways you can promote your event from posters to social media. Company matching Don t forget to ask your employer if they will donate or match what you raise. Have fun! With good planning you should have just as much fun as your invitees, and it s important you do! After all you ve put in all the hard work. Have a brilliant event!

8 Bliss fundraising pack Get active Set yourself a physical challenge. Do you have an ambition to skydive, or would you love to organise a zumbathon and get as many people involved as you can? Whatever your goal, get your friends together and make a real difference. Zap! Zumbathon Swimathon Netball tournament Sky dive Bliss little heroes walk* Spinathon Rachel Mann ran the London Marathon for Bliss in 2016 and raised over 3,000. To reach her target she organised multiple events. 1. Rachel did an eight hour Spinathon in her local shopping centre and charged 10 per bike, which raised 1,000. 2. Her second event was an eight hour netball match which raised 1,008.16. She charged 20 per player and held a raffle. Rachel had 21 donated raffle prizes, the lowest in value was a bottle of champagne! By tweeting and posting on Facebook, everyone involved spread the word about Rachel s fundraising and why she was doing it for Bliss. 3. And finally, Rachel organised a virtual 5k where you paid 10 to run anytime during the month of April. Once people shared the proof (i.e. a screenshot of a tracker) Rachel popped a medal in the post, which proved to be very popular. *Bliss has a special Bliss little heroes fundraising pack. To request yours call the Events Team on 020 7378 1122 or email events@bliss.org.uk

Bliss fundraising pack 92 Get together Are there already events within your community that are a hit? Or something you really enjoy organising or taking part in? If so, why not and turn it into a fundraiser! Comedy night Community fair Cake sale? Quiz night Craft fair Andy Hammond is a keen golfer so he held a golf day for Bliss. This included breakfast, 18 holes of golf and dinner in the ticket price. He also held an auction and set up a website to promote and recruit sign-ups. Andy raised an amazing 4,500. Marie Bailey holds an annual event called Lily s Ball. Guests enjoy the event so much that many come back every year. Marie has raised a phenomenal 65,000 since she began fundraising in 2008.

10 Bliss fundraising pack At work Whether during the day, or after hours, fundraising at work is a great way to raise money. Your company may also match your fundraising or make a donation to boost your total. Morgan McKinley, a global recruitment agency, have supported Bliss for two years and held a number of events throughout the year; including office bake sales, raffles, a boat party, rugby world cup sweepstakes and Halloween bake sales. So far they have raised over 7,000. Other ways your company can get involved Charity of the year Make Bliss your charity of the year and work together to raise money for premature and sick babies. Bliss could also offer your colleagues a range of volunteering opportunities and develop a calendar of fundraising events throughout the year. Sponsorship Sponsoring a Bliss project or event can provide your company with positive brand association to staff, clients, customers and suppliers alike. Gift in kind Corporate support does not have to be financial. You can give invaluable assistance by donating your time, products and services, therefore allowing Bliss to give more funds to supporting premature and sick babies. Cause related marketing Link one or more of your products to Bliss and donate a percentage from your sales to support premature and sick babies. If you want more information about how your company can support Bliss email our Corporate Team on corporate@bliss.org.uk or call on 020 7378 1122

11 At school There are plenty of ways your school can support Bliss, whether it is a one-off event or throughout the year. Don t forget to include teachers, pupils, parents and your PTA. Non-uniform day A really simple fundraiser the whole school can get involved with at any age. See below for fundraiser Amy s experience of running this type of event. Donations at a concert or play If your school holds a Christmas or end of year performance you can support Bliss by asking for donations for Bliss in the interval or as the audience leave. Sponsored walk/run Work a run or walk into your sports day or host it as an end of term challenge. Dinner and dance A fantastic event for parents and teachers to get involved with organising. Use the school hall or gym to create a one-off or annual event with a raffle or auction to raise money for Bliss. Amy organised a non-uniform day at school and raised over 800. I really wanted to get my whole school involved in supporting Bliss. All my school friends love coming to school in their own clothes for a day and it is a really easy way to fundraise for a good cause. Everyone donated 1 and the donations soon add up.

12 Bliss fundraising pack Getting it right Things to remember when organising an event for Bliss get in touch with us to use our logo and charity number and let us know what event you are holding state clearly that you are raising money for Bliss when promoting your event/activity get permission from Bliss to use the Bliss logo in conjunction with any trading activity check the latest information on holding raffles and lotteries. You can hold these at your event normally without a licence. For further information call the Gambling Commission on 0121 230 6666 make sure any cash you collect that day can be stored safely and banked quickly. Always count money collected with at least one other person plan an event or activity without seeking the permission of the venue manager or council. You may need to source special licences and follow venue/space guidelines and acquire insurance collect in the street or house-to-house without a special licence from your local authority /council forget to ensure there are first aiders on site if applicable to your event overlook food hygiene regulations and food safety acts if catering yourself. Please contact the Environmental Health Services department for advice

e events@bliss.org.uk t 020 7378 1122 w www.bliss.org.uk Registered charity no. 1002973 Scottish registered charity SC040878 Bliss fundraising pack 13 Promoting your event and Bliss You may want to promote your fundraising event to a wider circle than just your friends and family. Here are some great ways to spread the word about your fundraising and also raise awareness of Bliss work. Social media Use social media to spread the word about your event and ask friends to do the same so you reach a larger audience. Tweet @blisscharity and we will do our best to retweet you to help boost your event s exposure. Posters To help advertise your event request some blank Bliss posters for your local community. Friends and family Ask your contacts to help you by putting up a poster at work, sharing the event on social media or simply telling everyone they know. Press release Spread the word by getting in touch with your local press. Our Media Team here at Bliss can also offer help and advice and can be contacted on media@bliss.org.uk Invitation Invitations Consider sending personal invitations, if appropriate, for the event. Get in touch with the Bliss Events Team for the logo and charity number to include on the invites. This will let your attendees know who you are fundraising for.

14 Bliss fundraising pack Collecting sponsorship Collection tins If you would like to display some collection tins please email events@bliss.org.uk for an application form and we will process your request as quickly as possible. The tins are perfect for displaying in a store or café (permission from the manager must always be given). We also have some disposable collection boxes that are perfect for collecting loose change at home, at work or at an event. Sponsorship forms There is a sponsorship form at the back of this fundraising pack. Print or photocopy as many times as you need and carry one with you as you never know who you will bump into. Make sure the form is completed fully so that Bliss can claim Gift Aid (this means an extra 25p per 1 to Bliss at no cost to the person sponsoring you). Sending in a cheque At the back of this pack you will find a form to include in the post when sending in any cheques. Please send one each time you post a cheque to Bliss so that we can ensure that the donation is allocated to your personal fundraising record. Pay in fundraising online You can pay in funds raised at bliss.org.uk by clicking the donate button on the homepage.

Bliss fundraising pack 15 2 Online fundraising This is now the most popular way to raise money. Friends and family can donate and pay straight away which cuts out a lot of time and trouble chasing pledged cash. Visit either: And simply select Bliss when you begin to set up your page. Your page is managed by you so please go into as much detail as you like about your fundraising and why you are fundraising for Bliss, as this is proven to increase the amount of donations you receive. Top tips for setting up an online donation page 1. Approach the person/people you think will sponsor you the most first. This should help to set a precedent and hopefully others will follow suit. 2. Don t be afraid to stretch your targets. When you notice that you are getting close you can consider increasing it to push yourself even further. 3. Use our list on page 4 to show your sponsors the difference their money is making. To set up your page please visit justgiving.com or virginmoneygiving.com Photo credit : Gloucestershire Echo

16 Materials order form Bliss fundraising pack Please return this form to the address below, or contact the Events Team at events@bliss.org.uk or on 020 7378 1122. PLEASE COMPLETE IN BLOCK CAPITALS Name... Event name... Date... I am raising money for Bliss and I would like you to send me the following items: Running vest (Please circle) One running vest free per runner Mens (S, M, L, XL) Ladies (S, M, L, XL) T-shirt (Please circle) One free t-shirt per fundraiser Unisex (S, M, L, XL) If you require more than one t-shirt we would be grateful for a donation of 5 per extra t-shirt to cover costs. Extra t-shirt quantity... I enclose a cheque for... Other materials - please state quantity Balloons (max of 20) Stickers (max 3 sheets=105) Fundraising posters (max of 5) Blank posters (max of 5) Leaflets (max of 20) Cheer sticks (max of 3) Please note that Bliss has to pay for all materials so please only order what you need so that more of your fundraising can go towards the work of the charity. Please send back any unused items so we can send them on to another fundraiser. If you require more than the maximum allocations, please contact us. Collection tins please contact us if you require collection tins as you will need to complete a separate form. Address...... Postcode...Telephone... Email... We have other items for sale in our shop visit bliss.org.uk/shop to make your order. Please return to: Bliss 2nd Floor, Chapter House, 18-20 Crucifix Lane, London SE1 3JW Registered charity no. 1002973 Scottish registered charity SC040878

Bliss fundraising pack 17 Send in your fundraising Please return this form with any cheques and sponsorship forms and/or collection tins to the address below, or contact the Events Team at events@bliss.org.uk or on 020 7378 1122. PLEASE COMPLETE IN BLOCK CAPITALS Name... Event name... Date... I have raised money for Bliss. I enclose... I have extra money to send in I have raised money online yes / no yes / no If yes, my page is justgiving.com/... vmg.com/... Address......... Postcode... Telephone... Email... Please return this form to: Bliss, 2nd Floor, Chapter House, 18-20 Crucifix Lane, London, SE1 3JW Registered charity no. 1002973 Scottish registered charity SC040878

Thank you! We hope this pack has given you lots of ideas to help you get started. Whatever you choose to do for Bliss, you will be helping to make a big difference to the lives of babies born premature or sick. Thank you. If you would like to get in touch with us, please call 020 7378 1122 or email events@bliss.org.uk

Sponsorship form Name Address Postcode Telephone Email Type/name of event Gift Aid it. Make your donation stretch further at no cost to you. I understand that I must pay an amount of income tax and/or capital gains tax in the tax year at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities I donate to, will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand that other taxes such as VAT and council tax do not qualify. I understand that Bliss will reclaim 25p of tax on every 1 that I have given. Full name Email address House no. (home addressthis is essential for Gift Aid) Postcode Amount Gift Aid it? ( ) Date paid * Hear from Bliss Bliss, 2nd Floor, Chapter House, 18-20 Crucifix Lane, London, SE1 3JW t 020 7378 1122 Registered charity no. 1002973 Scottish registered charity SC040878 *We d like to keep you updated with news about our work and ways you can get involved. Please tick this box if you re happy to be contacted using the details you ve provided. We will not pass your details on to any third party organisation for their marketing purposes.

Full name Email address House no. (home addressthis is essential for Gift Aid) Postcode Amount Gift Aid it? ( ) Date paid Hear * from Bliss Bliss, 2nd Floor, Chapter House, 18-20 Crucifix Lane, London, SE1 3JW t 020 7378 1122 Registered charity no. 1002973 Scottish registered charity SC040878 *We d like to keep you updated with news about our work and ways you can get involved. Please tick this box if you re happy to be contacted using the details you ve provided. We will not pass your details on to any third party organisation for their marketing purposes.