Fundraise For Us

Get inspired! – Think of a great way you want to raise money for Turn to Starboard. Our supporters never fail to surprise us with their inventive ways to raise money, but equally tried and tested ideas are just as effective. Coastal walks, bike rides, runs, swims, quit a habit, they’re all simple and rewarding ways you can raise money.

 

Getting people together – The best fundraisers are always about bringing people together. Why not arrange a fancy-dress day at work, pick a theme and ask everyone to dress up in the workplace or get your family and friends together for a day of fun and games. Fairground style stalls, face paints, music, a BBQ and bouncy castle are all fabulous family fundraising ideas! Sell tickets beforehand and hold a raffle or auction on the day.

 

 

Ebay for charity – Are you selling items on eBay? Did you know you can now donate a percentage of your sales to us, including Gift Aid! Click here to start selling now!

 

Involve us – Perhaps you are already holding an event and are interested in booking a talk from our founder, Squadron Leader (Rtd) Shaun Pascoe. Shaun is a relaxed and passionate professional speaker with incredible life experiences. By sharing his passion for empowering people, Shaun can instill the principles of teamwork and leadership to your audience to help them reach their full potential.

 

Involve companies in your community – Ask companies to donate prizes, you will be surprised how generous organisations can be when they know you’re fundraising for charity.

 

Set a target – Once you’ve set your fundraising goal, tell everyone! Seeing how you’re progressing helps inspire people to give generously.

 

Spread the word – Media coverage is a great way to promote your fundraising and encourage support. Tell us about it and we can help promote the event on our website, Facebook and Twitter pages.

 

Raising funds

 

 

Create an online fundraising page – Within a few minutes you can create a personal online fundraising page with Virgin Money Giving. This will allow you to reach a wider audience who can donate in a fast and secure way.

 

Share on social media – Share your fundraising page on Facebook and Twitter with your friend’s, family and colleagues and post updates about your event or challenge to keep people up-to-date and engaged.

 

Matched giving – Some companies offer matched giving to employees, meaning you could double your fundraising total! Don’t forget to ask if they will make us their Charity of the Year.

 

Gift Aid – This is a government scheme allowing charities to claim an extra 25p for every £1 sponsored. The money comes direct from the government; we are simply reclaiming tax already paid on donations. Get UK taxpayers to tick Gift Aid on your sponsorship form and include their full name and home address including postcode.

 

Setting up your fundraising page

 

Step 1: Your fundraising challenge – Click the ‘Create my page’ button on the Virgin Giving homepage. You will be asked the what, when, where and who about your event. If you’re taking part in an organised event the details may already be pre-loaded, so you can just search for your event.

 

Step 2: Your charity – Next you will be asked the name of the charity you wish to support. Just enter ‘Turn to Starboard’ and Virgin Money Giving already has us saved.

 

Step 3: Register or sign in – To set up your page you will be asked to register or, if you already have an account, sign in with Virgin Money Giving. Register by simply entering your contact details and choosing a password for your Virgin Money Giving account.

 

Step 4: Personalise your page – Click the ‘create my page’ button.  You can give your page a title, enter information about you and your event and add special features like a countdown calendar, photo gallery and history of the other fundraising events you’ve done. Don’t forget to set a fundraising target as research shows pages with targets raise 8% more than those without!

 

 

Step 5: Spread the word! – Tell everyone about your fundraising from your Virgin Money Giving account, share a page link with friends, family and workmates by email, Facebook and Twitter. You can add a ‘sponsor me’ button to your website or blog too and don’t forget to let your supporters know how your event went and how much money you raised!

 

Offline? – If you’ve got friends and family who aren’t online, or you’re going to an event where you know you can ask people to sponsor you, you can also raise money offline. Click here to download our sponsorship form. You can personalise it with your name and date of the activity.

 

Top tips

 

Safety – Holding an event which will involve food or alcohol? you need to follow simple guidelines for preparing, handling and cooking food and ensure people drink responsibly. You will need to have adequate first aid cover available for your event – take advice from a voluntary first aid organisation such as St. John Ambulance or the British Red Cross and don’t forget to ensure crowds and traffic are managed properly.

 

Do you need a license? – You may require a license if your event is going to incorporate dancing/music, sale of alcohol, selling of goods in a public place, collecting money in a public place, extended hours and provision of food or drink. Please check with your local authority to see if you do require a licence for your activity.

 

Be prepared – Write a list of what needs to be done before the event, make sure you allow yourself enough time to organise everything and ensure people arrive at the location early, brief everyone thoroughly so they know what their responsibilities are.

 

Take lots of photos – Make sure you get consent to use photos taken during the event. Use photos on social network pages and local media to raise more money/awareness of your event.

 

 

Send us your funds You can do this in a number of ways:

By cheque – include details of how you raised the money and include your contact details, so we can say thank you.

Bank transfer – phone or email us and we will send through bank details, so you may transfer your payment.

Sponsorship forms –  If you have any paper sponsorship forms, send them back to us with the cash you have raised so we can claim Gift Aid.

Share your story and inspire others to follow in your footsteps by sending us any photos or stories from your event to info@turntostarboard.co.uk – we can use them on our website and social media pages to encourage others to get involved like you!