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Organise your own fundraising event

If you fancy raising money for Brook in your own way, here’s some suggestions and information you might need.

Fundraising ideas

Host a quiz night

Why not organise a quiz to get those brain cells working and some competition going? It could be a pop quiz or general knowledge, you could even include a ‘guess the baby’ round with embarrassing baby photos! Raise money by charging for entry, refreshments and having a collection, and ask local businesses to donate prizes.

Get active for Brook

Challenge yourself to run, cycle, swim, trek, hop, skip or jump and get active for Brook. Whether you’re a seasoned runner, a first time 5ker, mad enough take on open-air swimming in the freezing winter months or keen to get pedalling, we want you on our team. We’ll be here cheering you on all the way.

Organise a bake sale

Why not organise a Great Brook bake sale? Impress your colleagues or friends with sweet treats by running a bake sale.

Hold an evening event

From black tie dinner to talent show, to club night or a disco, make it glamorous, make it quirky, just make sure people will want to come! Charge for tickets and hold a raffle to raise cash.

Run a sweepstake

Appeal to your friends and family’s sense of competition by running a sweepstake in aid of Brook. 

Dress down day

A dress down day is one of the easiest ways to fundraise. They’re simple to organise and it’s easy for everyone to take part. If everyone in your class or team paid £2 to wear their jeans for the day.


How to raise money

Setting up an online fundraising page is both a great way to share your goal – and reach it. It’s also the easiest way to raise money, because you don’t have to handle any cash and the money comes straight to us, so we can put it to good work immediately.

Online fundraising also makes it really easy to collect Gift Aid, which adds 25p on for every pound you raise, with no cost to you.

Brook is registered on a number of giving sites such as JustGiving.

Promotion is key to getting the support you need. Here are some ideas:

  • Message friends and family to let them know about the event, why you’re supporting Brook and how they can get involved or donate.
  • Share about your fundraising on social media. Link to your fundraising page where you can and keep people updated with your plans.
  • Contact us at supporter.relations@brook.org.uk to let us know what you’re planning. We’d be proud to give you a shout out on social media or via our newsletter.
  • Let your colleagues or fellow students know – send a friendly email round or put up a poster in a communal area. We can send you a poster template to help.
  • Be loud and proud about what you’re doing. Carry a sponsorship form with you and talk about it with people you meet.
  • Free advertising is easier than you think. If you are planning a local event, get nearby shops, hairdressers and pubs to put up a notice or even ask your local paper to feature your fundraising.

We are thrilled you have chosen to fundraise for Brook. Here’s some details on how to keep your fundraising safe and legal to make it a huge success. 

You can also find helpful guidance and information on fundraising regulations on the Chartered Institute of Fundraising website.

Events

  • If you plan to serve alcohol or include entertainment such as singing, music or dancing you may need to apply for a licence. Check if the venue is already licensed and, if not, speak to your licensing authority (this will usually be your local authority) about seeking a temporary licence. 
  • Follow food hygiene regulations at all events (www.food.gov.uk). 
  • You may not need a licence to sell food at your event, check with your local authority to make sure. 
  • Make sure all necessary insurance is in place, such as public liability cover. Check this with the venue prior to your event. 
  • All events needs to have been risk-assessed to reduce the potential risks to those attending.
  • Seek permission from the venue owner or from the local council if you are using a public place or could obstruct traffic.

Bucket collections

  • If you are collecting on a private property (such as a pub, theatre or supermarket) then all you need is written permission from the owner or manager.
  • To collect in the street or a public place you’ll need a licence from your local council. Applications can take time to process so make sure you plan ahead. 
  • Make sure you use collection tins or buckets with a closed lid or are sealed with a sticker. 
  • If you need a letter authorising you to collect on behalf of Brook, please email supporter.relations@brook.org.uk

Raffles

  • If you’re planning a simple raffle at a fundraising event then you don’t need a licence. All you need to do is sell the tickets at your venue during the event. You can announce the winner(s) after the event. 
  • Have a look at the Gambling Commission’s guide to holding a raffle for charity. 

Promotional materials

  • You will need to make sure that any fundraising materials you produce include all legally required information. 
  • Any posters or flyers should state ‘Registered charity number 703015’. 
  • Please contact us at supporter.relations@brook.org.uk if you’d like us to send you poster templates for you to adapt and print.

How to pay in your fundraising

Thank you so much for fundraising for Brook! When you’ve finished all your fantastic fundraising, you just need to send the money to us, so we can put it to good use.

Depending on how you’ve raised the funds, some methods of payment will allow us to claim Gift Aid so please read our Gift Aid guidance (below) first so we can make sure the funds you raise go as far as possible.

If you’ve raised funds by using an online fundraising site like JustGiving then just sit back and relax! The money will come to Brook automatically and quickly along with any Gift Aid due.

If you are collecting on a private property (such as a pub, theatre or supermarket) then all you need is written permission from the owner or manager.

There are different ways that you can pay this to us, so just choose whichever method works best for you.

Please email us at supporter.relations@brook.org.uk and let us know how much you’ve raised so we know to expect it and so we can say thank you.

Depending on how you’ve raised the funds, some methods of payment will allow us to claim Gift Aid so please read our Gift Aid guidance (below) first so we can make sure the funds you raise go as far as possible. And remember to send us copies of all completed sponsorship forms or Gift Aid declarations either by email or post.

Online fundraising

If you’re using an online fundraising site such as JustGiving then Gift Aid will be taken care of automatically, so there’s nothing you need to do.

Sponsorship

If you’re collecting sponsorship using sponsorship forms, your supporters will have the opportunity to tick the Gift Aid box on the form. Just send us the sponsorship forms when you send us the funds you’ve raised and we’ll take care of the rest.

Small cash donations

If you’re collecting cash where each individual donation is £30 or less, such as through a bucket shake or donation tins, then Brook may be able to claim Gift Aid through the Small Donations Scheme.

You’ll need to pay the cash you raise directly into Brook’s bank account for it to be eligible. This is because if you collect the money in and add it to your own bank account and then send to Brook then you’re donating on behalf of someone else and that isn’t eligible for Gift Aid.

Email us at supporter.relations@brook.org.uk so that we can support you with this. Please include the total cash collected and date of collection and we’ll let you know how you can pay it in.

Larger cash donations

If you have a generous friend or family member who would like to donate more than £30 (and you’re not using a sponsorship form or collecting online) they will need to complete a Gift Aid Declaration Form. You will need to pay the cash directly into our bank account for it to be eligible and send us the declaration by email or post. Please email us at supporter.relations@brook.org.uk so that we can support you with this. Or alternatively they could give you a cheque made payable to Brook Young People for you to send to us.

Donations ineligible for Gift Aid

Some donations don’t meet HMRC rules for Gift Aid. These are:

  • Donations made on behalf of a company
  • Donations made by anyone who is not a UK taxpayer
  • Donations made on behalf of someone else or a group of people
  • Donations made in return for something else – e.g. for a raffle ticket, or to attend an event