Run an Event in Aid of Us
Your fundraising efforts are vital to helping to fund hospice care across Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, Lewes, Uckfield and everywhere in between.
If you run an event, our fundraising team are here to help your event be as successful as possible!
There are many different types of events or fundraising opportunities you can organise yourself.
Here are some examples:
- A quiz night, evening of bingo or night at the races
- A coffee morning,garden party or a ball
- A raffle, cake sale or car wash
How to make your event a success
Fundraisers often tell us that they find it helpful to set an amount they’d like to raise. Working towards a goal will keep you motivated and may boost the donations you receive.
When choosing a venue think about the ease of access, parking and the distance that people will have to travel. Consider hire costs too; do you know someone who could provide a free venue or one at a discounted rate?
If you are holding an event consider that you may need permission from the local councils.
If you run a ticketed event, we always recommend selling tickets ahead of the event. This allows you to track numbers and ensure you have enough of everything you might need.
That way you’ll raise money even if the people decide not to come on the day. Ensure you have a cancellation policy in place.
People love buying raffle tickets or participating in an auction, but you will find you will not need as many prizes as people generally think you do; the motto ‘less is more’ works best!
We recommend having a limited range of smaller to more expensive items. Reach out to local businesses to see if they would be happy to provide a prize.
Ask your employer to support you either by making a donation or allowing you to hold an event for employees, such as a cake sale or dress down day.
To find out more about corporate fundraising, please visit our corporate fundraising page.
If your event will be open to the public, consider approaching a local business to sponsor you. In return, you could offer recognition in your event promotion and at the event itself. Local estate agents might be willing to sponsor advertising boards in your local area – this is great exposure that might inspire extra support.
Promote your fundraiser on social media, by distributing leaflets and posters, adding your event to local community websites and contacting your local paper or radio station.
If you’d like to use our logo or some of our hospice photos, or are interested in hospice merchandise, please get in touch and we’ll be more than happy to help. We can also supply you banners, buckets and collection tins if you’d like any at your event.
What branded fundraising material can I borrow from the Hospice?
- Collection buckets and tins
- T-shirts
- Table cloths
- Banners
- Gazebo
We can also promote your event by sharing it across our social media channels; simply tag us @StPeterStJames on Instagram or Twitter. You can also use #STPJFundraise to see how other people are fundraising for St Peter & St James Hospice.
Register Event
How to keep your event legal and safe
Fundraising is all about having fun and raising money, but it’s also subject to laws and legislation. Our fundraising team are happy to offer advice where needed and to help sign post you to more information regarding legal matters and health and safety.
There are many different types of events or fundraising opportunities you can organise yourself.
- If you are planning a collection in a publicly owned place, this is governed by strict legal requirements. All raffles, lotteries and prize draws are also governed by gambling legislation. Please see here for more information.
- If you are handling people’s personal data, you must ensure that any paper or electronic records you obtain comply with the General Data Protection Regulator guidelines from the Information Commissioner’s Office.
- When you are organising a fundraising event, you are responsible for making sure it is as safe as possible for attendees. We therefore always recommend doing a risk assessment. Our fundraising team is more than happy to help if required.
- If you are serving food and drink, please keep to basic food hygiene rules for safe preparation, storage, display and cooking. You can find more information, here on Food.Gov.uk
If you are interested in finding out more about corporate giving then please email us at fundraising@stpjhospice.org, call us on 01444 470 710 or use our contact form.
