YOUR GUIDE TO

FUNDRAISING

About CHICKENSHED

Thank you for choosing to support Chickenshed. We hope that you will find this pack full of useful tips and ideas to help raise vital funds to support our work. The Chickenshed Fundraising Team

Since 1974, Chickenshed has modelled the power of its unique approach to target individuals and groups who are often excluded from communities and are less likely to have access to Chickenshed's pioneering and inclusive methodology. In spite of a successful record in theatre spanning 36 years and the generosity of so many who come to see our shows, every year we have a shortfall of £1.6m. Fundraising for Chickenshed means that we can all come together, make new friends, challenge ourselves and most importantly, with your support, enables Chickenshed to continue to touch lives, make a difference and deliver key inclusive messages to build a better society. What can be more rewarding than knowing that every penny you raise for Chickenshed will be invested carefully and wisely - and to the maximum benefit of those who need it. Our work only exists because of the passion, enthusiasm and belief that people like you have in our charity.

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If you would like to learn more about Chickenshed, then why not come and visit us? Contact us now for further information or to arrange a visit, call 020 8216 2790 or email [email protected]. On behalf of everyone at Chickenshed, thank you for choosing to fundraise for us. Your support really will make a difference.

CONTENTS About Chickenshed

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Getting started - fundraising ideas

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Points to consider when holding an event or activity

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Fundraising at work

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Fundraising at home

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Fundraising in the community

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Fundraising on special days

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Other fundraising ideas

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Sponsorship - raising the cash

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Fundraising materials and promotion

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Paying the money that you raise

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Keep it safe, keep it legal

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Raising funds can seem daunting at first, but it's easy when you get started and you'd be surprised how many friends, family and colleagues will be happy to help. Here are just a few ideas to get you started: A, B & C Aerobics Day Auctions Aussie Style BBQ Barn Dance Bath of Custard Bike Ride Black and White Movies Bowling Evening Bring and Buy Sale Car Wash Celebrity Auction Cake Sale Casino Night Christmas Carolling Cheese & Wine Evening Coffee Morning Collections

Getting started FUNDRAISING

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IDEAS

D, E & F Dancing Competitions Dinner at Mine Dress Down Day Easter Egg Hunt Eurovision Song Contest Party Exhibitions Face Painting Fancy Dress Fashion Show Film Premieres Five-a-side Football Foreign Money Collection Fun Run G Garden Party Give as You Earn Golf Day Games Evening Guess the Weight of…

H&I Halloween Party Hold Your Tongue Challenge Hair Shave Ink-cartridge Recycling It’s a Knock-Out! International Evening J&K Jean Day Jumble Sale Karaoke Competition Knobbly Knees Contest L&M Ladies’ Night Latin Evening Line Dancing Make-up Demonstrations Marathon Running Masked Ball Medieval Banquet Murder Mystery Evening N, O & P Novelty Race Name the Teddy Competition Non-uniform Day 007 Themed Party Orienteering Odd Job Day Pancake Day Pamper Day Parachute Jump Payroll Giving Pirate Party Picnic Plant Sale Pool Tournament

Q&R Quiz Night Race Night Raffle Rock & Roll Evening Rowing Challenge S&T Salsa Evening School Uniform Day Seventies Disco Sponsored Silence Sports Match Swear Box T Talent Show Tennis Tournament Tombola Treasure Hunt Treks and Challenges U&V Unwanted Gift Sale Used-Book Swap Valentine Party Variety Show W Walk to Work Wheelbarrow Race Wine Tasting Evening X, Y & Z Xmas Activities Yoga-thon Zumba Party

Points to CONSIDER when holding an event or activity The Fundraising Team are here to help with any aspect of your fundraising so contact them now for advice and support: call 020 8216 2790 or email [email protected]

What? There are many different ways to raise money, from simply asking for donations or organising your own events. Keep your event simple and involve all your family, friends and colleagues. Don't overstretch yourself, set yourself a realistic target and remember to include all income and expenditure into your budget. Above all else, make sure you enjoy it! Where? • Does your location have the facilities needed for the event? • Is it accessible by public transport? • Does it have wheelchair access? • Do you need any equipment, materials or insurance? Tip: Reduce costs by getting items or venues donated by companies. How? • Do you need to recruit other volunteers or extra helpers? • How will you promote your event? • Are there extra resources you might need on the day? • Are there any legal requirements you might need to factor in? Tip: Plan out who is going to do what and by when. Work backwards from the start of your event. When? • What date is best for you and your supporters? • Consider key dates - bank holidays, festivals and sporting events. • Allow enough time to organise your event and publicise it. • Consider whether the weather may affect your event. Tip: Avoid competing against an established event - especially if you are inviting the public Who? • Decide who you want to invite and when to confirm numbers. • Create a budget based on a per head basis. Work out how much you need to charge to make a profit. Tip: Make sure you can cover all your costs and still raise funds for Chickenshed. 5

Fundraising at

WORK Here are some great ideas for fundraising at work:

The Fundraising Team are here to help with any aspect of your fundraising so contact them now for advice and support:

call 020 8216 2790 or email [email protected]

Match giving from your employers Many companies offer a match giving scheme - matching what you raise for charity - often this is pound for pound or sometimes it is up to a set amount. It is always worth asking your company if they would support your fundraising in this way. Nominate Chickenshed as your work's Charity of the Year Many companies have a selection of charities for who they fundraise for over a year. Why not nominate Chickenshed and plan a series of exciting fundraising activities that will get everyone working together to raise lots of money. Raffle a day’s holiday Persuade the boss to give away an extra day's holiday as the prize, and ask everyone to bring in a baby photograph. Display these on a 'Notice Board of Shame'. Ask your colleagues to donate money to enter and guess who everyone is. The person with the most correct answers is the winner. Box of chocolates Ask your colleagues to bring in a box of chocolates. Collect all the chocolates in a large box and ask everyone to write their names in pencil on a pound note. Collect all the notes together and draw out a lucky winner whose name is written on it. Their prize is the entire box of chocolates!

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Sweepstakes Run a sweepstake around the office during the Grand National, FA Cup, Six Nations Rugby Tournament, Eurovision Song Contest, Wimbledon, X Factor or even The Apprentice! Donate half the winnings to Chickenshed. Christmas/work party Give your Christmas or work bash a good feel by holding it in aid of Chickenshed. Charge for tickets, have collection boxes around the event and hold a raffle or auction on the night. Lunchtime car wash Gather a team of willing colleagues together, roll up those sleeves and work up a soapy lather in the office car park and charge per car. A warm reception Display a Chickenshed collection box on the reception desk all year round. When it's full to the brim, send Chickenshed the donations and we will send you another tin!

Fundraising at

HOME Holding an event at home can be a fun way of raising money in the comfort of your own surroundings:

DON’T FORGET

The Fundraising Team are here to help with any aspect of your fundraising so contact them now for advice and support: call

020 8216 2790 or email fundraising@ chickenshed.org.uk

Come dine for Chickenshed Ask your guests to choose one ingredient before they arrive. Your challenge is to cook up a treat using all the ingredients that have been chosen for you! Charge your diners to come and make them score each of your courses out of five! Games night Why not dig out all those old board games or boot up the Wii and invite your friends and their families around for a games night. If you enjoy a good game of Snakes & Ladders or Monopoly, then why not hold a 24-hour game-a-thon! Cheese and wine night A cheese and wine evening is a great way to chat about Chickenshed and enjoy a slice of Camembert, Roquefort or humble old Cheddar and plenty of wine. Just charge your cheese and wine connoisseurs a reasonable entry fee. Garage sale One person's trash is another person's treasure. So look through those cupboards and have a garage sale.

Coffee, cake and chatter Fundraising can be simple - organise a coffee morning and get your friends to donate some money for the pleasure of a nice cuppa, some cake and a good old natter! The Fundraising Team are here to help with any aspect of your fundraising, so contact them now for advice and support: call 020 8216 2790 or email [email protected].

Beverley Caret did just that. On her 50th birthday, she raised a fantastic £580 for Chickenshed from friends and relatives. "I wanted to celebrate my 50th birthday in style, so I held a cocktail party at home and raised money for a great cause. I'm already planning what to do for my 60th!" 7

Fundraising in the

COMMUNITY The local community is full of people keen to be involved. All you need to do is decide on what you would like to do and to ask for help. Here are some top tips: Have you got the X-ffactor? For one night only, turn your local hall or community centre into a talent show. Invite local children, singers, magicians and acrobats to perform in a variety show. People pay to watch the show and vote for which act they enjoy the most. Disco boogie Why not organise a 'hip-hop-off', a ballroom dance or a funky 70's disco. Whatever style you choose, a good old boogie is always a great way to fundraise. Clothes swap Arrange a clothes swap at a local venue where people can bring their unwanted clothes or shoes and swap them with each other. Charge £3 on the door and auction off a designer dress or handbag as a prize.

Match of the day Five-a-side football, tennis, golf or rounders. Whatever sport you are passionate about, arrange a tournament and charge teams to take part. Pub quiz Turn your local into a haven of knowledge with a pub quiz. Teams donate an entry fee and if they're really generous, their prize money too! Family picnic Round up all the families in your local community and ask them to bring a picnic blanket and food. What a great event to get your local community together. Ask each family to donate £5 for their picnic spot and don't forget to invite the teddy bears....!

The Fundraising Team are here to help with any aspect of your fundraising so contact them now for advice and support: call 020 8216 2790 or email [email protected] 8

Fundraising on

SPECIAL DAYS Whether it's Christmas, Easter or Valentine's Day, a special occasion is a great reason to fundraise! Valentine’s Day Valentine's Day is a perfect occasion for raising money for a charity you love and for matchmaking! With all those single-hearts needing a bit of TLC, why not arrange a speed dating night or Valentines Ball and charge your potential lovebirds a reasonable entry fee. St George's Day Why not get patriotic and hold your own St George's Day fancy dress party for Chickenshed. Bring out the Union Jack bunting, hold a street party and wave those flags high! Cook a traditional English banquet and get everyone to wear costumes from dragons to beefeaters, damsels to knights. Easter Organise an Easter egg hunt for all those chocoholic's young (and old!). Ask them for a donation to enjoy all the chocolate they find. Easter bunny ears are a must! Have rounds for both children and adults to get the whole family involved. Halloween When do you need a better excuse for fancy dress than Halloween? Invite friends, family and colleagues to a fancy dress party. Charge an entry fee and see how much your monster-mashing will raise.

Bonfire Night 'Remember, remember the 5th of November' by holding your own bonfire party. Get out those sparklers and enjoy fireworks and entertainment for a small price. Christmas Hold a charity mulled wine and mince pie evening for friends, family and colleagues or organise a Christmas fayre in your local area for that unique (or last minute!) Christmas gift. "Having seen such a diverse range of work at Chickenshed and experienced firsthand the lives that have been changed, I decided to do my bit and raise money for Chickenshed. Valentine's Day was approaching, so I put my culinary skills into action and made cupcakes with personal 'iced' messages. Not only did I raise £320 for Chickenshed, but I also discovered a hidden talent in both cooking and matchmaking!" Olivia Dunleigh 9

Other Fundraising

IDEAS Fundraising for Chickenshed is limitless - from one off donations to regular giving, from leaving a legacy to experiencing a once in a lifetime trip for Chickenshed.

Chickenshed is a great cause and one that my wife and I were proud to raise money for by cycling from London to Paris. Chickenshed supported us throughout the event and were always very encouraging. The experience was life changing; crossing the finishing line in Paris is something we will never forget and cherish forever." Alan Littleworth.

Thank you Alan who raised £1,800.

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Treks and challenges Whether it's trekking to Peru, cycling from London to Paris or completing a parachute jump - we have an exhilarating challenge waiting for you. Why not have an adventure of a lifetime and help to raise money for Chickenshed. Each trek and challenge is pre-organised, so you can concentrate on packing your rucksack or parachute, and campaign for sponsorship. Payroll Giving "Simple tax free charitable giving direct from your pay". Payroll Giving (also known as Workplace Giving) is a valuable and long term source of revenue for Chickenshed. Donations are deducted from your salary before tax, so each £1.00 you give will cost you only 80p! Become a patron and 'Friend' of Chickenshed Our patron scheme invites individuals and companies to support Chickenshed. Benefits of being a regular supporter range from priority booking, access to our exclusive members box for performances, discounts on hospitality packages, advertising space within our programmes and promotional materials and bespoke and innovative training workshops.

Community Adoptions and Charity of the Year This can be a great way of motivating staff, with a variety of team building and social activities that help to support and raise funds for Chickenshed. If you think your company may consider supporting us either as their Charity of the Year or through a one-off event like a dress down day, then contact us now. Leave a legacy Leaving a legacy, however great or small, can be a hugely positive step. By providing for us in your Will, you could help us to continue changing lives for years to come. It's also a tax efficient way to leave money, and a legacy.

The Fundraising Team are here to help with any aspect of your fundraising, so contact them now for advice and support: call 020 8216 2790 or email [email protected].

Sponsorship -

RAISING THE CASH! Taking part in a fundraising activity - whether its running 10K or a sponsored silence - asking for sponsorship from family and friends is a great way to raise money for Chickenshed. "I was overwhelmed by the generosity and support I received from my friends and family when I took part in the Chickenshed 10k Challenge. I realised how generous people were when sponsoring me. Just don't be afraid to ask." Michael Carle Sponsorship Forms A sponsorship form is an effective way of getting sponsorship from family, friends & colleagues. Email [email protected] or call 020 8216 2790 and we will send you one. Virgin Money Giving and JustGiving A fantastic and easy way to raise sponsorship is to create your own free online fundraising page on either JustGiving (www.justgiving.com) or Virgin Money Giving (www.virginmoneygiving.com). You can email these to friends and family, donate online easily and safely with a credit/debit card and all money goes straight to Chickenshed. The online fundraising page can be your own space to tell your sponsors how and why you are raising money for Chickenshed and include photographs and links to your Facebook page. Search for Chickenshed on these sites and create your very own page. If you have any questions, then call us straight away.

Gift Aid Declaring Gift Aid means that for every pound you give, we receive an additional 28p from the Inland Revenue, helping your donation go further. The only requirement is that you are a UK tax payer. All we need is the name, house number or name and postcode for each of your sponsors. The Fundraising Team are here to help with any aspect of your fundraising, so contact them now for advice and support: call 020 8216 2790 or email [email protected].

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Fundraising Materials and

PROMOTION Ensure your event is a success – tell people about it!

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Advertising As well as advertising in the local press or radio, it is just as important to tell family, friends, neighbours and colleagues. You can promote your event with posters in your local community including supermarkets, schools, libraries, doctors, chip shops or at your local community centre. The more people you tell....the better the turnout you'll have. The more publicity you can get for your fundraising event the better. Chickenshed branding By law, our charity registration number (1012369) must appear on all posters, advertisements or social media such as Facebook. The use of Chickenshed's logo and branding needs to have prior approval from the Fundraising Team. Please contact the Fundraising Team on 020 8216 2790 for an electronic copy of our logo and fundraising templates, including posters and flyers. All fundraising materials must clearly identify that you are fundraising 'in aid of' Chickenshed.

Local shop to large corporation Whether it’s your local corner shop or a branch of a big corporation, they can help you; from displaying a poster in their window to offering sponsorship or a raffle prize. Never be afraid to ask - use the sample letter overleaf as a starting point to explain what you are doing - and be persistent. Open your address book Filofax, Facebook, address books or mobile phones; wherever you keep contact details of your friends, family or work colleagues, use them! You may know a pub landlord or have a brother-in-law who works for a large company, give them a call, tell them about your fundraising challenge and ask if they can help.

If you need help, the Fundraising Team are here to help with any aspect of your fundraising, so contact them now for advice and support: call 020 8216 2790or email [email protected].

Sample Letter to BUSINESSES

Paying in

Dear Mr Sample I am in the process of organising (name of event) in aid of Chickenshed. Chickenshed is a theatre company with a unique approach to targeting individuals and groups who are often excluded from communities and are less likely to have access to Chickenshed's pioneering and inclusive methodology. Every piece of work created at Chickenshed shouts out the same thing: anyone can thrive in an environment where everyone is welcome. I have pledged to raise (amount) as a result of this event to support Chickenshed and to support their pioneering work through theatre and music. Money raised from fundraising events will help them to continue to provide inclusive opportunities for young people in London and, increasingly, in the UK. I would be happy to discuss the benefits to your company through supporting me, such as highlighting your generosity on any publicity or advertising materials and in any press. I was hoping that you would be able to sponsor my event by (ask for what you need i.e. donating raffle prizes) - it would make a real difference to Chickenshed and the work that they do. I hope to hear from you soon. Please feel free to contact me on (your phone number and email address) To find out more about Chickenshed, please call 020 8216 2790 or email [email protected] to talk to their Fundraising Team.

THE MONEY THAT YOU RAISE There are a number of ways to pay in the money that you raise for Chickenshed.

Online Sponsorship/Donations All money donated to your personal Chickenshed fundraising page at JustGiving.com or Virgin Money Giving will be collected automatically. This will mean that it will come directly to Chickenshed without you having to send anything in.

Yours sincerely By Debit/Credit Card You can make a debit/credit card payment over the phone. Please call us on 020 8216 2790. Mrs Elizabeth Best By Cheque Please make all cheques payable to Chickenshed Theatre Trust and send to: Chickenshed, Chase Side, Southgate, London, N14 4PE. Whenever we receive a donation, we will be in touch with you to acknowledge that we have received it. 13

It is your responsibility to ensure that your event is organised efficiently, safely and legally. Below are some reminders for you to consider before your activity takes place. Alcohol If you are going to sell alcohol, you or your venue must have a licence. You can obtain a temporary licence ("occasional permission") from the Licensing Justice at your local Magistrate's Court, but you need to give at least one month's notice. Food/Catering There are various food hygiene and safety procedures which you must adhere to if you plan to sell food at your event. Further information can be obtained from your local authority environmental health department. Insurance If you organise an event that involves the public in any way, you will need to ensure that you are covered by Public Liability Insurance. This can be purchased from most insurance companies. Please note that your event will not be covered by Chickenshed's Public Liability Insurance. 14

Lotteries, Gaming Law, Raffles and Collections Bingo Section 41 of the Gaming Act 1968 allows for bingo to be played for charitable purposes. Lotteries and Raffles A lottery and raffle are one and the same. The most straightforward types of lottery are small lotteries and private lotteries, which do not require a licence. Please visit the Gambling Commission website www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk for further information. Street Collections Do not carry out your own door to door collections - it is illegal without a special licence. Don't collect money in the street or any other public place without a licence from your Local Authority.

If you need help, the Fundraising Team are here to help with any aspect of your fundraising, so contact them now for advice and support: call 020 8216 2790 or email [email protected].

We hope that you have fun organising your event and that your participants enjoy themselves. Your fundraising efforts will always be acknowledged with a thank you letter as well as receiving an invitation to our annual thank you evening. What can be more rewarding than knowing that every penny that you raise for Chickenshed will be invested carefully and wisely in the work that we do. Remember that Chickenshed are hugely grateful for every donation, no matter how big or small. From everyone at Chickenshed: Thank you! "Chickenshed has given Emma her right to life. The label 'Down's Syndrome' is very far down the list of things that describe Emma. Because of Chickenshed, Emma has GCSE'S, a BTEC Diploma, a Foundation Degree and is a successful actress. Chickenshed believed in Emma from the very beginning. There are no labels - just individuals - everyone is welcome." Sue, Emma's mother

The Fundraising Team are here to help with any aspect of your fundraising, so contact them now for advice and support: call 020 8216 2790 or email [email protected]

“The idea of the company shows us a glimpse of a more perfect world in which human beings of every kind share their talents in mutual dependence. Their work demands both our attention and our support.” Sir Trevor Nunn

Chickenshed Chase Side Southgate London, N14 4PE

020 8351 6161 [email protected] www.chickenshed.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1012369