Fundraising Survival Guide by Camps International

FUNDRAISING

! e d i u G l a v i v Sur FUNDRAISING FOR YOUR EXPEDITION

Introduction RAISING THE CASH FOR YOUR EXPEDITION Congratulations! You have made an exciting step towards an adventure that will no doubt be one of the greatest things you ever do and will stay with you forever. You are travelling out to an exciting part of the world to see some amazing sights, experience a new culture, learn a new language, make new friends, help protect the environment and spend time improving the lives of other people. This really will be a life-changing experience!

Prima te bu ngee!

FUNDRAISING ISN’T SCARY We know you are probably sat there thinking “How am I ever going to raise all that money?!” We know it seems scary, but we promise it isn’t! So many people have managed to fundraise the entire amount themselves, and you can too! Unfortunately we cannot do the fundraising for you, as it’s a big part of the expedition experience, but we are always here for support. You can email us, call us, and even message us on Facebook. We love hearing from you guys, so don’t hesitate to contact us.

REMEMBER: THE SKILLS YOU LEARN WILL BE REALLY BENEFICIAL FOR YOU You will learn the following key skills that are important to both universities and employers: • • • •

Financial management Teamwork Communication Resourcefulness

They will make your applications stand out from the crowd, and give you a leg up!

Battle of the bands

This guide is meant to be a starter for your fundraising, just a little something to get you going. It’s full of helpful tips, advice, stories from previous students,

Fu ndra ising Frida y

Stars!

fundraising ideas and much more! We couldn’t fit everything in it though, so visit your Travellers Gateway after you receive the log in details. This is full of fundraising resources including posters, sponsorship forms, template letters and photos. If you need anything extra from us, just let us know. Now, read the rest of this guide, join our social media sites and get going!!! Never forget that you’re not the only person who is trying to fundraise, everyone else is in the same boat as you. Many people have done it before, and many will do it in the future. It’s a really fun thing to do, and an amazing accomplishment to be proud of! It should be something that you shout about!

FUNDRAISING FRIDAY STARS We’ve read so many amazing stories of fundraising accomplishments that we decided to create a weekly Fundraising Friday Star to show you guys some love. Absolutely ANYONE can apply! To be in the running to become our next Fundraising Friday Star, please send your fundraising story and lots of pictures(!!) to sophie.cohen@campsinternational.co.uk. We’re always on the look out for our next Friday star! We feature our Fundraising Friday stars on both our blog www.campsinternational. com/blog/fundraising and Facebook pages www.facebook.com/camps.fundraising.

Top fundraisin g tips

* PLA N IT OUT ! You won’t get anywhere if you expect it all to happen for you * Star t early. It’s never too early to star t fundraisin g; we got a call not

long ago from a student’s youn ger brother who has star ted years in advance! That’s commitmen t! * Choose things you will enjoy doing, there‘s no point doing some thing you hate becau se it will be super borin g! * Do group even ts! It’s an excu se to get together with friends and even make some new ones. 2

Where to start? TAKE A DEEP BREATH, HERE WE GO... You need to start by sitting yourself down and working out what your fundraising target is, so you can start planning from there. To work this out, answer these questions: • • • • •

Can family/friends make any contributions (time/money/things to sell)? Do you/can you get a part time job? If not, are there any odd jobs you could do for people? Are you fundraising for just the trip, or also your vaccinations, visa, spending money, etc? How long do you have? What other current commitments do you have?

You can now work out how much you can start saving, whether this means saving up some money from your job/odd job or planning future events with help from your family and friends!

Did you know… Ea ch individua l studen t who travels wi th us mana ge s to ra ise 75% of the cost of their trip through fu ndra isin g!

Did you know… Fu ndra isin g is ac tu all y

bene fic ial to you r

studies! It tea ches you

to prioritise and mana ge

you r time effec tively!

SCHOOL / COLLEGE WORK The majority of our volunteers are either still in full time education or have just finished school, college or university. It is extremely important that your fundraising efforts do not interfere with your studies. You CAN do your work and fundraise at the same time, it’s not as impossible as it seems! You just need to PLAN! It can only be helpful if you plan your time out properly and stick to a timetable. Timetables are great, because it means you have enough time to do everything, and become a superman/superwoman. To start off your timetable, remember to organise fundraising outside of study time, and avoid planning anything for the run up to your exams. Make sure to get it done before then, and then you can focus all your energy on your exams.

Advice for parents YOU DIDN’T THINK YOU’D GET AWAY THAT EASY, DID YOU? For travellers under the age of 18, most parents inevitably play a very significant role in their child’s fundraising and your support can make the difference between failure and success. Although you may not be in a financial position to support them, you have the experience, contacts and encouragement that will prove invaluable. Spend time with your son or daughter to brainstorm ideas, helping to kick-start the process. Help plan out a budget and create a calendar of events. Reach out to your work colleagues and friends to see how they can help. For example, your hairdresser could donate a free treatment that could be auctioned off, or your local pub may host an event.

too! Family can ge t involved

at Oli’s parents did And that’s exactly wh d to climb the three when he said he wante be his support team, peaks! They offered to shared the driving to accompany him, and each location. responsibilities between

If you have the time, you could also run a fundraising event such as a dinner party or coffee morning or simply bake a cake that they can sell! If your child is travelling out as a team, why not get together with other parents and form a committee to share ideas and help with group fundraising? Check with your work to see if there are any odd jobs that your child can do and get paid for. Don’t allow them to sit back and twiddle their fingers! While you are happy to provide help and support, it is their expedition and they must meet regularly with their team to ensure their efforts don’t lose momentum. Remember that we are here for you too. If you are struggling to motivate your son or daughter, or you want to chat through some ideas then please give us a call or send us an email. We want to see your child succeed as much as you do! My daughter and I had planned fundraising activities including waxing and head shaving. Unfortunately the man having his head shaved got called into work and the waxing lady was taken ill. BUT success was achieved! A fabulous lady stepped in to do the waxing at short notice and men began QUEUING to be waxed! Chest s, backs, legs, armpits, even eyebrows, lots of laughter and very interesting facial expressions!! The generosity of people and hard work of Elena was astounding!! PLUS £300 into my daughters fund... Success!! 4 – Mum of Elena, Ecua dor, July 2014

Every penny counts OPENING A BANK ACCOUNT Whether or not you already have a bank or savings account, treat fundraising like you are setting up your own business! You need to keep your accounts separate so that you can keep track of all the money you are raising, and a good starting point is to go and open a bank/savings account. When finding the right account at the right bank, it is important to consider the following questions:

Ques tions to ask:

* How are the inter est rates? * Can you easily acces s the funds when you need to? * Can you make flexible payments

whenever you need to? * Will it allow other people to pay mone y into your accou nt? * Has it got online bank ing to easily

they would like back. This encourages people to donate their change rather than request it back. If you have a job in a shop or as a waiter/ waitress, why not keep a donation box by the till with a little about your trip on it. One girl mentioned it to her customers as she served them, and managed to raise the entire amount by only working on Sundays for four hours at standard wage (well done Philippa Darling Holmes)!

check your progr ess?

IN FOR A PENNY, IN FOR A POUND... Yes, it is a lot of money youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re raising, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only count the big amounts you raise, change adds up quickly! As a kid, maybe you used to collect change and save it all up, do the same now!!! Even raising small amounts is an achievement you should be proud of. Why not try one of the following to collect some small amounts: If you are running an event with a bar (like a tribute night), why not offer table service with forms on each table, then have a column on the form for how much change

Aa ron, 15, Yorkshir e saving his change

MAKING SACRIFICES

CHEAP AS CHIPS

Your weekly shopping sprees and cinema visits may have to take a back seat if you want to reach your goal. Your lifestyle is likely to change over the next few months as you reduce your spending and start saving. Make sure that when you’re budgeting, you set realistic goals and leave sufficient funds to still live comfortably.

You don’t have to go out and buy the most expensive kit for your expedition – after all you are only away for a few weeks. Ask friends and family if they have bags, boots, torches or water bottles that you can borrow. Contact your Duke of Edinburgh coordinator for this. If you are trekking, ask your school or college if they have any equipment that they can lend you.

The chances are you will be saving for a number of months and so this must be sustainable for you in order to reach your end goal. And always remember what you are saving for – it’s going to be so much better than those new jeans or tickets for that gig!

I decided to not get presents whilst I was fundraising. Instead, for those family and friends who were willing, I asked for the money to go straight into my fundraising pot for my Borneo Expedition. This was great as it happened for Christmas, Birthdays and even Easter!!

You can also hire kit for a fraction of the retail price so check out companies like Trek Hire (www.trekhireuk.com) for the latest deals. If you do decide to buy your own kit, shop around – checking out sites like eBay (www.ebay.co.uk) or Amazon (www.amazon.co.uk) can save you money. Make sure you talk to shops like Sports Direct and Go Outdoors, as they will often do a price match or price beat! Remember that by travelling with us you will also receive a 15% discount at Cotswold Outdoor: (www.cotswoldoutdoor.com)

– Claudia, 15, Hertfordshire.

Generating cash PAID WORK WHERE DO I FIND A JOB?

Jobs are advertised all over the place, you just need to know where to look! Update your CV (use www.jobsite.co.uk/worklife/write-a-cv-that-works-10159 if you need advice) and check out these places: • Your local paper or Free Ads • Shop windows • Recruitment agencies (e.g. Office Angels, Reed, Manpower etc)

• • • •

Job centre Internet (e.g. Gumtree) Word of mouth Or simply approach companies directly

If you can get yourself a job then this is a simple and easy way to raise funds for your expedition – simply target yourself with how much you are going to save and stick to it. This could be 50% of your earnings or even 100% of your pay – the choice is yours. If you’re not old enough to do part time work then don’t worry! Setting up your own mini-enterprise is easy and can be as simple as making your own jewellery and selling it to friends and family, or doing odd jobs for family, friends and neighbours. It can be a lot of fun and you never know, it could even lead on to something! Some tried and tested businesses have included car washing, weeding gardens, dog walking, hoovering / cleaning your home and bag packing at the local supermarket.

Fundraising Jumble Sale We are 5 students travelling to Ecuador and our first fundraising activity, a jumble sale took place in our local village. Initially we thought about collecting clothes to weigh in for cash but decided that we would hold a jumble sale instead as we all had lots of unwanted things that we could sell.

From ju mble to ju ngle!

We knew we needed lots of people to help and so in addition to asking all our family and friends to donate jumble, we also decided to ask people in our village. We designed a flyer and distributed over 1000 bags in our local area. We explained what we were doing and asked people to donate jumble. We were amazed by the response; we ended up with well over 300 bags of jumble, everything from clothing, books and bric a brac. We also decided to serve refreshments and were lucky enough to receive donations of hotdogs and fizzy drinks. We knew we needed to advertise the event well and therefore got in touch with our local radio station to promote us on air. They were very interested in what we were doing and asked if they could come and interview us. This was very nerve racking for us but we knew it would be worth doing. We also persuaded the local paper to do a feature about our jumble sale and produced a poster and asked local businesses to display this for us. On the day we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe how many people attended, they were queuing at the door for over an hour before we opened! The event was a huge success and we managed to raise ÂŁ1800! - Sam, Eleasha, Jack, Tom and James

Jumble sale flyer

Getting the word out LET EVERYBODY KNOW! One of the most important things to remember is that everything you do on your expedition matters: this is not a holiday where you will lounge on the beach (although you may get to do some of that too). You will be working hard to improve the living standards for rural communities that are suffering from high levels of poverty and where opportunities for young people are limited or nonexistent. You will also play a critical role in enhancing and protecting some of the most beautiful wild spaces on the planet and getting up close and personal with the wildlife that depends on them for survival.

So don’t be shy! Shout about what you are doing! Whether you are setting up your own money-making enterprise or planning an event, telling people about your cause is really important. You can do this in several ways...

MAKE THE NEWS Journalists are always looking for a story in their local community. A mention in the local paper or radio station is a great way of getting some free advertising!

BUT HOW?! • Contact all your local newspapers and radio stations, telling them what you are doing. You can find their contact details in the local phone book or online. • Check out our social media for expedition photos that you can use. • Write a Press Release. Keep it short and snappy – no longer than half a page of A4 – summarising what you are doing and why. For 10 essential tips for writing a press release, visit www.press-release-writing.com/10essential-tips-for-writing-pressreleases. Once you’ve sent it, follow up with a phone call to ensure they have received it. • You can also write a letter to the editor to appear on the letters page. Remember to address it to the ‘Letters Editor’. • If you would like the local media to publish a photo of your event, let them know in advance so they can attend. • If you’re lucky enough to get your story published, don’t forget to say thank you to the paper/radio station and acknowledge all the people that helped you and took part in your event. Tell them how much you raised and include a photo.

Brookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sponsored cycle made his loc al headlines when he let them know he was fundraising fo r his Borneo Expediti on

During the summer, Harry organized a golf day. 24 golfers played 18 holes and he organised for an evening meal, refreshments and prizes for the top players. The event was such a success he will be arranging another one soon !

One entire school ey publicised that th dition pe ex on g in go were BEFORE they even ng. started fundraisi d an s se Local busines d ul co ity the commun oup gr e th t or then supp than as a whole rather . ts individual studen

Tazmin managed to get into her local newspaper in advance of her 8 hour static cycle in her local town centre. This not only promoted her event, but also explained what she was fundraising for.

810

Publicity CREATE YOUR OWN WEBSITE Creating your own website is simpler than it sounds – we’ve even created our own!! Visit www.sophiecampsfundraisingexample. weebly.com for inspiration, or try these free website builders to promote your fundraising; www.moonfruit.com, www. weebly.com, www.wix.com and https:// wordpress.com. Don’t forget to add a link to the Camps Project Blog so that people can see the kind of work that you’ll be doing on your trip: www.campsinternational.com/projectblog You can also create your own page and events on Facebook, and set up a fundraising Twitter account. Remember to let everybody know so that they can support you!

INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: • An overview of yourself, explaining the expedition and what you will be doing • A fundraising running total • Paypal donate button • Map of where you are going • Link to the Camps Project Blog • Information about your upcoming fundraising events • Thank you list and links to all of your sponsors’ websites • Photo gallery of your fundraising efforts to date • Press Releases for journalists • Include a contact email address so that people can get in touch if they want to sponsor you.

Heads up! DO NOT use JustGiving to raise money for your expedition. It’s for charity fundraising only. Money raised here goes directly to our charity, The Camps Foundation, and cannot be used towards your trip. Instead set up a Paypal account to accept online payments and link it to your website. Check out these websites created by two of our students: Ellie has already finished fundraising and been on expedition and Chloe is currently fundraising for her expedition. They both expla in what they are fundraising for, track their progr ess and share their fundraising success! www.elllieknott.co.uk/ecuador www.chloegoestoborneo.blogspot.co.uk

Chloe’s website

Ellie’s website

PLAN YOUR PUBLICITY

Spend some time thinking about how you are going to get the word out to people. Notice boards, emails, posters, flyers and social networks are great ways of reaching people. Think about who your target audience is and advertise in places they will be; local shops, around school/university, at your work or your parent’s workplace, community centres, even the hairdressers. Make sure you ask permission first! Keep all your publicity short and simple. For events, make sure you include the details of the event, date, time, location and contact details on all your materials.

There are several online listings where you can post your event, such as www.wherecanwego.com. Remember to tell them why you are raising the money and how much you’re hoping for. It’s worth breaking down your final figure and setting a smaller fundraising target for each event that you plan to run, rather than running one event and saying that you are expecting to raise £3,000 in one day... Keep your targets realistic! Try and think of a unique angle on your event to make it stand out – a clever gimmick will draw people’s attention!

I abseiled down my loca l chu rch toda y! I can’t belie ve how high it looks now! Raised abou t £400 in sponsorship and it was suc h a laugh, so glad I did it and is ver y wor thwhile pushing for sponsors! – Lorna, 17, Leicestershire.

aka. Spider-girl!

Fundraising FROM THIS...

Expedition ...TO THIS!

fundraising journey CHELSEA’S INSPIRATIONAL STORY Chelsea, 16, from Cambridgeshire managed to raise the full amount for her trip to Cambodia in 10 months and is still going strong… When I first found out about the opportunity to go to Cambodia and volunteer, I thought it sounded like a great adventure and an amazing experience. I started planning right away, and with my Mum’s help I created a list of possible ways to fundraise. We decided as Christmas was coming up, this would be the best time to start my fundraising! I thought of possible gifts and treats that I would be able to sell, and I came up with the idea of selling trees made up of sweets and other sweet related gifts. My Mum’s school was holding a Christmas fair, and I was invited to hold a stall where I sold sweet trees, sweet mugs, chocolate Christmas puddings and sweet cones. This was a great opportunity for me to kick start my fundraising for Cambodia. My Mum took a selection of sweet trees into work and displayed them in the staff room, which encouraged people to leave us orders for what sweets they would like and the size of the tree. We then created a Facebook page for my trip, to advertise all of the sweet products and to take other orders! Once Christmas was over, I knew I would have to come up with some new ways to fundraise my money. My Nan then suggested I could start recycling used ink cartridges as I could do this all year round. When people

found out, they were very supportive and gave me their old ink cartridges to recycle. I then came up with the idea of selling cakes. With my Mum’s help, I made a small selection of cakes for her to take into work and sell to the staff. This went down very well, and we now provide cakes on a daily basis for the staff to buy! This has made a massive dent in the money I need for my trip.

“It was hard to find time to bake cakes and still complete all my coursework, but with the help of my family I’ve kept on top and learnt some multitasking too!” It was hard to find the time to bake the cakes and still complete all my coursework, but with help from my family I’ve managed to keep on top of it and learn some multitasking skills too! I then started to sell a small collection of cake in my Nan’s shop, and people keep asking for more! I purchased some plain charity boxes to put next to the tills to collect any extra change. I bought these online, and decorated them with the Camps International logo and a description of what the money will be going to. This raised me a small amount each month, but every little helps!

I thought the best way to fundraise would be to utilise holidays such as Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, and to make items that could be used as presents. With this in mind, I started making giant personalised cookies. This turned out to be very successful, although time consuming. As the summer approached, I decided (with permission from my Mum!) to clear out the house and start doing car boot sales. I recently did my first car boot, which raised a large sum of money for my trip! The items that I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sell, I put on eBay, and guess what? I managed to sell it all!

Chelsea with her treat s!

It has only taken me 10 months to raise all the money for my trip, however I am continuing to fundraise, to buy my kit, pay for my jabs and to purchase gifts to take over to Cambodia with me. The experience of fundraising has been difficult, and at times it felt like I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to reach my target. With some perseverance and support from my friends and family, I have managed to reach my goal really quickly and I am now really looking forward to my trip to Cambodia! It will all have been worth it when I get there and start helping!

Sponsorship GETTING PEOPLE TO SPONSOR YOU Don’t forget that the trip you’re going on will not only be amazing for you, but incredibly beneficial to people out in country! You are volunteering to help people’s lives, this is work to be proud of, and it’s something other people will be incredibly supportive of. People will want to sponsor you, which is a great way of raising your funds. It’s a win-win for all involved! Now you just need to think of an event that people can sponsor you to do! Get creative with it, but try to base it around your skills and interests or else you’ll lose motivation.

The more challenging or weird it is, the more likely it is to get attention and raise money! Think along the lines of something as simple as a sponsored wax, a 25 mile walk or even as big as a danceathon! Once you’ve decided what to do, you need to make sure you get the right sponsors. Download the sponsorship form from your Travellers Gateway, and ask everyone you know to sponsor you. Set a realistic target and make sure everyone knows how much you’re aiming for. Write a blog about your event to post on your website so everyone knows about it.

Megan, 14, from Hampshire had a phenomenal evening in a local restaurant. The Thai restaurant helped her plan a two-course buffet style meal and auction. Contacting local businesses was also successful as prizes were donated and a local musician and magician offered to perform! Leaflets advertising the event were made and 60 tickets were sold!! Megan raised over £1000 for her evening event!

Ellis, 15, from Gloucestershire made one of the ultimate girls’ decisions, and decided to get a hair cut! She loves her new short hair and even made it into her local paper!! She has made about £1300 with this single event!

CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP Finding a business to sponsor you can be such a big help in your fundraising journey, but it’s not only great for you, it’s also beneficial to the company! They get free publicity, and can associate their brand with a worthy cause. Getting sponsorship from a company is not an easy task to accomplish; many people approach them for the same reason. Make sure you make yourself stand out, and remember the 3 P’s! (Personalise, Patience & Perseverance). • We have a template letter on your Travellers Gateway, but make sure you make it PERSONAL! This is really important, include reasons why you want to go, why you think it’s beneficial and why you think the work is important. They will be much more likely to respond to this! • You need to be PATIENT; a few companies will turn you down before you find one that wants to sponsor you, but; • Don’t get disheartened by this, PERSEVERE and keep trying! • Research the company beforehand. • Think about the type of support you are asking for – money or auction prizes? • Explain what is in it for them. • Address your letter to the correct person and follow it up! • Don’t forget to thank them!

Top sponsorship idea!!

Imogen, 15, from Oxfordshire took corporate sponsorship to a whole new level. She approached numerous companies and sold them logo space on her t-shirt. She explained to each company what she was raising funds for, wore her t-shirt for fundraising events and whilst she was on expedition. On her return from her expedition she wrote a blog, attached photos of her completing project work and sent them as a thank you to each business. They not only got publicity whilst she was fundraising, but could then feature her in newsletters and on websites when she returned. Imogen had such a great success with this, that her idea has become one of Camps International’s most successful and we have even created a How-To-Guide, available to download from our website.

fundraising events ORGANISING AN EVENT Fundraising events are a great way of raising cash and are a lot of fun too! Get your family and friends involved to help out. If there is a group of you going on expedition together, why not join forces and split the profits among you? The number and variety of events is unlimited so let your imagination go wild!

START HERE

1 - HOW MANY?

Think about the number of events you need or have time to plan in order to raise enough money. Depending on time, you may want to run several small events in the run up to your expedition. Alternatively you can plan for one or two large events, it’s entirely up to you!

2 - HOW MUCH?

Budget, budget, budget! Make sure you work out your numbers first to ensure that organising your event will not cost you more than you expect to raise. Include all your costs including phone calls, printing leaflets etc. How many people do you expect to attend? This number multiplied by the cost of entry and minus your costs will give you your basic profit. Is it enough? How can you maximise attendance without it costing you money? Ensure you have a good plan in place for collecting the money on the day and keeping it safe.

5 - WHERE? Ensure the venue you choose is a suitable size for your event. There is nothing worse than a half empty village hall for a party! Potential venues can include college / university social areas, school, church or community halls, local pubs and bars, restaurants, sports and youth centres. Check out any contacts your parents may know who have a spare venue that you can use. Be sure that the venue you choose will not charge you too much to hire. Some restaurants will be happy to host your event on a quiet weekday, as long as they can keep the bar open and sell drinks. Finally, make sure there is enough parking available!

4 - WHEN?

Take advantage of key dates and festivities when planning your event. Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, April Fools Day and Halloween are all great times to plan something. Parties are best held on weekends whereas quizzes can be done on any day of the week. Make sure that your event doesn’t clash with any other local activity or big sporting event to ensure that as many people as possible can turn up.

3 - WHAT?

There are so many options! Past volunteers have organised parties, balls, galas, sporting events, race nights, fashion shows and fancy dress events.

6 - WHO? The more the merrier! Make sure you get the word out in plenty of time so that people can plan to come along. If you are planning a bigger event, work as a team to organise it and allocate roles to each person. Get parents, friends, teachers or lecturers to help supervise and run the event for free. Avoid employing expensive caterers, DJs and cleaners. Instead, do it yourself. Whatever you do, please make sure it is safe. Make sure a member of staff is responsible for checking Health and Safety regulations. For more information please visit the health and safety executive website: www.hse.gov.uk

7 - HOW? • Think about a theme – would this make your event more fun? • What resources will you need? • Decide on a date and book the venue. • Invitation list – who and how? • Promote your event. • Sell tickets in advance so that you know expected numbers. • Include a raffle, sell food and drink (restrictions may apply). • Don’t forget to recycle at your event!

ed Bradley, Alison, Tom and Ryan rais Lord The , over £300 at the local pub s. Hill, selling burgers and hot dog

Things to remember Food and Drink

Collecting Money

The Food Safety Act (1990) and regulations (1995) pose restrictions on the production and sale of food and drink. Visit www.food.gov.uk for further guidance. If you wish to sell alcohol at your event, this will need to be licensed. If you are under the age of 18 you need permission from your parents and guardians to organise and take part in any event.

If you want to do a street collection, you must obtain a license from your local authority. If you are under 16, an adult must also accompany you.

Grants CHARITABLE FUNDS AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT There are several grant making trusts out there. These are charitable funds that have been set up to offer financial support to certain groups of people e.g. young people, women, people living in the local area, charitable work in Africa/Asia/Latin America, and expeditions. • Check out the directory of Grant Making Trusts in your local library. • Approach several trusts to maximise your chances of success. • Make sure that you are eligible for the grant and comply with their terms and conditions to avoid wasting time. • Also try organisations such as the Rotary Club, Lions Club, school bursaries or University trusts. • Submit a detailed letter and a brief proposal of your aims and objectives and a cost breakdown. Don’t ask for the full amount, as they are likely to turn you down. Smaller sums are usually more successful. • Adding references to the proposal can also boost your chances. • Approach your local Church or Parish to see if they have any suitable bursary opportunities as they could support you too.

Because I booked a year in advance I had quite some time to fundraise the money. I already had a weekend job so all my earnings from that went towards it. I held two coffee mornings and a curry night that raised a total of £900. Also my tutor at college suggested I got in touch with the English Speakers Union, which I did, after a meeting with them to explain what I would be doing they said they were willing to donate me £500 in exchange for a written report when I returned! – Camilla, 19, Devon.

Visit www.Turn2u s.com to search

for charita ble grants in your area.

There are some available for travel,

fur ther development and ou tdoor

activities – see if you qualify and

get applyin g!

applications for funds Applying to grants isn’t quite as easy as it may seem, it does take some work! Don’t get put off if a few different places turn you down, just persevere. For certain grants they may ask you for a bit of extra work, but this will be completely worth it when you have some money to put towards your amazing trip! You may have to meet certain requirements; it might be something simple, like living in the area or taking a certain course, or it might be something a bit more complicated like filling out an application, giving a presentation or going for an interview. Don’t be scared, they only want to help you, but they just want you to see why you want to go on this trip!

Tom, 15, from Devon approached a local trust to apply for his Grant. This local trust encourages teenage boys to develop their full potential, and offers financial support to those who wish to expand their horizons through participating in adventurous activities. After completing the application and writing his own covering letter explaining why he thought he should receive some funding, Tom was fortunate enough to receive £700. A fantastic boost for his fundraising and definitely worth the time of writing a letter and application!

Bethan, 15, from Nottingham had to do a peer mentor training course called ‘Free Being Me’ in order to receive a grant from the Guiding Association. Free Being Me is a partnership between the Dove self-esteem project, and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. It is a programme that promotes body confidence and self esteem. She then had to undertake at least four sessions working with Brownie groups as a peer mentor. She got the grant for her trip, and she also got to be a part of this amazing scheme that is helping people worldwide!

Resources USEFUL RESOURCES So you’ve heard it all from us but there’s nothing more reassuring than hearing it from fellow travellers. Our volunteers are full of tried-and-tested fundraising stories so be sure to browse our social networks and blogs for some fresh ideas and advice. We also have downloads on our website, packed full of fundraising freebies and ideas.

Travel le r’s Gate way

We have provided a ton of downloads to he lp you with your fundraising – po sters, letter writin g guides and fund raising ideas as well as guides to runn ing your own even t and quiz evening .

www.facebook.com/groups/ campsfundraising This will take you through to our Facebook Fundraising group. See what other fundraisers have been up to and get some ideas – or just ask for advice! Don’t forget to share your own experiences and photos to inspire your fellow volunteers. www.facebook.com/campsinternational Join us on our main Facebook page and meet other travellers. Look out for exclusive updates and competitions! www.campsinternational.com/blog Our blog is updated regularly by staff and volunteers across all of our camps, so you can follow the progress of our various projects – and also have a sneak preview of what you might be helping with on your own expedition. Check out the fundraising section of the blog for ideas, and to catch up with our latest Fundraising Friday Star. www.twitter.com/campsint Follow us on Twitter and let us know what you’re up to so we can share it with our followers! www.instagram.com/campsint Feel inspired by some of the incredible images our volunteers take and post up onto our Instagram account whilst they’re in-country.

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