Raising money for charity rides or runs can be a challenge
This weekend has been a busy one seeing family so I didn't spend as much time on my bike as I'd have liked. I have, however, spent a lot of time talking about the fact that I’m crazy enough to be cycling from London to Paris, and the fundraising I am doing for the ride. At the ride information day at the beginning of the month, I got the opportunity to meet up with the team from Action Medical Research, and some of the other riders who will be cycling with me. It was interesting to hear some of the ideas people had for raising money and how Action Medical Research put it to good use.
Fundraising tips:
- Friends and family
- Email – Put your fundraising page details as part of your email signature so that people get a gentle reminder without being pestered.
- Social Media – Facebook is always more successful for fundraising than Twitter as it is a more personal approach.
- Work place – some companies will offer to match any donations you receive elsewhere. Check if yours will do the same.
- Sales – Cakes, home-grown plants, or from a car boot. People are more likely to give if they are going to get something in return. It may be a small amount at a time but if you make them a regular occurance it’ll soon add up.
- Car washes – Set a price, perhaps £10 for exterior, £15 for interior as well.
- Rope in the kids – organise an event through school or a cub/brownie group. Many hands make light work.
What Action Medical Research are all about:
- Action Medical Research are the leading UK-wide medical research charity dedicated to helping babies and children and trying to stop the suffering caused by disease and disability.
- The charity was formed in 1952, by Duncan Guthrie, who hoped to find a cure for polio, a condition that blighted the lives of many thousands of children including his daughter Janet. Early research funded by the charity contributed to the development and rapid adoption of the first oral polio vaccine which eradicated new cases of the disease in the UK.
- Other successes include helping to introduce ultrasound scanning in pregnancy, discovering the importance of folic acid before and during pregnancy to prevent spina bifida, developing a state-of-the-art fetal heart rate monitor, and helping to show that cooling the brain can minimize brain damage in some new-born babies, reducing risk of death and severe disability
- They support promising doctors and researchers through their prestigious Research Training Fellowships. This scheme is vital as it is recognised that there is a shortage of researchers in obstetrics, paediatrics and child health in the UK.
- None of their work would be possible without the generosity of people who make donations, raise funds and take part in events, as well as our trust and corporate partners. Action Medical Research receives no government funding or income from any other statutory source.
For more information on the Women's Only London to Paris Ride, call 0870 333 1662, visit Action Medical Research or contact londontoparis@action.org.uk
Erica is riding a 2011 Ridgeback Radium road bike (RRP £799.99) For more information, visit www.ridgeback.co.uk or join the facebook page, facebook.com/ridgebackbikes
