Top tips

Top ten fundraising tips...

Start early and always carry your sponsorship form and a pen with you. Remember to ask sponsors to tick the Gift Aid box on the form.
Be brief � pitch to your friends. It�s your best hope of getting them to open up their wallets.
Explain to people how much each pound will help and how the money will be spent. This is in our annual review and on the website.
Collecting sponsorship money can be harder than doing the event itself. Try getting people to pay upfront: post-dated cheques are ideal and allow you to promise they won�t be cashed if disaster strikes and you can�t compete.
Delegate, delegate, delegate. Ask friends and family to collect sponsorship for you.
Sit down and make a list of all your social circles, peer groups, family, clubs, school, work colleagues, clients. The list the individuals and how and when to approach them.
If you work for a company find out if they will match anything that you raise.
For people you cannot see face to face, send a brief letter or email. Set up a site on Justgiving.co.uk so that people can sponsor you on line.
Use the local media to publicise the event.
Be persistent, be cheeky, be bold.

For inspiration, read our stories about some of our fundraisers' successes.