Schools generate millions of pounds in fundraising for large and small charities each year through simple fundraisers like non-uniform days and bake sales.
With schools being closed it’s made it difficult for schools to host events that can benefit the community and raise money to support charities.
But what if this change in circumstance has paved the way for a new way of fundraising?
With sporting events across the world being cancelled many event organisers have turned to virtual events in a bid to give their competitors a way to stay motivated as well as to keep their business afloat.
Virtual events aren’t anything new in the worlds of swimming, cycling, walking and running, there are a range of companies that offer you the ability to sign up to complete a set distance in a set time, such as run 100 miles in January. Everyone loves a medal, and these types of event act as great motivators to push you that bit further, or maybe even get of the sofa in the first place.
So how can we as a school jump on the virtual event train to help keep children and staff active, as well as raise money for charity?
In its most simple form the answer is to host your own event, either set a target for your children, such as walk 10 miles in 5 day, or travel 20 miles in a month using leg power only!
Similarly you can let the competitors decide themselves, offer the children (and staff) the option to set their own goal, pick a challenging but achievable target, then get out and do it.
Encouraging all involved to share their progress on the school social media platform will help to motivate everyone taking part, give you a way to track progress and give your event that real community feel. At the same time you are publishing it to a wider online community and increase your sponsorship options.
The fundraising side of your event will be kicked off by asking everyone who joins in to donate a small sum to your online fundraising page, maybe the cost of an ice cream or a coffee? Then everyone taking part can reach out to family and friends to support their goal by donating online.
It may be difficult to get medals for everyone involved, but sometimes charities have medals they can send out to organisations for free who are fundraising for them, so it’s always worth an ask. Otherwise a simple thank you certificate goes a long way!
Events like these can be as big or small as you like, working with partner schools or your academy trust schools will help you reach more people and potentially increase your fundraising ability by a large number.
This doesn’t need to be a ‘Lock Down’ only event, this can be done at any time of year, even something to use over the summer holidays to keep your staff and pupils engaged with the school, their friends and the community over the 6 weeks.
We hope that this post has sparked some ideas for different ways to promote fitness and fundraise without even being in the school building!
For a real life example click here to see how 39 Luton schools took part in their own virtual fundraiser that raised over £25k for Luton charity Level Trust to support families in poverty during the school closure period.
Schools' Active Community Coach 