Fundraising Guidelines

Please follow our fundraising guidelines below to make sure your fundraising in support of Beat is suitable, legal, and safe for everyone involved.

Choosing your fundraising activity

There are lots of different ways to fundraise for Beat, from organising a quiz, taking on a trek or running a half marathon – the possibilities are endless. It is really important to choose the fundraising activity that is right for you depending on your interests and your wellbeing.

If you have personal experience of an eating disorder, even if you are now in recovery, it’s especially important that you choose an appropriate fundraising activity. Always put your own health first and do not take part in any activity that could put your health and wellbeing at risk. Before you get started we strongly recommend that you:

Consider whether you are ready to talk about your experience of an eating disorder.
Ask your friends and family for their advice and support choosing your fundraising activity.
Tell your doctor about your plans and discuss with them how this might impact your recovery.
Avoid setting goals or targets that could put too much pressure on yourself or be unhealthy.

Remember, fundraising should always be a fun and empowering experience and it should never impact negatively on your physical or mental health.

If you are not sure where to start, our fundraising team is here to help you find the right event for you. Get in touch on 01603 753308 or email fundraising@beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Activities

Sports Events & Challenges

Taking on a sporting challenge such as a run, cycle, or trek can be fun and exciting, and a great way to help Beat raise money. We know that for many of our supporters it will be a great experience.

However, for some people the relationship between their eating disorder and exercise can be a difficult one and has the potential to be detrimental to their health. If this is the case for you, we strongly discourage you from choosing a sports event or challenge. There are lots of other ways you can fundraise for Beat that will not pose a risk to your recovery and better suit you.

Remember, it’s important to promote a positive and healthy relationship with exercise and be mindful of the impact your actions may have on other people affected by eating disorders.

We always recommend you ensure you have a strong support network of family and friends around you. If you have any current health issues or previous experience of an eating disorder, always seek advice from your doctor before signing up to a sports event or challenge.

Skydives & Extreme Challenges

Before choosing to take part in a skydive or an extreme challenge it is essential that you understand the risks associated. Before you book your place, make sure you read through the organiser’s guidance carefully.

We organise our skydives with the company Skyline. They have their own procedures in place to manage risk and establish if you are safe to jump, including a medical form which must be completed ahead of your skydive.

At certain airfields there are height and weight limits for individuals skydiving for safety reasons. This means that you will be weighed on the day of your jump which we know might be upsetting for our fundraisers. It is really important to look after yourself while fundraising for Beat. You should never use the weight limit at your chosen airfield as a goal weight. The NICE guidelines advise that a person in recovery from binge eating disorder should avoid trying to lose weight during treatment (for example by dieting), because this is likely to trigger their eating disorder.

If you have experience of Bulimia or Anorexia it’s important to remember that skydiving is an extreme sport and there are risk factors linked to osteoporosis, heart conditions, and blood conditions. We recommend consulting your doctor before booking a skydive.

Find out more about Skyline’s procedures and read the medical form.

Inappropriate Fundraising Activities

It’s great to be creative with your fundraising ideas, but it is important that your fundraising does not trivialise or undermine eating disorders. For this reason, Beat will not accept donations from fundraising activities that involve any of the following:

Eating competitions (either maximum or minimum food amounts).
Fasting.
Weight gain or loss challenges.
Any other activity that we deem to be distasteful or undermines the seriousness of eating disorders.

Looking after yourself during fundraising

Always ensure your health and wellbeing takes priority over your fundraising in support of Beat. Be careful not to take on too much or to put undue pressure on yourself. Remember, fundraising should be fun!

Have support around you. Ask your family, friends, and colleagues to support you with your plans.
Withdraw if you become unwell Your health is the most important thing to us, so please do not worry, no matter how far into your fundraising you are if you need to withdraw.
Don’t link your fundraising with your recovery goals. We do not recommend linking your recovery goals with your fundraising, receiving donations directly linked to controlling particular behaviours can trigger feelings of distress and add additional pressure.

The best way to kickstart your fundraising, and to help your family and friends feel connected with your fundraising is to share your story. We recommend letting people know why supporting Beat is so important to you on your fundraising page.

We understand that sharing your story can be daunting, especially if it’s the first time you’re doing it but it can also be a really positive experience. When our supporters share their personal experience of an eating disorder they help others get a better understanding of what eating disorders are, help reduce stigma, and raise awareness of Beat’s services.

If you are sharing the story of a loved one, please make sure you ask their permission beforehand. We suggest sending what you have written to them to get their approval before posting it on your fundraising page.

Please remember to avoid using any content or details which others may find distressing or triggering. This includes specific weights, calorie intakes, diet descriptions, or habits that formed part of you or your loved-one’s eating disorder.

Avoid including ‘before and after’ images or similar images to demonstrate the extent of the eating disorder. Images like this can be harmful and distressing to view. It’s important to make it clear that you are fundraising in support of Beat. The best way to do this is by using our special ‘In Support of Beat’ logo. This makes it clear you are fundraising for Beat but that you do not work for Beat. Remember that this logo should not be distorted or changed in any way, and it should always look the same wherever it appears.

Download the "In Support of Beat" logo.

Organising your own event

If you plan on organising your own fundraising event, it is your responsibility to make sure it is safe and legal. Please remember to:

Get permission – Before planning your event, make sure that you have permission from the landowner, local authority, or the venue.
Health and safety – Take reasonable steps to prevent harm coming to anyone involved in your event and make sure that you plan in case of an emergency.
Risk assessments - Make sure you do a risk assessment before the event, and if necessary, organise to have a trained first aider on the day.
Entertainment or alcohol licenses – Check with your venue to find out if you will need to get a temporary event or entertainment licence.
Insurance - Beat’s insurance does not cover you! Check with your venue to find out if you need to obtain public liability insurance.
Have Fun – Planning a fundraising event should be a rewarding experience.

If you would like any further advice on health and safety planning for you event, please visit www.hse.gov.uk.

Organising a Fundraising Collection

Collecting donations at an event

Beat can provide you with collection tins, boxes, and buckets for donations at your event. Please make sure these are clearly visible and if possible, under the supervision of an event organiser or chained and secured in place. Once you have banked the donations, please return your buckets and tins to:

Beat, Unit 1, 19 Rosary Road, Norwich, NR1 1SZ

Collecting Donations in a Public Place

To hold a collection in a public place you must apply for a licence from your local authority. The team at Beat will also need to supply you with collection buckets and a certificate of authority. This shows you have permission to fundraise on our behalf.

Remember that you will be representing Beat while fundraising, so please do not put any pressure on members of the public to donate. Do not shake collection buckets at people, make sure that you avoid blocking pathways, and do not approach anyone that is in a queue or sitting down in a public place.

Collecting Donations in a Shop, Café, or Pub

Asking local businesses if they are happy to display a Beat collection tin is a great way to raise valuable funds for Beat. To do this the business will need a letter of authority from Beat which you can request along with the number of tins you need by emailing the team on fundraising@beateatingdisorders.org.uk. Always make sure that the collection box is secure by chaining or locking it in place while on display.

Organising a raffle or lottery

Raffles are a fantastic way of boosting your fundraising and to keep it legal there are a few rules you need to follow.

Raffles, tombola’s, and sweepstakes are considered ‘incidental lotteries’ under the Gambling Act 2005. To ensure they are fair and legal remember that:

You must have the permission of the venue owner.
You must not spend more than £100 of the proceeds on the cost of running the lottery.
You must not spend more than £500 of the proceeds on prizes.
You cannot rollover prizes from one lottery to another.
Prizes may be donated to the lottery and there is no maximum limit on the value of donated prizes.
You can only sell tickets at the event, and you should either draw the winner(s) on the night or later that day. Always tell people when the winner will be announced.

The best way to obtain prizes is to ask for donations from local businesses. For businesses to donate prizes to your raffle you will need a letter of authority that shows that we are aware of and support your fundraising. Contact our team with details of your event at fundraising@beateatingdisorders.org.uk and we will send one to you.

To find out more about the rules for holding raffles or lotteries please visit the Gambling Commission website.

Taking care of your donors’ information

You may need to collect you donors’ information at your fundraising event or on your sponsorship forms. To comply with Data Protection laws please remember to store any paperwork that includes your donors’ details in a safe place. Do not keep information about people any longer than you need to and destroy it securely when you are finished (a shredder is best). Do not share any information about a donor without their permission.

Guidelines for Under 18s

If you are under eighteen, please provide written permission from a parent, guardian, or teacher to confirm they are fully aware of any fundraising activities you have planned and support them. You can email this to the team at fundraising@beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Please note that under 18s must not fundraise through street and house to house collections, raffles, or an event involving alcohol. Children under 16 must not be left with overall responsibility for handling money and/or counting collected money.

Liability

We will be here to support you with your fundraising as much as we can, but it is important to remember that you are responsible for the safety and legality of your fundraising activity or event.

In the event that your fundraising activities threaten Beat’s reputation we reserve the right to request that you cease your fundraising activities immediately.

Gift Aid

Gift Aid is a government initiative which allows charities to claim tax back on donations you make to charity, increasing your donation at no extra cost to you. For example, a £10 donation is worth £12.50 to Beat with Gift Aid. Ask your friends and family to Gift Aid their donations by adding their details on a Gift Aid form to boost your fundraising. Please make sure that paper forms come to us in the post so that we can process them.

Paying in your fundraising

You can pay in your fundraising using any of the methods below.

Cash

If you are receiving cash donations from your donors, make sure that you have nominated someone (it may be yourself) to take responsibility for overseeing the money. This person must be prepared to:

Count the money, with one other person there to check the counting.
Pay this money into a bank account.
Send the money to Beat by using the methods below. Please do not send cash in the post.
Let us know when you have sent the money and double-check that the amount leaving your bank is the same as that you counted.

If you’ve got any worries about handling cash donations, please see the Fundraising Regulator’s official guidelines here.

On our website

You can pay in your fundraising online. Just select the single donation option and make sure you share any information about your fundraising in the comment box.

By cheque

Please make any cheques payable to ‘Beat’ and send to the address below.