Charities have had to find new ways of fundraising through the pandemic, as the usual stalwarts on which they rely have had to be cancelled. What has emerged in their place is a range of of alternative fundraising initiatives from the organisers of some of the UK's largest fundraising events, which people can become involved in online and socially distanced.
For smaller charities in particular, these events can be very useful as a way of replacing income. Organisers offer a individual charities a wide range of resources which they can co-brand, most of which can be used on social media. These encourage wider participation without charities having to spend a lot of time setting up and monitoring events.
Captain Tom 100 Challenge
Last year's 2.6 Challenge was created by the founders of the London Marathon. For 2021, the organisers have linked with the Captain Tom Foundation to create the Captain Tom 100 Challenge.
“Friday 30 April 2021 would have been Captain Sir Tom Moore’s 101st birthday and the one year anniversary of the extraordinary celebrations following the now famous 100 laps of his garden that raised and incredible £38.9 million for the NHS.
Tom’s simple message of hope – “Tomorrow will be a good day” – resonated around the globe during some of our darkest days.”
“The Covid-19 pandemic has had a catastrophic effect on charities, with the cancellation of thousands of events and the loss of billions in income. At a time when vulnerable members of society need them most, charities have had to cut services, furlough staff and some have even shut down. Captain Tom stepped up to help, taking on his famous walk to support the NHS Covid-19 appeal and inspiring millions to donate to the cause.”
“From Friday 30 April to Monday 3 May, we are asking everyone to dream up a challenge based around the number 100 and fundraise or donate to a charity of their choice or The Captain Tom Foundation.”
Find out more information here: https://captaintom.org/captain-tom-100
5K in May Challenge
5K in May is a campaign set up by the incorporated charity Run For Heroes.
“Run For Heroes is an incorporated charity born in 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We raised over £7 Million for NHS Charities after releasing the viral Instagram challenge; run 5k, donate £5 and nominate 5 others.”
So what is 5K in May?
“One month of coming together for better! You can do your 5k anywhere, anytime with anyone. You can run, roll, walk, cycle or even swim if you want to… It’s about getting out and feeling good while you’re doing it - all whilst giving back to charity.”
5K in May has already raised over 7 million pounds by over 1.5 million participants, giving charities the boost in funds they need to continue providing vital services.
Find out more information here:
