# 5 great fundraising events taking place in 2017 - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/03/09/5-great-fundraising-events-taking-place-2017/ - Published: 2017-03-09T07:44:22+00:00 - Author: Melanie May **Here are five of the many fundraising events taking place this year, from YMCA’s National Sleep Easy event, which is taking place this week, to Orchid’s compelling Great Willy Waddle: a whole host of great ideas.**   #### 󠀁[⌊bloodwise alex dowsett⌉⌊bloodwise alex dowsett⌉󠀁[ #### 1) Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 The [Prudential RideLondon-Surrey-100](https://www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk/charity/ride-charity/) event takes place on 30^(th): July: a 100-mile challenge for which a number of charities are offering fundraising places. Team Movistar cyclist, Alex Dowsett is Prudential RideLondon ambassador for blood cancer charity [Bloodwise](https://bloodwise.org.uk/), which is the official charity partner of the event. Some 600 cyclists will be raising funds on the 30^(th) for Bloodwise for research into blood cancers such as leukaemia. Riders in this annual event have raised £17 million for good causes since it began in 2013.   #### 2) Orchid Great Willy Waddle September 26^(th) this year will see people dressed as penises waddle, jog or run a 2k route around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for [Orchid](https://orchid-cancer.org.uk/), to raise awareness of penile cancer. Participants In [The Great Willy Waddle](https://orchid-cancer.org.uk/challenge-events/the-great-willy-waddle/) get their own inflatable penis costume to keep, with all funds raised going to support Orchid’s work in penile cancer including research, education and a range of support services.   ## Advertisement #### 3) YMCA National Sleep Easy The [YMCA National Sleep Easy](http://www.ymca.org.uk/get-involved/events/sleep-easy) event takes place this week (3^(rd)-10^(th) March), and asks people to dig out their sleeping bags and thermal socks, and spend a night sleeping rough to raise money for the charity. The events are taking place across the country, with 15 YMCAs participating including Southend, Exeter, Doncaster and Bedford. YMCA has raised £1m over the past seven years through its Sleep Easy events with more than 6,000 people bedding up for the cause in this time.  [⌊nightrider⌉](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2017/03/rsz_cycling_tower_bridge.jpg) #### 4) Nightrider Charity night ride [Nightrider](https://www.nightrider.org.uk/) takes place in London, Bristol, and Liverpool this summer, starting in London on 10th/11th June at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Each Nightride offers a 50km and 100km route, and people can also sign up to do all three city rides. Entrants must be over 18. Charities signed up to take part include [Macmillan](https://www.macmillan.org.uk/), Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation and the [National Autistic Society](http://www.autism.org.uk/), as well as local charities.  [⌊feast your eyes⌉](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2017/03/Screen-Shot-2017-03-08-at-19.13.12.png) #### 5) Fight for Sight Feast your Eyes [Feast Your Eyes](http://www.fightforsight.org.uk/get-involved/feast-your-eyes/) is [Fight for Sight’s](http://www.fightforsight.org.uk/) fundraising event that asks people to host a meal in their own home or wherever else they like such as outdoors or in a restaurant, but where everyone is either blindfolded or where the meal takes place in the dark. The aim is to create awareness of sight loss and raise funds for eye research to help fight sight loss and treat eye disease. With no set date for Feast Your Eyes to take place, participants are free to host a meal whenever they like.   * **[8 corporate fundraising partnerships for April 2017](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/04/06/8-corporate-fundraising-partnerships-april-2017/)**( 6 April 2017) * **[365 chefs donate recipes for ChariTable Bookings cookbook](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/04/10/365-chefs-donate-recipes-charitable-bookings-cookbook/)**( 10 April 2017) * **[Calendar Girls hold inaugural Tea with the Girls fundraising event](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/04/20/calendar-girls-hold-inaugural-tea-girls-fundraising-event/)**( 20 April 2017) ## Comments ### By: HowardLake - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/03/09/5-great-fundraising-events-taking-place-2017/#comment-2889 - Published: 2017-03-11T15:04:00+00:00 [https://twitter.com/RememberingAdam/status/840489949656932352](https://twitter.com/RememberingAdam/status/840489949656932352)