What’s going on this Spring & Summer? A fundraising events round-up
Melanie May | 5 March 2018 | News
The snow is thawing fast, the temperature is rising, and a whole raft of events are kicking off around the country in support of good causes. Here is a selection of the activities taking place over the next few months, starting with Leuka’s Who’s Cooking Dinner?, which takes place tonight (5 March).
[Tweet at https://twitter.com/leadleukaemia/status/969262531259850754 no longer available]
Leuka’s Who’s Cooking Dinner?
Who’s Cooking Dinner? returns in March 2018 in aid of Leuka. Now in its 20th year, tonghit (5 March) the annual charity event will be held in Rosewood London, Holborn for the first time with 20 of the UK’s top chefs cooking for 200 diners to help raise funds for research into the causes and treatment of leukaemia and blood cancer. 018’s chef line-up includes: Angela Hartnett (Murano), Ashley Palmer-Watts (Dinner by Heston Blumenthal), and Giorgio Locatelli (Locanda Locatelli).
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Stroke Association’s Make May Purple
The Stroke Association is asking people to go purple this May to support the charity during its annual stroke awareness month. People are invited to raise money in Make May Purple by doing anything from wearing purple, to holding purple-themed bake sales.
East Anglian Air Ambulance’s Only the Brave
East Anglian Air Ambulance’s Only the Brave event takes place on Sunday 25 March and invites people to take on a six or ten mile obstacle mud run. There are as many as 35 obstacles, and the event takes place at Elveden Estate near Thetford. The charity is introducing fingerprint regular giving technology at the event.
[Tweet at https://twitter.com/Macmillan_CandL/status/952845601905037313 no longer available].
Macmillan’s Mighty Hikes
Macmillan is holding a series of eight Mighty Hikes this summer: one-day hiking marathons all over the UK with locations including the Lake District on 14 July, Jurassic Coast on 30 June, Rob Roy on 1 September, and kicking off with the Thames Path (Windsor to Henley) on 9 June. The hikes are all 26 miles in length, except for the Jurassic Coast one, which is 22 miles.
Autism Wessex’s Big Brekkie
Autism Wessex is asking people to support it and highlight World Autism Awareness Day (2 April) with a fundraising Big Brekkie this April. The event takes place every April but this year is also the charity’s 50th anniversary. This year’s campaign is backed by celebrity chefs Lesley Waters and Mat Follas and is sponsored by Williams Thompson Solicitors LLP. Money raised will go towards the charity’s information and advice service.
Sports Relief
Sport Relief has partnered with Sported for this year’s event. Sport Relief takes place from the 17 to 23 March, and Sport Relief has partnered with Sported to help youth groups plan their own fundraising activities. The charities have teamed up to create a youth group fundraising pack, chock-full of tips and suggestions to get them started. Sported will also be promoting the Sport Relief fundraising packs to its membership network of over 3,000 community groups across the UK.
Workplace Virtuathon
Virtual challenge provider Virtuathon has launched its Workplace Virtuathon in collaboration with Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. Workplace Virtuathon is a virtual 5K or 10K walking, jogging or running challenge that can be completed at any location, individually or with colleagues. It includes an eight-week, integrated training programme with employee wellbeing, and a Virtuathon medal as an achievement award. The training programme is delivered by Get Event Fit, via the Get Event Fit app.
The next Workplace Virtuathon takes place over the weekend of 19-20 May 2018. Registration closes on Wednesday 21 March and the employee eight-week training programme begins on Monday 26 March.
Durham University Charity Fashion Show
One that has already taken place, Durham University hosted its 35th Durham University Charity Fashion Show (DUCFS) on Friday 2 February and Saturday 3 February 2018. In 10 months of planning, with 19 Executive Committee members, 52 models, 24 brands, 32 sponsors, 4 launch events, 4 video shoots, 7 photo shoots and 200 outfits – the students raised £106,000 for mental health charity, Mind, exceeding their initial aim of £85,000.
London Nightrider
London Nightrider returns for its ninth year on 9/10 June 2018. Everyone taking part can support any charity they choose and together they are aiming to raise £1 million in one night. Numerous charities will benefit including Alzheimer’s Society, Cancer Research UK, Combat Stress, Marie Curie, Shelter and Tommy’s. There are two distances to choose from – 50km or 100km, and the event starts at Lee Valley VeloPark in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Kiltwalk
This year’s Royal Bank of Scotland Kiltwalks include Glasgow on 29 April, Aberdeen on 3 June, St Andrews to Dundee on 19 August and Edinburgh on 16 September. Each walk has three distances to choose from to suit people of all ages and abilities and The Hunter Foundation has pledged to give 40% of every donation, meaning that each donation will be worth 40% more to the charity it goes to.
Flight Centre Schools Triathlon
The Flight Centre Schools Triathlon is returning for its third year in 2018, set to be its biggest year yet. Since 2016 more than 3,500 children between the ages of 7-13 have taken part and raised nearly £400,000 for charity. More than 3,000 children are due to take part in this year’s event, with a fundraising target of £300,000. Around 50 prep schools from local areas will take part and put together teams to run, swim and cycle at the triathlon events, taking place between 22 April – 20 May. This year’s events will be hosted by Royal Russell School (main image), Croydon; Bradfield College, Berkshire; Cranleigh School, Surrey; and Marlborough College, Wiltshire.
Ealing Half Marathon
The organisers of Ealing Half Marathon have announced that Alzheimer’s Society and Cancer Research UK will be returning as Official Charities for the event, which this year takes place on Sunday 30 September. The 2018 Ealing Half Marathon will be the seventh edition of the race and is set to be the biggest yet. The UKA-measured, single-lap course follows a closed-road route around West London, taking in parts of Central Ealing, Montpelier, Pitshanger, West Ealing, Hanwell and St Stephens. The race starts and finishes in Ealing’s Lammas Park, where the race village is located.
Alzheimer’s Support’s Walk to Remember
Alzheimer’s Support is holding its annual sponsored Walk to Remember on 19 May and asking people to join them and celebrate the day’s Royal Wedding at the same time. This is the fourth year for the 12-mile walk, which begins in Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire and follows the canal to Devizes where it ends with a street party to celebrate the wedding. The charity is hoping to raise £100,000 this year.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.