Your fundraising guide

How to

Ideas and plans to support and inspire your fundraising.

in the fight against MNDfundraise

Welcome to #TeamMND!Thank you for choosing to support the MND Association and welcome to our guide to fundraising.

Your support of the Association is vital and it is only down to you that we can achieve our vision of a world free from MND.

Whether you’re taking part in a sponsored event or doing your own thing, this guide is put together to give you plenty of hints and tips to help you reach and hopefully smash your fundraising target.

We know just how much effort it takes to raise money whether at work, school or in your community especially alongside any training you might have to undertake for your fundraising challenge. Many of us here have done our challenges, training and fundraising so we’re happy to share our experiences with you!

We’re also always looking for more ideas to inspire others to get involved so do let us know what you’re doing so we can shout about it too! You can call us for a chat on 01604 611860 or email us at fundraising@mndassociation.org

We wish you the very best of luck with your fundraising and look forward to supporting you along the way.

Your fundraising team

Our eventsFundraising is a great way of taking positive action in the face of MND.

Contents4 Your fundraising materials

6 Fantastic fundraising ideas!

10 Organising your event

13 #TeamMND in action

16 My #TeamMND experience

20 Fire up your fundraising!

22 Using social media

26 Fightback funds

28 Tribute funds

30 Things to know about fundraising

32 Paying in your money

36 Other ways to get involved

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Your fundraising pack will contain a few bits and pieces to get you started raising money and our fundraising materials order form shows the full range of branded materials that you can order to use at your event.

We can help your fundraising look fantastic

We know that these materials can help make your event look fantastic, stand out, and raise extra money on the day, so do take a look through the form and let us know what you might need.

You can also have access to an innovative service called Rightmarket, which enables you to create your own MND Association branded materials to promote your event with just a few clicks of the mouse!

Your fundraising materialsIf you sign up to raise funds for us we will send you one of our blue MND Association t-shirts. They come in sizes small to XXL and we have some children’s sizes as well.

Our banners are great to pack away and take with you on your fundraising adventures to create a brilliant branded photo of you taking part in your fundraising, or for your supporters to wave at you in a cheering squad!

Collection tins and buckets are a great way to collect cash. We also have tins that can be placed at businesses such as shops or pubs.

Raise extra money at your events by asking people to buy pin badges and wrist bands.

Run in orange and blueIf you’re running for us wear one of our branded wicking vests to keep you comfortable. It also helps us, and other supporters spot you at events!

Although we can give away a number of materials for free to every fundraiser, you’re welcome to make a donation towards the cost of these materials, and extra can always be purchased for a small fee. We would appreciate the return of any unused materials.

Some balloons and our banner can bring your cheer point to life.

Fundraising materials

Our branded materials can really make you stand out from the crowd.

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Traditional fundraising ideas

Get sponsored to run, cycle or swim

Sponsored head shave

Family fun day

bakeit! Our cake sale event can be held at any time of year and will fit in with any theme

Sweepstakes – whether it’s who’s going to win Love Island or the FA cup, this is such an easy way to raise cash!

Supermarket bag pack or collection – supporters have raised thousands from doing these

Give something up!

Get sponsored to give up something you are known to be lost without, or something you know that is bad for you, or just something you really enjoy!

Dry January – or any month of the year you can handle!

Coffee – get sponsored to give up your morning cup, you could also donate the money you save!

Your smartphone – is it always glued to your hand with you constantly checking for updates?

Smoking – come on, you know it’s bad for you anyway!

Shaving – see how long a beard you can grow!

So where do you start? Here’s some ideas to get you thinking – why not set yourself a challenge and see if you can do all of them?! No matter how big or small your fundraising activity, we appreciate every penny raised and will happily support you whatever you decide to do!

Fantastic fundraising ideas!

Taking part in a running event is one of the most popular ways to raise money.

Could you take on the challenge of giving up something you love?

Cake sales are such a simple way to raise money - who doesn’t like cake?!

Fundraising ideas

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Get your community involved!

Whether you tie in with existing activities that regularly take place or organise your own thing, get people involved!

Car boot sale

Concert/Theatre production – revenue from tickets sales and collections on the day

Walk to d’feet – organise your own sponsored walk or join with an existing one

Scarecrow festivals – increasing in popularity up and down the country!

Take over your local Diwali celebrations and ask for donations to see the fireworks

Using existing events is a risk free way of raising money.

Fun for all ages

Fancy dress or dress down day at school

Guess the number of sweets in the jar

Kids takeover to takeover MND – let them be in charge for a day, setting the rules!

Silence speaks – more than a sponsored silence where they’re challenged to communicate in other ways

Get your parents dressed – let the kids choose your hair, make-up and clothes!

Put yourself in the shoes of someone with MND facing communication barriers.

Seasonal fundraising

Tie in your activities with certain times of the year for easy fundraising.

Easter egg hunt

National days – celebrate St George, St Patrick or St David

Celebrate Eid by hosting a dinner with family and friends and asking for donations

Halloween party

Christmas – the options are endless! Christmas jumper day, present swap, donations instead of cards

Finnley built a #TeamMND snowman to raise awareness of MND.

Something for the grown ups

Ginuary – now this sounds more fun than dry January!

Cocktail Crawl – a great way to get your local community together

Bottomless brunch – invite your friends for breakfast and free flowing fizz!

Takeover your local restaurant – ask them to put on a special menu and invite your friends for an evening out

Quiz night – persuade your local pub quiz to hold it in aid of us or organise your own

“The MND Association fundraising team were magnificent in their practical and moral support throughout our training – giving us a really positive lift and lots of great advice.”Bev Farrow, Fundraiser

Whatever you decide to do, you’ll be supporting people with MND – and bringing a world free from MND closer.

Fundraising ideas

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Organising your event

Sell ticketsIt may seem obvious but charging an entrance fee to your event is going to be one of the main ways of making money. And if you make sure you allow people to buy tickets in advance, then you’re guaranteeing donations even if they don’t end up being able to come on the day.

Get sponsorshipYou could ask your workplace or other local businesses if they would be interested in sponsoring the event. They could give a donation and in return you could put their logo on a programme or auction brochure, or invite them to have their banners at the event.

Raffles or auctionsThese are a great, fun way to get people involved and give more on the day without feeling like they’re donating extra money. Source some raffle prizes that you know will have a wide appeal to your audience. You could also make it really personal by raffling favoured items of a loved one e.g. if someone was known as a keen gardener you could offer a garden themed prize.

Selling raffle tickets only at the event rather than beforehand means you don’t need any licensing in place so it’s much simpler to do it this way.

If it’s a ball or dinner event, you could offer a table raffle to encourage participation and

Your event

Putting on an event, such as a ball, sporting event, a pub quiz or a fun day, can raise a lot of money and awareness by getting many people involved. You might even interest local media in what you’re doing. To help you get started think through the following:

Here’s a few suggestions of how you can raise money from the event

Turn over for more ideas

What will I do? Look for inspiration with our fundraising ideas.

Where will it be? Think about capacity, parking, transport, disabled access and cost. Will it be indoors or outdoors? What will happen if the weather is bad? Will a venue donate their space?

And when? Check the date doesn’t clash with anything else going on – big local events, major sporting events on the TV etc! Check that some key people are available so you know you’ll be able to rely on their support.

Who will come and who will I involve? Use social media and local media to spread the word, and be clear whether it’s a public event or invite only. Make sure your entertainment and refreshments take into account who will be coming.

Where should I promote it?

Do I need insurance or any permissions or licenses? (see page 30 about keeping it legal)

How can I raise extra money?£

increase the odds of winning. Or you could play a game of heads and tails where guests pay to be a part of the game, and whoever is on the mic asks participants to choose heads or tails.

They must place their hands on their heads or bottoms while the speaker flips a coin. Whoever chooses the matching coin flip stays in the game and everyone else sits down. The game carries on until there’s only one winner!

Auctions are a fantastic way to get people giving. But there will always be some who choose not to participate. Low bid auctions can encourage more people to get involved, by asking people to bid low and the lowest unique bid wins the prize!

If you do want to sell raffle tickets in advance, check our “How to guide” on the website.

“This charity means the absolute world to us, especially me. You guys have helped me through this journey so far so I promise you I’ll do everything I can to help you all back.”Sam Tooze

Fundraisers register to take part in their local sponsored walk

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Nicola, Zowie and The Unicorn pub in Radcliffe, Manchester, raised £2,000 from their family fun day.

Remind everyone why they’re thereAlthough you want everyone to come along and have great fun at your event, it’s important to remind people throughout the event that there’s a very serious reason why you’re raising money.

Share your motivation by giving a short talk explaining why you’re holding the event, and hand out some of our leaflets to explain what MND is and how their support will make a difference.

Make it fun!If people have paid for a ticket to go somewhere they expect to have fun, so make sure it is! Think about whether there are other games that people can be encouraged to play. The more fun people have then the more inclined they will be to support events in the future!

#TeamMND in action

#TeamMND in action

Hopefully we’ve been able to give you some ideas of what to do so far but here’s some inspiration from other members of #TeamMND to get you thinking!

Our Manchester and District Branch organised a very successful dinner dance.

Gavin & Louise Casey and supporters went “Gung-ho” with their wonderful support for the Norwich and Waveney Branch.

Get in touch with a member of our team to discuss your fundraising plans and ideas on 01604 611 860. We are happy to help!

Say thank youFinally, make sure you thank your supporters for coming along – it’s only with their support that the event will be a success so it’s really important to recognise that!

Add an extra elementEmbody the spirit of ‘Del Boy’, or even a budget airline! What else could be added to your event to bump up the income?

Welsh ukulele band, the Camarthen Ukuleles, regularly busk in return for donations. So far they have raised over £650.

Glammed up for the big night!

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“The support the MND Association have given us has been tremendous, it really helped us through when we were so nervous.”Lauren Smith

Golf society the Friday Afternoon Crew took on an Ice Bucket Challenge and raised over £3,500 in honour of their fellow member who was diagnosed with MND.

Jean raised over £4,000 for the Gloucestershire branch by taking part in the Brighton marathon dressed as a duck! She was assisted by the amazing Becky, and they had an absolute blast on the day!

Denise encouraged the Albero Lounge pub in Bedford to raise funds for the Association at one of their weekly quizzes. Pictured with her son Tom, she was delighted it raised £418.

Over 800 people joined Amy, where she held a picnic and family fun day to celebrate the Royal Wedding. The event raised over £1,800 for her brother in law Mark’s Fight Back Fund.

Lauren Hawley’s friends Grace, Lulu, India, Maddie, Lucy and Mia supported Lauren and stayed silent for five hours during half term, inspired by her Grandad. Together they raised an incredible £745!

£10 will provide a young person with our ‘So what is MND anyway? ’ guide, helping them to better understand the disease.

£80 will buy software to enable someone to bank their own voice.

£100 funds laboratory equipment for two days’ vital research into finding the causes of MND.

£500 could go towards the cost of a ceiling hoist to help someone continue to live in their own home.

#TeamMND in action

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My #TeamMND Experience

Fundraise with your dog! Victoria and her sister Hannah, along with Oscar, raised over £1200 by taking part in the dog jog!

Victoria, whose Mum, Angela, had MND said: “As a family we used to take part in fun runs, and really enjoyed them, so it’s great to be taking part again. This is an event that Oscar can be a part of, and that is so important to us.

One thing Mum missed about life before MND was walking Oscar around the park. When Mum was in hospital after the diagnosis she wept over how much she missed him and he would sit as close to Mum’s wheelchair as possible. This event meant Oscar could raise money for his Mummy too.”

Birthday fundraiser!Are you celebrating a big birthday soon? Why not celebrate it by taking on a challenge for #TeamMND?

Kathryn used her 40th birthday to take on the London Landmarks Half Marathon. She told us:

“The event was on the weekend of my 40th birthday and I didn’t want a party. I am fairly new to running, so thought what better way to celebrate? I could run a half marathon around my home town and raise money for a brilliant charity”.

Of course, it doesn’t need to be a half marathon; it could be any number of things, but we would love to help you celebrate your milestone and would be happy to chat through ways you can mark the occasion.

My #TeamMND

You could celebrate any big occasion this year by taking on a challenge!

We are so grateful for the continued support of our fundraisers. Why not take inspiration from what some of our community have been up to over the last year to help you think about what you can do?

£1,000 will pay for detailed analysis of the DNA of someone with MND to help us better understand the causes of the disease.

Fundraising at a local landmarkSisters Barbara and Vivien, along with sister-in-law Christine, opened up the historic Peel Tower building for a fundraising day in memory of their brother Colin Lee.

Over 150 people went to the top of the tower and even more came in to enjoy a well-earned cuppa and a piece of cake! Together they raised over £800.

£125 will buy a specialist communication app for smartphone or tablet.

“The event was on the weekend of my birthday…so I thought what better way to celebrate!”Kathryn York

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Maxine after completing the Royal Parks Half Marathon.

“In January 2013 my family had our world turned upside down. My brother-in-law Paul, aged just 39, was diagnosed with the devastating disease that is MND.

I can remember the evening so clearly. Robert came home in tears to tell me that Paul had been diagnosed, and my reply was ‘what is MND’? Surely there’s some treatment or a cure? How wrong was I.

Robert googled MND and I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I just remember thinking to myself ‘how many other people out there don’t know about MND’. I needed to get out there to raise awareness and much needed funds.

Fundraising is easier than you think...I had never raised any money before I signed up to run the London Marathon 2014 and I needed to raise £3,000. My first fundraising event was a small race night at my local social club, gathering approximately 60 friends and family to come along for the evening. It was a great success, raising £1,000.

I then got my work place involved by arranging a bakeit! cake sale, getting family and friends to donate homemade cakes and selling them at work. I have been hosting this event three times a year since 2013 and it has always been a great success in raising funds and awareness about MND.

From this I went onto getting my local Sainsbury’s supermarket involved and was a charity partner for two years. This enabled me to have fundraising days plus bag packing weekends so I would get my friends and family involved with these which were great fun. I’ve also held an annual dinner dance which is now in its fifth year. Other fundraisers I’ve done include hosting a charity football match and a speed quiz night.

Every £1 you raise countsI know first-hand how devastating and cruel MND is. Watching my brother-in-law Paul fight for the past five years has been heart-breaking, but I have the passion in my heart to keep raising awareness and raise a few pounds along the way. I never dreamed in a million years I would have raised over £40,000 in four years.

It’s been achievable by raising small amounts here and there, so just focus on these as they soon add up. And I know the MND Association and those living with MND appreciate everything we fundraisers do in raising much needed funds and awareness to one day have a world without MND.”

Maxine secured the support of her local supermarket which helped boost her fundraising.

“How I raised £40,000 in four years”Maxine had never raised money for charity before she started supporting the MND Association, in honour of her brother-in-law Paul. Now, with over £40,000 raised, she’s a fundraiser extraordinaire – and today, she’s sharing her top tips with you.

£1,100 will fund a joystick to control a wheelchair with the lightest of touches.

Personal story

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Fire up your fundraising!

Set yourself a targetWhether you’re taking part in an organised event with a specific target to meet, or creating your event, setting a target from the outset really will boost the overall amount you raise. It will also help keep you motivated throughout your fundraising journey. And remember, you can always raise the target if you smash through it earlier than you anticipated! The taxman can help you raise

more money!If your donors are taxpayers, then for every £1 they donate, HMRC will give us an extra 25 pence at absolutely no cost to them! No strings attached! In order for us to do this you just need to make sure that supporters tick the Gift Aid box on your sponsor form or online giving page, and their donation will be worth an extra 25%. This will help us do even more in the fight against MND. However, please note, all fundraising monies from events ticket sales, raffles and bake sales etc. cannot be gift aided. But if you’re collecting donations we can supply you with gift aid friendly donation envelopes.

Ask us for advice about maximising Gift Aid at your event or visit www.mndassociation.org/howtogiftaid

Getting started

There are a couple of really straightforward things you can do that we know will help you raise more money from your fundraising activity. Take a look at the following to get you started, and you can always chat to our team for more ideas.

“I wanted to do my bit to help people like my Auntie Joyce, who face their own challenges living with MND every day.”Michael Davies, fundraiser

A big ‘thumbs up’ to all of our fundraisers who are taking advantage of Gift Aid.

Join the hundreds of fundraisers who get on their bike each year for us!

£250 will provide a grant to help a young carer/person affected by MND have a day out or take part in something special.

If you need a little extra help we have a simple guide for you at www.mndassociation.org/howtofundraiseonline or you can call or email us.

Create an online fundraising pageWhatever you are doing to raise money, setting up an online fundraising page is a brilliant way to increase donations! If you are holding an event, even if people can’t attend, they can donate and of course it’s also perfect for collecting sponsorship.

We know pages that share a personal story and include photos raise more. Sharing your story will inspire people to support you.

We prefer www.justgiving.com/mndassoc but we are also registered with Virgin Money Giving and BT Donate if you’d prefer to use one of these.

“Setting up my online fundraising page was so quick and easy, and meant I was able to start collecting donations for my challenge straight away.”Michelle Heart

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Using social media to boost your fundraising

Tell everyone what you’re doingYou’re doing something amazing so make sure everyone knows it! From the moment you first share your story, to giving updates with your progress, it’s so important to keep talking about it. Let people know why you’re fundraising and how it will make a difference when you share your online fundraising page.

Use hashtagsHashtags, such as #TeamMND and #TakeOverMND, let everyone know that you’re raising money for us and also means supporters can find your posts which could act as vital inspiration to others.

Join a Facebook groupRUN MND is a peer led Facebook group for everyone running to raise funds for the MND Association. It’s created by and for our volunteer fundraisers and everyone is incredibly supportive and encouraging and will be happy to support you with training, fundraising and awareness raising advice. We have also recently created a WALK 4 MND Facebook group for supporters who are raising money through walks. Check them out!

Make your content interesting!We all know that things now need to be a bit more eye-catching on social media for us to pay close attention, so try creating different types of content to share. Experiment with uploading photos and videos, do live broadcasts of your activity and share your day through Instagram stories.

Remember to say thank you!As with any form of fundraising, saying thank you to your supporters is so important! It can also inspire and motivate others to do something similar, in turn spreading the word even further!

Social media

More and more of us are communicating with our friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances via social media. It can be a powerful way of spreading messages and gathering support and now it can even be used to collect donations, so why not try it as a tool to help your fundraising!

Tag us to let us know what you’re doingWe have an active presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, so tag to let us know what you’re doing and we might even share it!

mndassociation.org

@mndassoc

facebook.com/mndassociation

Try out Facebook Fundraising

On your birthday why not take Facebook’s advice and set up Facebook fundraiser for us. Do let us know if you decide to do this though as Facebook won’t tell us!

Take photos of your fundraising activity so you can share with your online followers.

“Thank you for the wonderful message on Landy’s facebook page. We could not have raised the funds we have without the continued support from yourself.”Trevor Baird

£650 will fund a seat riser allowing people with MND to raise their wheelchair so that they can reach shelves and talk to someone at eye level.

Instagram @mndassoc

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Of course, there are easier ways to fundraise, but the challenges I’ve chosen just make it a little more testing. People seem willing to support and sponsor when they can see you’re doing something ‘away from the norm’.

So now my only question is – what’s next?!

I made it my mission to try and raise as much awareness of the disease and the Association as I possibly could.

I decided to walk the Wales Coastal Path from Prestatyn to Porthcawl, which took 30 days to complete, walking an average of 20 miles a day. I raised in excess of £14,000. This grabbed the attention of social media and from there I simply built upon it by organising and completing various other crazy challenges each summer and the ‘4MND’ brand was born.

Get your friends involvedAlthough I started out doing these challenges on my own, over the years I have managed to persuade a lot of friends and supporters to join me on my crusade, taking part in challenges that have so far involved cycling, trekking and kayaking. Last year it was a combination of both cycling and trekking when a team of 38 cycled from Llandudno to Bridgend whilst climbing the ‘3 Welsh Peaks’ along the way. Since 2013 we have raised over £100,000. Without this ‘army’ of fundraisers by my side, none of these challenges would have been possible.

Get out of your comfort zone!Coming up with ideas to fundraise and raising sponsorship each year can become an arduous task. My advice would be to put yourself out of your comfort zone! Make people sit up and take notice. I was (and am still) not a cyclist – I have never enjoyed cycling – but cycling from Lands’ End to John O Groats grabbed people’s attention. A physical and psychological challenge for a complete novice cyclist. It was the same with the kayak. I had never been in a kayak before, so I decided to do something that captured attention and pushed me to the limit.

Personal story

Justin Hostettler-Davies started supporting us back in 2012 after a close friend’s diagnosis of MND. Since then he has raised thousands. Here he tells us about his fundraising journey.

“I first got involved with fundraising for the MND Association, when a lifelong friend of mine was diagnosed with the disease. I made it my mission to try and raise as much awareness of the disease and the association as I possibly could.”Justin Hostettler-Davies

Justin’s determination has seen him complete many incredible challenges over the years.

“Since 2013 we have raised over £100,000”

Justin had support from family and friends with his events.

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Our Fightback Funds are designed to focus the fundraising activities of people living with MND, so that all money they raise and that of their friends, family and colleagues is recorded in one fund.

The fundraising total is automatically emailed to the fund’s contact each month and it can even be displayed on our website so supporters can watch the total rise as they continue to fundraise.

Dawn was diagnosed with MND in March 2018. She said: “Before I was diagnosed I had never even heard of MND, apart from knowing about Stephen Hawking. I was so shocked, I couldn’t even cry. It felt like the consultant was talking about someone else. This couldn’t be happening to me.”

Taking positive action Dawn immediately wanted to do something positive so started fundraising for the MND Association and set up a Fightback Fund. In May she held her first fundraiser; a coffee morning with a difference (think drinking wine out of tea cups!).

Dawn said: “Although it’s something I’ve never done before, I really enjoy raising money and it’s something I feel I need to do. The researchers need money to find a cure. Probably not in my lifetime but for others in future.”

Lots of Dawn’s friends and family have pledged their support too, signing up for skydives, 5k runs and even climbing mountains. Her granddaughter’s school got involved by holding a non-uniform day. “I feel so lucky to have such good family and friends. We’ve always been close but since my diagnosis we’ve got closer. I’m proud to have such good work colleagues too. I never knew how special I was to them until now.”

Keep fighting Dawn, and we’ll all fight with you!

Fightback funds

Dawn proudly wears her MND Association t-shirt.

With family and friends after completing one of her many challenges.

Dawn is determined to fight back against MND.

Fundraising has given Dawn a positive way of fighting back against MNDWe’re often contacted by people living with MND determined to strike back at the disease. One of the ways they want to do this is to spend time raising money to help us continue our vital work.

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82-year-old Mary loves doing car boot sales to raise funds for her husband’s tribute fund.

Lyn and her mum Mary hold regular car boot sales to raise funds in memory of their father and husband, Edward Buchanan. “You never think that one of your family would die of such a terrible disease which not many people have heard about. We want to make more people aware of MND and to donate so hopefully one day a cure can be found so families like ours don’t have to watch their loved one die slowly in front of your eyes. We felt so helpless at the time.”

“My mum gets terrible pain in her feet from arthritis so doing car boot sales is easy because she can keep sitting down. Our family and friends help too by donating items we can sell. Mum appears to get great comfort from raising money for the MND Association. You helped my dad with equipment and supported us with advice

when needed, we felt so helpless. Now we want to pay you back so you can carry on supporting others”.

We set up the Edward Buchanan Tribute Fund so we could keep track of how much was raised in memory of my father. We also raise money through MND Association collection boxes and still give money for what would have been Dad’s birthday and Christmas. That way we still feel like he is with us.”

Tribute funds

Car boot sales are a really simple way to raise money.

Mary’s husband, Edward, who she raises money in memory of.

“We want to make more people aware of MND and to donate so hopefully one day families like ours don’t have to watch their loved one die.”Lyn Sanders

A Tribute Fund is a special online place where you, your family and friends can remember someone special, and raise money to fight MND in their memory. Tribute Fund pages are easy to personalise with stories and photos of your loved one, helping you celebrate their life. You can also leave messages of support and dedicate donations to their memory.

You can fight MND in your loved one’s memory with a Tribute Fund

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Things to know about fundraising

Food and DrinkIf your event involves the preparation of food, be aware of hygiene regulations. Take care when preparing and handling food and make sure it’s stored and displayed properly. Visit www.food.gov.uk for up to date guidance and remember if you are selling alcohol make sure your venue has a licence. If not, you will need to apply for one with your local authority.

CollectionsIf you are thinking of planning a collection then you will need to get the appropriate permissions before you start. If you are holding a collection in a public place you will need a licence from your local authority (NB, Northern Ireland is a little different). If it’s on privately owned land or property like a train station or supermarket then you will need permission from the manager or owner. Before you organise a collection do get in touch with us as we may need to approve it.

General Data Protection RegulationsBe cautious with any records that you keep about anyone, e.g. sponsorship forms. Please also ensure you do not share information about someone without their permission. This includes photos.

Using our logoWe encourage you to use our logo! Don’t forget, contact us for details on using Rightmarket.com to create branded materials with our logo automatically. However if you’d like us to send you our logo along with guidelines on how to use it then do let us know. Remember if you’re using our logo to include our registered charity no. 294354.

Things to know

We want you to enjoy the experience of fundraising with us and for it not to be a chore, but there are some important fundraising rules and regulations that must be followed. We want to go through some of the most crucial points to help you stay safe and legal but please do just pick up the phone or email us if you want to talk through any specific activities that you are doing.

RafflesDifferent types of raffles have different types of rules and some need a licence depending on the type. For lots of information about raffles visit our ‘How to…’ guides at www.mndassociation.org/fundraiseyourway

Health and Safety and InsuranceIt is your responsibility to make sure your event is run safely. Make sure you do a risk assessment and if necessary have a trained first aider. Visit www.hse.gov.uk for up to the minute advice. We recommend that you take out public liability insurance for any event involving the public, but check with your venue first as they may cover it for you.

The most important thing is to enjoy your fundraising activity!

Our friendly staff are here to support you with your fundraising and answer any questions you have.

“I am so impressed already with the support from yourself and MND charity. I have run for other charities before and the support hasn’t felt as personal or been as organised.”Libby Whitfield

£2,290 will buy a text to speech communication aid to allow someone with MND to communicate and live more independently.

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Paying in your moneySo your event has finished and you have money to send us. Thank you!

Paying in money

Please remember to let us know before you start your fundraising if the money you are raising is going towards a branch of group.

If you have used an online fundraising website such as JustGiving, then you don’t need to do anything. All the money collected will automatically be transferred over to us with your details so that we know it is from your fundraising challenge.

Please don’t send cash in the post. Make cheques payable to the MND Association and send them along with a cover letter or the paying in details from your fundraising pack. Please post your cheques to: The MND Association, David Niven House, 10-15 Notre Dame Mews, Northampton, NN1 2BG.

Please contact us directly for details on 01604 611860.

Online fundraising websites

By post

Bank transfer

It’s super easy to do – just visit www.mndassociation.org/fundraisingdonations to pay in your funds.

Pay it in via our website

If you want to pay with your credit or debit card over the phone, call us on 01604 611860 during our office hours of 9.00-5.30.

By phone

“Just a quick email to express my thanks to your brilliant charity yesterday at the Great North Run. I was cheered on loads on the route by volunteers and had a fabulous welcome at the finish line. Amazing.”Simon Storey

After you’ve celebrated your achievements there are several ways you can pay in the funds raised.

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Personal story

Judy Brookfield took part in her first Triathlon back in April in memory of her cousin’s son, David who tragically died of MND at the age of 31.

Surprise yourself with what you can achieve!

As David was an Iron Man Triathlete himself, Judy felt it was fitting to take on this challenge and set herself a fundraising target of £250. After training hard for the triathlon and with support from her family and friends she managed to raise over £850, more than tripling her target!

“When talking about MND to my friends I was quite surprised how many of them had friends or family who had been affected by it.”

“It was my first triathlon - I have never done anything like this before. As I’m nearly 60, it was quite challenging but very rewarding. It was a “beginner triathlon’ which consisted of 16 lengths swimming, 12 miles bike riding and 3 miles running.”

From there, Judy certainly caught the bug: “It was a big achievement not to be last - and I was quite surprised that I wasn’t sore and stiff the next day.“

Taking part in the Triathlon was a huge accomplishment for Judy.

Judy in training for the Ormskirk Spring Triathlon.

“I am delighted that I have been able to provide a little extra funding for MND and add to David’s tribute fund.”Judy Brookfield

Just £200 provides a day of co-ordinated care at a MND Care Centre.

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Other ways to get involved

Share some of your timeWe have all kinds of roles that could suit you. For example, you could train to be an Association Visitor and give support, advice, encouragement and friendship to someone living with MND when they need it most. Or you could join your local MND Association branch or group and use your skills to help people affected by MND in your area. Perhaps you could support MND Association fundraisers who are taking part in a local event, and get together a cheer squad to support them in their challenge? Or get in touch with the events team to find out whether we need support at some of our bigger events.

Whatever you choose, you can be sure that giving some of your time is a really positive and rewarding thing to do.

Visit www.mndassociation.org/volunteering to find out about these and other opportunities or email volunteering@mndassociation.org. You could also give us a call on 0345 6044 150.

Get involved

We always need more people to join our network of volunteers who provide vital support to people living with MND. Perhaps it’s something you’d like to do?

Volunteering is a rewarding way to give something back to your community.

As well as fundraising, volunteering and campaigning are great ways to help us achieve our vision.

£130 will buy a wheelchair tray to ensure greater comfort and convenience in eating and drinking, or using a laptop or tablet.

Help to change attitudesMND isn’t well understood by wider society. By campaigning and raising awareness of the condition, we can ensure that the needs of people with MND and everyone who cares for them are recognised and addressed.

It’s very easy to get involved. You could sign a petition for us or send a letter to your local MP. Just one of the campaigns you can currently support is sharing our ‘Red Flags’ tool with your local GP surgery, so they have the right information about MND, can improve timely referral to a neurologist and therefore speed up the time to an accurate diagnosis.

By supporting one of our campaigns, you can help create a positive change, by making sure the voices of people living with MND and those of their families and carers are heard.

To get updates on our current campaigns and how you can support them, go to www.mndassociation.org/campaigns. For more information email campaigns@mndassociation.org or call 0207 2508 447.

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That’s why we are currently funding 18 separate research projects all dedicated to understanding the C9orf72 gene; and all with one goal - beating MND.

What’s most exciting about these projects is that the inherited MND caused by C9orf72 is so similar to non-inherited, so studies into this gene could help us grasp what goes wrong in every case of MND.

Researchers wouldn’t have found C9orf72 without the support of people like you. And the gene could finally help us to understand MND. With your help, we can one day beat this.

Personal story

“Knowing about the C9orf72 mutation meant that my daughter Lucy could use IVF to avoid passing it on to my granddaughter Evelyn, who was born last year.”John

John and Jeans story shows that research is progressing, but we need more help to keep going.

Back in 2011, researchers made a major advance: they discovered the C9orf72 gene. This piece of DNA might be tiny, but it could have an enormous impact in the fight against MND, because when it’s faulty, it causes some 40% of all inherited cases of MND.

“Despite everything, research has already given us hope.”

John knows all too well how devastating this gene can be. John’s wife Jean was the sixth person in her family to develop MND, all because of the mutation that was passed down the generations. John and Jean’s daughter Lucy carries the gene too, meaning she may develop MND in the future. That’s why research must continue: because a cure for the faulty gene would change the story for families like theirs.

Jean and her family spending precious time together.

John and Jean enjoyed a life of travelling together.

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Thank you for being amazing!

www.mndassociation.org

We would like to say thank you to all of our inspirational fundraisers who have supported us so far – you really have made a difference.

We look forward to welcoming you to #TeamMND!

To find out how you can help visit:

It is only because of your support that we can achieve our vision of a world free from MND. We look forward to your continued support.

Motor Neurone Disease Association PO Box 246 Northampton NN1 2PR

Tel: 01604 611860 Email: fundraising@mndassociation.org

www.mndassociation.org

Registered Charity No. 294354

If you are affected by MND and need any information or support, please contact our Helpline:

Instagram @mndassoc

@mndassoc

facebook.com/mndassociation

0808 802 6262