At The Lighthouse Centre we are often asked for fundraising ideas, from those seeking inspiration for fun or unusual ways to raise money for us. Whilst we are in Lockdown with the restrictions that brings, we realise that your creative fundraising juices may not be flowing as well as they normally do. The situation we find ourselves in is unusual and well, rather restrictive and it can be difficult to see how you can help us. Never fear we have a few, socially distanced, fun fundraising ideas to share with you to help keep you occupied and out of mischief:
Social Fundraising Ideas
We are all missing socialising, so, why not think about how you can get your friends and family involved and help raise spirits as well as much needed funds for us at TLC!?!? Here are a few suggestions:
Race Night via Zoom – the clever people at race-night.uk have created a version for Zoom, there is a free version for up to 4 players and the costs for larger parties are very reasonable. This fab online game can accommodate up to 50x players, so what are you waiting for? Don your best hat and let’s go to the races
Online Murder Mystery Evening – there are some fabulously well organised online Murder Mystery games and they vary in price so have a good look around. When you are searching for just the right theme for you and your friends take a look at The Spruce website who have an excellent list of free online Murder Mystery Games.
Pamper Packs – help your friends and family relax buy creating and selling them a Pamper Pack. The great thing about this idea is that you know them, so you know what they like and what they dislike. You might want to theme your pamper packs by face, hands or feet. You can give them pick and mix options or you create a generic pamper pack with things like a bath bomb, face mask, a bottle of fizz and a bar of chocolate. The options for this idea are endless.
Bake sale – if you love to bake, dust off your culinary talents and get baking!
Quiz Night – during the first lockdown we all became expert level quiz masters. Put that talent to good use and organise a fun online Quiz Night. This article by ef.com has some great advice about hosting a quiz night and 40 great questions you can add to your quiz!
Afternoon Tea – an extension from the bake sale idea, why not create your own afternoon tea boxes for your family and friends. Whatever you do though, don’t get sucked into the great scone debate – cream or jam first!
Bingo – House! Sorry I got a bit caried away there… Bingo is fast paced, fun and frantic. Online Bingo is hilarious but can be rather cumbersome to organise. We found this free virtual Bingo Maker video that explains how you can set up a game and invite players.
Virtual disco – If you’re missing going out, out, then this might be the fundraising idea for you! Organise a virtual disco. This can be themed, for example an 80s night complete with dress up and props – have a read of this great blog by nobodyswatching.co for excellent advice on how to set up and run a virtual disco.
Fitness Fundraising Ideas
There are all sorts of fitness challenges you can do to help with our fundraising. What we do ask is that if you have underlying health issues you should check with your Doctor or health professional before you start. When picking your challenge think about what you enjoy doing, if you like to run, a running challenge makes sense, same with cycling, walking, Pilates or yoga or even things like skate boarding or skating or how about a stair climbing challenge or a squat challenge?
What we like about a fitness challenge is it gets you moving. Exercise has so many benefits, the NHS website says:
“This is no snake oil. Whatever your age, there’s strong scientific evidence that being physically active can help you lead a healthier and happier life. People who exercise regularly have a lower risk of developing many long-term (chronic) conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and some cancers.”
You can read more about the health and mental wellbeing benefits to exercise in this NHS article.
Online Car Boot Sale
Why not have a good declutter, gather toys and clothes the kids have grown out of, scour the cupboards for items never used, raid your unwanted gifts and make a list of all the items you no longer need. You can have an online version of a car boot sale, there are plenty of online shopping places that you can list your unwanted goods. Ebay auctions is one of the most well-known but of course there are fees to pay. Don’t forget Facebook Marketplace, items are listed for free. If you are selling items on Facebook Marketplace to raise funds for us, don’t forget to mention us @TheLighthouseCe and we will share your posts too!
Daring and Unusual Fundraising Ideas
If you are feeling adventurous, a bit of a daredevil or looking for a more unusual fundraising idea, this is the section for you!
Shave your head – we have seen this lovely gesture from partners of those that have lost their lovely locks having Chemo, loved ones shave their head in empathy, a few have used this as an opportunity to raise funds at the same time!
Wax body hair – I know we shouldn’t laugh, but it can be amusing when guys sign up to have their chest or legs shaved as a fundraiser, because they are never quite prepared for the pain! Let this be a warning to you!
Wear it Pink! – Pick a date and get your friends, family, neighbours and colleagues involved – Wear it Pink is self-explanatory and can be a fun but easy way to support us.
Cocktail Making Competition – challenge your friends to create fun and funky cocktails, you can set a prize for the best creation and the worst!
Online Karaoke Contest – Charge an entry fee and arrange a prize, the singer voted the best by the other participants wins!
Online Mr & Mrs – This hilarious take on the old TV show can get a little heated, take a look at this wonderful Mr and Mrs blog by forbetterforworse.co.uk for a ton of useful ideas and very funny questions!
Fundraising Ideas for Children
Organising fundraising events for children is very satisfying and lots of fun, below is a list of lots of lovely ideas to get your community involved:
- Easter Egg Hunt
- Face Painting Competition
- Scavenger Hunt
- Sponsored Silence
- Sponsored litter picking
- Colouring Contest
Fund Raising For The Lighthouse Centre
We appreciate every single penny donated to us. We make every single one of them count. Whether you raise 50p, £5, £50 or £500 we are incredibly proud of and grateful to each and every single person that gives up their precious time to support us. So, if you want to plan a fund raiser make sure you make it a fun experience not just for the participants but for you too! Don’t forget to tell us what you are doing!
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