Focus on Fundraising Fundraising inspiration, ideas and news from Kingston Carers’ Network Welcome to Focus on Fundraising...
Introducing Kingston Carers’ Network (KCN)
...KCN’s first newsletter dedicated to fundraising. As more young people and adults take on a caring role, demand for our services is growing and KCN quite simply could not deliver all of its activities and services without the support of some very generous individuals, companies, sports and social groups, schools and colleges. We would like to recognise this support by introducing just a few of the wonderful people who have raised funds for our work in recent months. We hope that their stories will inspire you to ‘think fundraising’ at home, work or as you socialise; don’t worry, you don’t have to run a marathon (though please feel free) as there are many simple ways in which everyone can get involved.
The 2011 Census identified 13,288 carers in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames with 2,346 carers (including children) providing 50+ hours of care each week. As a result their own health may suffer and they may experience financial hardship and social isolation. We aim to ‘lighten the load’ by ensuring that carers can access the services and financial help to which they are entitled and take part in activities which give them a much needed life away from their caring role. Please see page 4 for more information about the work of KCN. Feel inspired to fundraise? Our new fundraiser Gill Valenti will be pleased to hear from you if you have any ‘hot leads’ to pass on or if you would like some fundraising ideas and advice. Please contact Gill on 07977 469045 or gill@gillvalenti.co.uk
With best wishes, Kate Dudley, Chief Executive
Enter the Dragon: KCN teams battle it out! Kingston Rotary Club’s 2013 Dragon Boat Challenge attracted 48 teams and we are delighted to say that six teams used the hotly contested race to raise funds for KCN’s Young Carers’ Project. Each team took part in three heats throughout the day with those achieving the fastest eight times going through to the grand final. All of our teams did brilliantly; two made it into the final with Rochills Rockets coming in a creditable 7 th and London Welsh Dragons fending off all opposition to come in 1 st! Most importantly all of the teams raised vital funds for our work with young carers. Our sincere thanks go to Kingston Rotary Club and our teams: 8th Day Adventure, Kingston University Student Ambassadors, Kingston University Staff, Kingston Cadets, London Welsh and Rochills Estate Agents.
Kingston Carers’ Network The Noble Centre 109a Blagdon Road New Malden KT3 4BD www.kingstoncarers.org.uk Registered Charity Number 1151456
Mayor Mary’s Magnificent Year of Support We were delighted when Councillor Mary Heathcote chose Kingston Carers’ Network to be one of three charities to benefit from monies raised by the Mayor’s Charitable Trust during her year in office. Events included a wine tasting with a twist which took place in the empty Kingston Magistrates Court, a football tournament and a black tie ball. The Appeal raised over £42,000 which means that KCN was presented with a magnificent £14,046.66 for our work with carers of all ages.
Councillor Heathcote said that she was immensely grateful to everyone who contributed during her term as mayor. “Even in these tough financial times local people dug deep not just through their donations but by lending their energy and enthusiasm to fund-raising events. The people of Kingston never cease to amaze me with their generosity and their willingness to help others in the community, and the money raised will be put to good use by three worthy causes.” We would like to thank Councillor Heathcote and everyone who supported the appeal. Being Sociable for KCN!
Kate joins Laura Smyth of Yorda Adventures and Robin Hutchinson of The Community Brain to receive a cheque from Councillor Mary Heathcote
Many sports and social clubs have a tradition of holding a raffle or fundraiser at their Christmas party or summer BBQ. If this is the case at your club then perhaps members would like to support KCN this year? If this is not yet a tradition then what a great time to introduce it!
Business Benefits for KCN
Work it out!
Rochills Rally for Young Carers
Foody fundraisers
Walton based Rochills may be an estate agent, but co-director Marcel Roccia believes they are in the people business. “Moving house can be exciting but people also come to us when they are at their most vulnerable, perhaps following a death in the family or when they are in debt. This has made us acutely aware of our responsibilities as a local business and we try to address these by supporting local charities and good causes. The Rotary Dragon Boat Challenge provided the perfect opportunity to raise funds for KCN’s Young Carers’ Project and had the added business benefit of providing a great team building event for our staff.” Our sincere thanks to Marcel and team!
Introduce food into any working day and you are on to a fundraising winner. Thanks to the re-invention of the humble cupcake people will now pay a pound or more for a single iced fancy to go with their afternoon tea! A simple soup or ploughman’s lunch can provide the perfect working lunch or pick a theme and base your event around a single food (perhaps strawberries), a country (take your pick) or an activity (try dunking!).
Can your company help? Many businesses like to support causes dear to the hearts of their employees. Some select a Charity of the Year and others support on an ad hoc basis with one off events such as a dress down day or quiz night. KCN is looking to develop partnerships with local companies and would love to hear from you if you think that your employer, or that of a relative or friend, would consider supporting us. If you can help us in this way please do contact Gill for a chat.
Table Top Sale If you’ve no time to fundraise then set up a simple activity and let it take care of itself. Invite colleagues to bring in CDs/ books/DVDs and provide an honesty box for donations. Those with allotments might like to bring in surplus produce and sell on a similar basis. Do your colleagues have talent? We bet they do! Discover where it lies and you will have the key to some great fundraising events. Live music adds value to any event or with real ‘star quality’ can become the event itself. Artists, gardeners and chefs can all be asked to donate their talents towards an exhibition, ‘ask the expert’ session, demonstration, or auction of promises.
Everyone can be a fundraiser! Fundraise while you shop
KCN’s cheats’ guide to fundraising!
It sounds far-fetched but you really can fundraise as you shop with Give as you Live®. Over 2,500 leading stores including Amazon, Boots and M&S will donate up to 5% of the value of your purchases when you shop on line. It will cost you nothing, is secure and very easy to get started. Simply go to www.giveasyoulive.com/howitworks click ‘Get started’ and choose to support KCN. Every time you shop online with a participating store you will be raising funds for KCN!
Piggy Back
Wanted: your old mobile phones If you have an unwanted mobile or two then here is your chance to raise some money for KCN. Simply remove the sim card and drop your old handset into the KCN office or hand to a member of staff; we will pass it on to recycling specialists ShP Ltd who will make a payment dependent upon the condition, age and make of the phone. Please do ask your friends and family to have a rummage too!
Is there an existing event to which you can add a simple fundraiser? Maybe a party at work or your sports or social club that will provide a captive audience? Simply organise a raffle or auction and you will have injected some extra fun into the evening and supported a very worthwhile cause! Party Plan Companies selling everything from make-up to cooking utensils will provide a readymade event which you can turn into a fundraiser. Most will offer gifts to the host which can be used as raffle prizes. Ask the landlord If you know the landlord of your local pub then ask if they will host a quiz, karaoke session or traditional pub games night. If they already hold events, ask if they will let you add a fundraising twist.
Fundraising in Action!
Challenge Yourself...
Kingston Uni are ‘Study As She Goes’!
...or someone else!
When Anne Stegmann, who is based in Kingston International at Kingston University signed up to join the University‘s dragon boat team, ‘Study As She Goes’, she had no idea that it would involve raising money for charity. “I had heard of the Young Carers’ Project but did not know much about what they did. A meeting with Diane White quickly brought me up to speed with the range of support the charity provides. I was privileged to meet a group of young carers at an Art Workshop I ran during the summer vacation and am in awe of these special young people. I felt determined to meet our target of raising £1,000 for the cause. We raised funds through Local Giving and the VC’s office kindly agreed to cover the cost of using beautiful and historic Dorich House (which belongs to the University) for a wine tasting event; my South African connections came up trumps with providing the wines.”
Pulling on your running shorts and pounding the pavements in January can be disheartening if your only motivation is to shift the excesses of Christmas. But sign up for one of the many runs and fun runs which take place nationally and locally and raise funds for KCN and there is suddenly a point to your pain! Local events include: Garmin Kingston Run Challenge, Whole Foods Market WomenOnly Run (includes run with your buggy option!), Wholefoods Market Breakfast Run, and Richmond Half Marathon.
“It is a pleasure to work with KCN’s Young Carers’ Project as not only do they appreciate everything one does but they offer excellent support and encouragement both before and during the event thus helping to make it a success.” Our sincere thanks go to Anne and the whole team.
Double the funds with www.localgiving.com Localgiving.com allows supporters to make one-off donations, regular gifts and set up their own fundraising page for sponsored events and special occasions. From 15th October under the website’s ‘Grow your Tenner’ scheme, one off donations of up to £10 will be matched and monthly donations of up to £10 doubled for six months – this will run until the £500,000 fund has been allocated. This is a great opportunity for KCN, so if you or someone you know would like to donate or take part in a sponsored event then this is a great time to sign up. For those with no time to train, and a head for heights we can even arrange for you to take part in a tandem skydive!
A little more about Kingston Carers’ Network Who we are and what we do
We need you…
A carer is someone who looks after a family member, partner or friend in need of help because they are ill, frail, have a disability, mental health problem, suffer from dementia or are dependent on drugs or alcohol. Many carers, including young carers, provide in excess of 50 hours of care per week. As a result they may experience a decline in their own mental and physical health and suffer isolation and financial hardship.
...to fundraise. With your help we can reach more carers and provide the support they need to care without compromising their own health and wellbeing. If you would like to organise a one off event, help with a supermarket collection or join a fundraising group please do get in touch.
The services provided by Kingston Carers’ Network aim to minimise these consequences by offering practical and emotional support and opportunities to take regular breaks from the responsibilities of caring. We play an important role in helping carers and their families access the Images posed by models ©Carers Trust services, support and financial help they need through our advice and advocacy service. Carers can also benefit from a range of complementary therapies and beauty treatments. Our holistic approach allows us to offer a single point of contact for a range of services for carers; thus we are able to offer continuity to carers with complex and evolving needs. “Sometimes its difficult being a young carer and I find it hard to talk about emotions. The one to ones give me the chance to chat about things that I find hard to talk about.” Luke, aged 15 KCN is about people not numbers but we believe that these figures show the worth of our service: We receive 30 new referrals every month—a 100% increase in the last two years We currently support 1,000 adult carers and 290 young carers The financial value of the unpaid care provided by Kingston’s carers is at least £124m Fundraising for KCN—keeping it legal and safe Please remember that when you are running a fundraising event the normal laws of the land apply and in addition there are some special rules concerning fundraising events. We regret that we cannot accept liability for the event or those participating in it. Please ensure that you have appropriate cover and take out additional insurance if necessary. For advice please contact Gill Valenti at gill@gillvalenti.co.uk
...to volunteer. Kingston Carers’ Network has an army of volunteers who we quite simply could not do without. We need people with all kinds of skills and interests to join this special group; from office admin to beauty therapy to mentoring and young carers activities. Please call or email if you would like to know more. If you need us... ...we are here to support you. Whether you require help with practical issues, benefit claims, need a break from your caring responsibilities or would like to talk confidentially to one of our counsellors please do get in touch. Please contact us: Kingston Carers’ Network The Noble Centre, 109a Blagdon Road New Malden, KT3 4BD 020 3031 2757 info@kingstoncarers.org.uk Young Carers’ Project Our Young Carers’ Project supports children and young people between the ages of 5 and 18 who have caring responsibilities for family members. They undertake a wide variety of tasks which would normally be performed by an adult – from cooking and cleaning to helping with medication and personal care to looking after younger siblings. We are not only concerned with the physical tasks a young carer undertakes or the emotional load they bear; they often miss out on educational, recreational and social activities and can feel isolated and unsupported. Activity days and outings provide a much needed break from caring and the opportunity to socialise with other young people in the same situation. Workshops provide a boost to confidence, selfesteem and build resilience. We work with schools to identify young carers whose needs may otherwise be missed. Because we support both young and adult carers we can see young carers through the transition from childhood to adult life, responding to their changing educational, social and emotional needs, and ensuring that they do not ‘slip through the net’.
Kingston Carers’ Network The Noble Centre 109a Blagdon Road New Malden KT3 4BD www.kingstoncarers.org.uk Registered Charity Number 1151456