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We can’t continue without our fundraisers.

 

It’s as simple as that.

 

Your dedication, passion and energy fund vital work that makes for better, healthier and happier communities.

 

It ensures our Helpline is there with practical advice, information and guidance, delivered by our team of staff and volunteers.

 

Our Community Builders help run community support groups that take away loneliness and isolation. It means we can continue to fight for better care for everyone.

 

Thank you. We can’t do it without you!

Fundraising

Sporting and Exercise Challenges

Racers at the startline of the Race Across Torbay 2019 fundraiser, all in aid of Ourbus Torbay

Challenge yourself and raise money for us. It could be a sponsored walk/run or a tournament of some kind, perhaps football, rugby or a golf day. If you enjoy doing it you could also be helping our communities.

 

  • Organise a run with friends or perhaps challenge your friends during your regular park run
  • Get on your bike and pedal with friends
  • Pop on your walking shoes and head out. Set the distance and make it challenging
  • Charity Golf Day. There are numerous clubs around Torbay, but there are also crazy golf venues. It is your choice.
  • Organise a swim. There is no end of opportunities around the Bay, just choose where and when
  • We have pilot clubs as well as other rowers in the Bay. Make it challenging, make it fun
  • Kayaking, paddleboarding, and kitesurfing all have enthusiasts in the Bay. Challenge them and raise money whilst out on the water.
  • We are lucky enough to have numerous sailing clubs in the Bay. Challenge fellow club members to a race.
  • Horse riding. There is no shortage of equestrian opportunities around the Bay. Base a fundraising challenge around your next outing
  • Organise your own sporting event. This list is by no means exhaustive, so if your favourites aren’t listed, do not let that stop you.

Celebrations and special occassions

Timebanking legend Ann Whitehouse raised £500 on her 70th Birthday in 2018, for a number of causes

Not everyone wants or needs gifts when they celebrate a wedding,  birthday, anniversary or some other important milestone, you could use the occasion to raise money for the import work of Torbay Communities instead.

 

  • Rather than gifts for your birthday why not ask people to donate to Torbay Communities. You can help make a difference
  • Celebrating a big anniversary? Perhaps you are having a party, but don’t want gifts, instead encourage your guests to donate to Torbay Communities
  • The Big Day. Getting married or celebrating a civil partnership and already have all that you need. Ask guests to donate to Torbay Communities instead.

Special challenges

Fr. Gary Deighton & co committed themselves to 40 swims over Lent 2022, to raise money for YMCA South Devon

Some of us like to push ourselves a little further and step out of our comfort zone with an endurance test, or a personal record. It could be a singing competition, a sponsored silence or perhaps a knitathon with friends.

 

  • A great one for children (and their parents) a sponsored silence!
  • A 24-hour challenge. You choose what you want to do and then set the clock ticking
  • 24 hours not long enough? Set yourself something to do every day for the year – all 365 days of them.
  • Give something up? Dry January? Veganuary in February. Marking Lent? If you are, turn it into a fundraiser.

Social events

Perhaps your craft group could fundraise with a public display? Torbay’s Yarnbombers certainly know how to knit one together.

We all love the opportunity to spend time with friends, relatives, and neighbours, so why not turn it into a fundraiser? It could be as grand as a ball or as simple as a dinner party or garden BBQ. Make it fun.

 

  • Sun shining? Get the BBQ out and invite some friends and neighbours round and ask for donations to Torbay Communities
  • Enjoy a good black tie and evening gown ball? Organise your own and give all the profits to support people in Torbay.
  • A festival does not have to be the size of Glastonbury, a smaller festival or concert can also be a lot of fun. Why not organise your own?
  • Planning a scavenger hunt or a search for those elusive Easter Eggs? Make it a fundraiser.
  • Dozens of craft groups meet every week across the Bay, why not challenge your friends to create something extra special and ask for donations?

Games and quizzes

Board games are always popular with people of all ages, and are seeing a resurgance in younger players in particular!

Who doesn’t love a good quiz? It doesn’t have to be hard, but it does have to be fun. Challenge others to join in and become a quizmasters or perhaps a bingo caller instead.

 

  • You can’t beat a good pub quiz, but it doesn’t have to in a pub it could be anywhere. All you need is a quizmaster and a few teams
  • Maybe try your hand at a few puzzles and challenges, and channel the gameshow-vibe
  • A wide variety of ways to challenge each other – hold a quiz in person, and/or online somewhere like Zoom (the more, the merrier!)
  • Bust out a few classics – Bingo for one, but don’t forget your board and party games, such as Chess, Draughts, Cluedo, Monopoly, etc. or for those not afraid of getting stuck in, Charrades, Pictionary, Twister or (for the more mature crowds) card games such as Cards Against Humanity or Exploding Kittens! Or for the more creative, imaginative crowd, how about a tabletop roleplaying game such as the legendary Dungeons and Dragons, or bust out all your best figurines with Warhammer 40,000?
  • Don’t forget – plenty of options when it comes to video games, especially when it comes to ones you can play together either in person, or remotely! Play a classic like Mario Party or Super Smash Bros, or get modern with a online session on Fortnite or Among Us

Community fundraising ideas

Get in touch, and let us know how you’re bringing people together

There are so many membership groups across the Bay including sports clubs, friendship and faith groups and we would love it if you could get involved and help raise money in the heart of your community.

 

  • Faith groups have a long history of raising money for worthy causes. Why not add Torbay Communities to your list and keep the money closer to home?
  • Schools and colleges are also well known for their fundraising activities, please add Torbay Communities to your list so that you can support your neighbours.
  • Membership groups thrive in Torbay and no matter what brings you together, if you are planning a fundraiser then look no further than Torbay Communities.

Fundraising Pack

Fundraising pack

 

We work hard in Torbay to support communities to become the best they can be – strong, resilient and able to champion everyone who lives there.

 

We can’t do it without your help and we are very grateful that you are considering raising much-needed funds to allow us to continue our work.

 

Torbay Communities is home to the Torbay Community Helpline whose staff and volunteers have helped thousands of people in the Bay with advice and guidance on a range of subjects from mental health to finance, and from housing to home from hospital.

 

Our team of Community Builders work in the heart of our communities supporting vulnerable people and helping ensure no one becomes lonely or isolated whatever their age, whatever their needs.

 

Register your event here

 

Things to consider (before you start)

 

Please do:

  • inform us, and keep in touch to let us know how things are going. We’re here to help
  • promote Torbay Communities – whilst fundraising, you are also helping to spread the word. Please remember, you are representing us, which means you have a responsibility to maintain our good reputation
  • always be clear about what funds Torbay Communities will receive, and state what funds (if any) will be used to cover costs
  • we can help promote your fundraiser on our website and social media, but sadly we cannot guarantee the success of your event or the number of people involved – that is down to you

 

 

Please don’t:

  • use the Torbay Communities logo without informing us first
  • misinform. Be clear on what funds Torbay Communities will receive
  • forget to thank everyone who has supported you and remember to report back about how much you’ve raised, and what the money might be used for
  • forget, you may need certain permissions from Torbay Council, particularly if you are considering street collections, public entertainment, selling alcohol, or door-to-door collections

 

 

Important:

  • keep accurate records of all donations or proceeds and a record of activities undertaken
  • keep all money raised in a safe, secure place – always separate from your own money
  • if unfortunately, your event has to be cancelled, offer donations back promptly

 

 

Fundraising tips

 

Here are our top tips for raising as much money as possible:

 

Set a target

This will help to give your fundraising focus

 

Make it unique

People enjoy taking part in something new and interesting – try to think of ways to make your event different (see our A-Z of fundraising if you need inspiration)

 

Social Media

Share what you are doing with your followers via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn – this will show people how passionate you are about your cause

 

Advertise

We can add information about your event to our website and social media, to make sure people know it is happening

 

Gift Aid

If your event is sponsored, you can raise 25p more for every £1 you raise. If your sponsors are taxpayers, ask them to tick the Gift Aid box and provide their address on your sponsorship form, to make the donation go that bit further

 

 

Social media

You’ve decided how you’re fundraising, and you’ve got everything set up so now it’s time to get the word out:

 

  • Facebook

    Once you’ve asked your friends to donate, let them know they can help by just sharing your status. And don’t be afraid to remind people more than once to sponsor you

  • Twitter/Threads

    If you can, post updates during your event. If that’s not possible, then let people know what’s happening before and after. Include pictures, any necessary links, and don’t forget to tag us @TorbayCDT

  • Instagram

    An excellent way to tell the story of your event with photographs and short video clips – before, during and after. Feel free to play with the filters!

  • LinkedIn

    Bolster your CV and share your fundraising with your LinkedIn contacts. Worth a shot with any of your professional contacts

  • WhatsApp

    If you’re part of any Whatsapp groups, they can be ideal to spread the word, especially if you’ve got the likes of a JustGiving page (a donation platform that works very well on mobile) you can share the link to

  • YouTube

    From passionate video blogs to progress updates, put your recordings on YouTube (or try your hand at Livestreaming!) and share from there

  • Soundcloud

    Share all your soundbites, interviews and even podcasts with your listeners to keep them posted on your event’s progress

 

Don’t forget to follow and tag us on social media:

  • Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Threads & Soundcloud = @TorbayCDT
  • LinkedIn: /company/torbay-communities

 

Sponsorship

 

Sponsorship is a great way to raise money for us and get all your family, friends and work colleagues involved. You can do it on or offline and there are several online platforms that make it all much easier such as www.justgiving.com

 

Don’t forget to encourage all your sponsors to Gift Aid their donation if they are a UK taxpayer as that means that we can claim an extra 25p for every £1 spent.

 

Thank you!

 

You may never know it, but you could be helping your relatives, your neighbours, and your friends. And rest assured you will be helping communities across Torbay and we promise that every penny you raise will be spent here.

 

Register your event here

A-Z of fundraising ideas

Stuck for ideas for your next fundraiser? Don’t be because here are 203 (and counting) suggestions. Just pick your favourite, register your event with us and get start raising money!

 

Please email [email protected] if you want to add to this list!

A-E

A

  • Abseil – reach new heights with an abseiling challenge
  • Aerobics class – challenge your regular exercise partners
  • Afternoon tea – hold an elegant afternoon tea with friends or family
  • Antiques fair – it might not appeal to you, but that old thing in the back of the cupboard will be worth something to someone
  • Apple bobbing – yes really. Great fun.
  • Arm wrestling contest – see who’s crowned the arm wrestling champion
  • Art exhibition – showcase local artists and raise money through an entry fee
  • Arts and crafts stall – so much scope here. Make and sell is the key
  • Ascot sweepstake – only once a year, but very popular
  • Auction – encourage local businesses to donate items to be auctioned off
  • Awareness Day – pick a subject and get people to pay to sign up

 

B

  • Bake Off! – get your local community baking to sell some delicious treats
  • BBQ – fire up the grill for a charity bbq day with friends or neighbours
  • Bingo – who will be the first to check off all their numbers at a bingo night?
  • Birthday giving – ask your loved ones to donate instead of buying you gifts
  • Book sale – raise money through your community selling unwanted books
  • Bowling/Bowls – organise a competition at your club
  • Brew and Bake  – a variation on a theme

 

C

  • Café Crawl – a variation on the popular pub crawl
  • Calendar – create and sell your own. Everyone remembers the Calendar Girls!
  • Car wash – help shine up local cars in a community car wash event
  • Celebration – if you are celebrating something turn it into a fundraiser.
  • Cheese and wine night
  • Choir – could be a concert, could be a whip round.
  • Cocktail night – mix up your favourite drinks in a charity cocktail evening
  • Coffee morning – get together and enjoy a cuppa while raising money
  • Collection – whatever the occasion, there is always an opportunity to shake a bucket
  • Comedy night – laugh along and raise money
  • Crafts – turn your hobbies into a fundraising activity and get crafting
  • Cycling – get sponsored to hop on your bike for a charity cycle
  • Concert – organise your own
  • Carol singing – at a time of good cheer, collect donations
  • Competition – any sort, any time.

 

D

  • Dance -a -thon  – see who can last the longest on the dancefloor
  • Dangerous Dinner  – gather friends, family and people in your community for a dinner like no other! The idea is that they pay for a three course meal, but won’t know what that meal is before the night itself!
  • Darts contest  – take aim to see who lands the bullseye in a round of darts
  • Decade-themed party – got a favourite decade, turn back the clocks, dress up and spin the records
  • Dinner party – pick a theme and host your own charity dinner party
  • Disco – strut your funky stuff.
  • Dog show  – let those pups show off to see who is voted the winner
  • Dog walking – get out and about and earn money for your favourite charity
  • Dress down day – get informal
  • Drawing contest – challenge people to show off their drawing skills#
  • Duck race – get yourself some yellow ducks, number them, get them sponsored and let the race begin.

 

E

  • eBay  – sell any unwanted items you have lying around on eBay
  • Egg-painting contest  – get creative to see who can paint the best egg
  • Egg and spoon race – always fun for adults and children alike
  • Easter Egg hunt – only once a year but don’t let the opportunity to raise money go to waste
  • Exhibition – anything and everything as long as others find it interesting. Model trains, paintings, your tea pot collection
  • Expert talk – why shouldn’t raising money be educative as well as fun?
  • Etsy  – use your crafting skills to sell your awesome creations on Etsy
  • Exercise marathon  – hold a day long event to see who can go the distance
  • Eurovision party  – everyone can represent a different country at this party

F-J

F

  • Facebook Fundraising – use Facebook fundraising tools on your social media posts
  • Fancy dress day – hold a fancy dress day at school or work for a donation
  • Fashion show – rock your best outfits in a local charity fashion show
  • Fete – for your community, for your street, for your village
  • Film night – host your own film night, you can even get creative with themes
  • Fishing competition – who can reel in the biggest catch?
  • Football match – see who will score the winning goals in a charity game
  • Fun run – organise your own or use the park run

 

G

  • Games night – get competitive in a board games or video games night
  • Garden party – invite your friends and neighbours round
  • Give something up – get sponsored giving up something you love
  • Golf day – get outside and take to the green in a charity golf day event
  • Grow a beard – let it all grow while raising money for charity
  • Guess how many – challenge people to guess how many items are in a jar
  • Go the distance – swim the channel, climb Mount Killimanjaro or walk the Inca Trail.

 

H

  • Halloween – door to door in fancy dress or spectacular pumpkin displays. Be competitive
  • Harry Potter party – discover Hogwarts with your own Harry Potter party
  • Head/beard shave – shave all your hair off for some sponsorship money
  • Hair-braiding – get braiding, you do it on holiday so why not here?
  • Hiking – take a sponsored hike and see how long you can trek for
  • Homebrewing – try your hand at some homebrewing and sell your drinks
  • Hour of earnings – challenge your colleagues to donate an hour of their pay

 

I

  • Icecream tasting – discover all the different flavours in a tasting event
  • Improv night – let your community flex their skills at an improv night
  • International food party – ask everyone to bring a dish from a specific cuisine
  • Iron man challenge – hold an iron man event and see who can tough it out
  • It’s a Knockout – have some fun with an It’s a Knockout event

 

J

  • Jam making – try your hand at making some jam at home to sell
  • Jazz night – take in some smooth tunes at your own jazz night event
  • Jigsaw puzzle marathon – see who can complete the most puzzles fastest
  • Joke-a-thon – crack out your best jokes to exchange laughs for donations
  • Jumble sale – see what old or unwanted items you have lying around to sell
  • Jewellery making – make and sell

K-O

K

  • Karaoke – find out who’s got the chops to be the best at karaoke
  • Kayaking – take to the water to see who wins a charity kayak race
  • Keepy-uppy contest – who will keep the ball up in the air the longest?
  • Kick a habit – challenge yourself to break a bad habit while raising money
  • Knitting – use your knitting skills to create some items to sell
  • Kite-flying day – hope for wind, find a space and launch

 

L

  • Ladies who lunch – host a lunch and get your friends to make donations
  • Las Vegas night – enjoy a glitzy Vegas casino themed evening
  • Lawn mowing – offer to mow your neighbours lawn in exchange for a donation
  • Learn a new skill – get sponsored to learn a useful new skill
  • Lego contest – see who can build the most impressive lego creation
  • Livestream – host an online gaming, cooking, fitness, or crafting livestream
  • Loose change collection – ask people to donate any loose change they have
  • Line dancing – how long can you keep going for?

 

M

  • Magic show – conjure up donations with a demonstration of your magic skills
  • Makeover – ask people to donate skills for hairdressing, manicures, etc.
  • Masquerade ball – dress up and add a Venetian mask to add to the mystique
  • Marathon – themed evening
  • Matched funding – ask your empoloyer or find a sponsor to double you donations
  • Mile of coins – get everyone to add to the magic mile and then keep them all to donate
  • Mobile-free day – challenge everyone to go without phones for a full day
  • Motor club show days – vintage cars, specific model rallies, there is lots of potential here.
  • Mountain climb – rise to the top with a mountain climb challenge
  • Murder Mystery party – find out who done it at a murder mystery night
  • Music concert – hold your own local music event or battle of the bands

 

N

  • Nail art – raise money through creating beautiful nail art on people
  • Name the [blank] contest – challenge people to name the song or movie
  • Nature trail – explore the countryside around you and perhaps add a guide
  • New Year, new me – get people to sponsor you to keep you New Year Resolution
  • Nearly New sale – collect in your neighbourhood and find buyers locally
  • Needlework sale – create some impressive needlework you can sell
  • Netball tournament – take to the court for charity netball matches
  • Nighttime walk – get sponsored to walk alone or with friends all night long

 

O

  • Obstacle course – see who can complete the obstacle course fastest
  • Odd jobs for donations – not everyone is handy or into DIY so offer to do it for them
  • Office fundraising – look no further than your own workplace when starting to look for donations
  • Old clothes sale – clear out your wardrobe and turn the those threads into donations
  • Onion chopping challenge – who can go the longest without shedding tears?
  • Open mic night – let anyone take to the stage in an open mic event
  • Original recipe contest – bring out your best recipes to be crowned winner
  • Outdoor theatre – hold an outdoor theatre show with entry fee

P-T

P

  • Pancake tossing – doesn’t have to be Shrove Tuesday, but it might help!
  • Pantomime – take to the stage and share the laughs with your community.
  • Party! – what more can we say? Enjoy
  • Parachute jump – there are lots of opportunities online, but make sure you do your research first
  • Penalty shootout – step up to the line for a penalty shootout tournament
  • Plank/Press-up challenge – see who has the strength to hold out the longest
  • Plant sale – indoor or outdoor plants and it does not need to be complicated, just set up a table and watch the donations roll in
  • Poetry day – get lyrical and share your poems in front of an audience
  • Poker night – all money won in the game gets donated to charity
  • Pot luck event – everyone brings a dish to contribute to the pot luck
  • Pub crawl – it doesn’t’ have to mean alcohol, but it can be fun and you might even get a contrition from mine host. Drink responsibly
  • Pub games night – pool, darts, cribbage, shove ha’penny, there’s lots to go at.

 

Q

  • Quad bike racing – get the adrenaline pumping in a quad bike race
  • Quickest time contests – see who can complete a task the fastest
  • Quiet hour – challenge people to stay quiet for an hour, donate for every noise
  • Quilt making – a great idea for a craft group. Challenge others to create a square each and see how it grows
  • Quintissentially British party – tea, scones, and everything British
  • Quiz night – test everyone’s knowledge with a quiz night to raise money for charity

 

R

  • Race night – there ar e lots of race night kits online and this can great fun for the whole family
  • Raffle – ask for prizes, buy your tickets and away you go.
  • Read-a-thon – challenge people to get reading for charity
  • Recipe book sale – so many people have too many recipe books, ask your friends, you might be surprised
  • Roaring twenties party – host a decadent theme party for your friends
  • Rock climbing – see who can reach the top in a rock climbing challenge
  • Royal celebration – the Coronation was the perfect one recently, but there will be plenty of other opportunities
  • Rounders tournament – all you need is the space, a bat and a ball and enthusiastic participants
  • Rugby sweepstake – a good one for the World Cup or the Six Nations or even just the premiership
  • Run – test out your endurance by challenging yourself to do a sponsored charity run

 

S

  • Scrabble tournament – consider yourself a wordsmith? Challenge your friends and see how good you are
  • Sky dive – take to the skies and get sponsored for a charity sky dive
  • Spelling bee – very popular among school children who learn as they go.
  • Sports day – get nostalgic with a school sports day themed event
  • Sponsored Silence – a good one for the children (and their parents) this one.
  • Street party – all your neighbours can get involved with a local street party
  • Superhero party – dress up as the person you consider your superhero
  • Swearbox – whoops!
  • Swimming – lengths at your local pool, endurance in the pool or the sea.  There are challenges aplenty
  • Short Story contest – hold a contest to find the best short stories

 

T

  • Table Tennis Tournament – see who edges out the competition at table tennis
  • Talent contest – give everyone the chance to show off their best talents
  • Teddy bear picnic – host a teddy bear picnic for families to enjoy
  • Ten pin bowling – book an aisle in Torquay and take on all comers (at a cost)
  • Three legged race – hilarious. Get to know your friends and neighbours better.
  • Tombola – run a local tombola with fun prizes to help raise money for charity
  • Treasure hunt – put together a treasure hunt around your town
  • Tug of war – two teams, one outcome. Best of three?

U-Z

U

  • Ultimate frisbee – take to your local park for an ultimate frisbee competition
  • Uniform free day – skip the uniform for a day in return for a small donation
  • Uniform for teachers day – school pupils of all ages love this one
  • University Challenge – host your own University Challenge style event
  • Unplug from tech – get sponsored to completely switch off from tech for a day
  • Upcycling – transform old items into something new that you can then sell

 

V

  • Valet service – few people like cleaning their own cars, so why not do it for them?
  • Variety show – hold a local variety show and enjoy an evening of entertainment
  • Vegetable growing – see what vegetables you can grow and sell
  • Vegetarian/vegan night – a great way to spread the word about the delicious offerings of vege/vegan food whilst accepting donations
  • Velo park challenge – we are lucky to have a velo park next to the Sports Centre in Goodrington. Laps? Time trials? Endurance?
  • Video game competition – discover who’s the best when it comes to gaming
  • Village fete – organise a village fete to help raise money
  • Vintage sale – rummage through your closets to find vintage looks to sell

 

W

  • Waxing – ouch! Man, woman, there is a lot of hair to go at.
  • Wedding gifts – instead of gifts, you can ask for donations to charity
  • Window cleaning – offer to clean neighbourhood windows for a donation Who’s the baby photo quiz
  • Wine tasting – enjoy some delicious drinks at your own wine tasting event
  • Word search – find the hidden words in grid in the fastest time
  • Wordle – who can solve it the quickest?
  • World record attempt – challenge people to try and break a world record

 

X

  • Xbox competition – there is a lot of competition out there and some amazing games
  • X Factor competition – host your own X Factor style singing contest
  • Xmas fayre – everyone needs Christmas gift ideas, cards and trinkets and there is profit in it.

 

Y

  • Yoga marathon – release the tension and stretch out your body for longer
  • Yo -Yo contest – crack out your best yo -yo skills in a competition

 

Z

  • Zero waste day – challenge yourself to go fully zero waste for a week
  • Zip wire – soar through the sky as you take on a zip wire challenge
  • Zumbathon – how long can you keep going? Challenge your group to be the last person standing/dancing

Register your fundraiser

Thank you – you may never know it, but you could be helping your relatives, your neighbours, your friends. And rest assured you will be helping communities across Torbay and we promise that every penny you raise will be spent here.

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