20 Aug Plenty more fundraising fun to be had this Autumn

Our ABBA Silent Disco on 16th August proved to be a fun time for all, with over 100 attendees joining us throughout the afternoon and evening. We’ve since received many requests to make these discos a regular (even weekly!) occurrence

Fundraising is a key focus for charities and voluntary organisations across the Bay, taking up valuable time and staff resources.

Some organisations are fortunate enough to employ a full-time fundraiser to shoulder the burden, but even they have to cover their own salaries before their endeavours benefit the institution they work for. Smaller organisations rely on the goodwill of their volunteers and employees.

Groups must become increasingly imaginative in their event planning, as simply a coffee morning or a bring-and-buy/tabletop sale, while they have their invaluable place in raising awareness and funds, will no longer suffice.

Instead, fundraisers have to think out of the box and either deliver something on a grand scale or organise an event that appeals to enough people to make their efforts worthwhile. The problem is that there are hundreds of groups in the Bay vying for the same pots of money in our pockets.

Rowcroft are brilliant at it and deserves lots of praise in the sector for delivering fabulous and profitable events throughout the year, like the enjoyable and very popular annual Big Tackle – a pie and a pasty whilst watching a six nations rugby game at Torquay Rugby Club – after an eight mile walk around Torquay, which attracted 1900 participants back in March.

A lot of effort goes into organising the Big Tackle event and involves many volunteers, support teams and professionals, costing thousands to put on, but that is OK when it brings in around £100,000 to make a small but welcome dent in Rowcroft’s £11million a year running costs, 75% of which is raised by the community.

Check out their website for lots of other fundraisers coming up this year, including crazy, Rudolph Run, which returns this year throughout December, challenging people to walk, run or cycle, dressed in antlers.

The South Devon YMCA has reinvented what was once disapprovingly called a pub crawl with their Tipple Tour, which starts from the Spinning Wheel on Paignton Seafront on Saturday, September 27th, and visits several hostelries before returning to the Spinning Wheel for a buffet, raising much-needed funds for its work supporting local young people. For more details and to register, please visit the YMCA South Devon website.

For our part, despite too many people thinking that Torbay Communities is fully funded by Torbay Council (we aren’t) we have to raise our own funds to make ends meet and whilst traditionally our money has come from funding pots and grants from the likes of the National Lottery, the council and various charitable trusts, times are tough out there (though I probably don’t need to tell you that) and we are looking to our own communities more and more for help and support.

Last weekend we had a very entertaining time at a Silent Disco that our team organised at Abbey Park to mark the 50^th anniversary of Abba playing in Torbay as part of a BBC Seaside Special on August 16^th 1975.

It was great fun, and as well as raising money for Torbay Communities, dozens of people let their hair down (or at least their 70s wigs’ hair down) and boogied the day away. There are requests that we make it an annual event, which we may well do, changing the theme,  but not the principle.

Like many organisations, we also have an annual Ball, which this year falls on Saturday, November 1st, with a fire theme (being so close to Bonfire Night). Tickets have gone on sale this week and are now available online.

Once again, we hope to pack out the Grand Hotel in Torquay with tables of ten enjoying live entertainment including Lorna and Laister, the 60’s Explosion featuring party music from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, fabulous food, an auction and the popular live casino, all sponsored this year by Rockfish and Taylor Wimpey.

Coming up fast is our Walk and Talk on Saturday, September 13^th, which aims to bring communities together by walking simultaneously from St Marychurch to Paignton and from Brixham to Paignton. Broken up into manageable two-mile sections, you can do as much or as little as you like.

In addition to walking, we aim to provide commentary on places of interest and offer a brief history of the area. Again, you can sign up online. By supporting us, you are supporting communities across Torbay.