Our Student Fundraising Challenge

Dear

Congratulations! Youve been selected as a volunteer for the RSPBs Student Fundraising Challenge. This is a brand-new pilot project aimed solely at students in Higher Education. We are doing this to help stu-dents develop and increase their CV skills, and raise money for the RSPBs work to Save Nature while you do it. We think its going to be a lot of fun.

We want you to put on some events and activities to raise some money for our work. Youll have fun doing it, and youll also develop some really valuable transferable skills that will help build your confidence, expe-rience and CV.

We want you to form a team of four student volunteers each with different roles - and work together to raise 500 in 3 months or a term. We know youll be busy with student life, study and exams, so we are asking you to really focus your effort for a short time.

In being part of and making this pilot project a success, youll be making a direct, personal difference to help give nature a home. in Bournemouth, where we have developing projects.

We challenge your fundraising team to raise at least 500 for our work. The money you generate should be fundraised through community fundraising activities. Community Fundraising is the most popular form of fundraising. There is no limit to what you can achieve with a little team work and creativity.

Students are innovative and have enterprising ideas that can help grow income, but to get you started, weve provided a list of ten, popular, tried-and-tested events for you to choose from - but dont let these limit you!

The RSPB has a long history of developing volunteers and this scheme is designed to do just that. We have 18,000 fantastic volunteers regularly giving time to help us with our work. The different roles involved in this project will suit anyone who is interested in gaining management, marketing, events and fundraising experience - all while having fun and enjoying the fact that you are fundraising and volunteering for a great cause!

I really enjoyed my time volunteering. It has helped build up my confidence, and goes down really well with potential employers. I still volunteer in my spare time its great fun. Steve King - Broad water Warren nature reserve On reaching the target the RSPB will be happy to provide a reference statement, which draws on what you and the team have done and demonstrated during the project. We will also provide a standardised letter of recognition, providing a good job is done.

Good Luck!

Project Team LeaderWhy we want you: We are looking for an enthusiastic, positive and organised individual to lead a small team of student volunteers for 1-3 months. You will lead your team to deliver events & activities to raise money to save nature.

Youll have a whole lot of fun building and running the events and activities, but youll enjoy the challenge of meeting deadlines and targets Were asking you to raise a minimum of 500 - so youll want to make sure your team are moti-vated and focused on events and ideas that work. Youre conscientious, so youll encourage your team to be too.

Youll want to be part of this exciting new pilot project to develop volunteering, student skills and fundraising within the Higher Education community.

We already have an exciting project in development in Bournemouth that we urgently need your fundraising help to enable. And we have other projects across Dorset in need of funds.

Youll get to develop and use a whole range of skills that are directly transferable to a business environment. So you will be able to use this on your CV, and well give you a statement of your achievements to support it. Well also men-tor you along the way.

Whats in it for you:Youll gain skills and experience from leading the team, and learning from the activities you run. Your team will com-prise a Team Leader, Volunteer Marketing & Promotions Officer and two Volunteer Events Officers. You will learn to lead a team in planning and running successful community fundraising activities over a 1 - 3month period and reach (and ideally exceed!) a minimum target of 500.

Youll develop people, delegate tasks and chair meetings. This will build your skills and confidence and help build the tangible experience needed for your CV and future employment.

The RSPB will act or provide a reference which draws on what you have done and demonstrated during the project, provided a good job is done and agreed targets are reached.

Volunteers play a fundamental role in helping the RSPB deliver our mission to save nature. If your project is a suc-cess, we are likely to want to promote it thats good personal PR for you, your team, and your CV too. We look forward to your helping make this pilot a success so that we can roll it our further.

The Skills and Talents you needIdeally, you will have an interest in developing leadership and management skills. You must be naturally at ease with people and want to help them grow and develop. Youll have some great ideas, and also be good at seeing something through from start to finish. Youll be able to get things done and turn up on time and finish things you start.

As Team Leader, youll need to be a self-starter with the ability to take initiative, make things happen, persuade people to do things, and keep things on track. We will also ask you for your recommendations for how we can improve the pilot.

Some experience / awareness of charity work will help but is not essential.

We hope we will inspire you to inspire your team - together you will make a real and tangible difference to our saving nature work through the fundraising you do for us.

Notes:We will offer you 3 hours of mentoring time over the project duration. This will support you to train and lead a volun-teer team & help keep things on track.. We will also get you started in fundraising, and what you need to know to do it legally and safely. You will also have access to further opportunities with the RSPB.

Out of pocket expenses can be reimbursed.

Marketing and Promotions OfficerWhy we want you:The RSPB is looking to pilot an exciting new volunteering and fundraising development project targeted at students in Higher Education. And we need a creative, persuasive person to do the marketing and promotional work in and around campus.

A team of four student volunteers is tasked, over 1-3 months, with developing and executing a programme of events and activities to raise 500 to help RSPB save nature [in Dorset].

We already have an exciting project in development in Bournemouth that we urgently need your fundraising help to enable. We have other projects across Dorset also in need of funds. We are looking an enthusiastic and organised individual to work as part of a team of four, to manage and deliver on all the marketing and promotion initiatives for what the team plans.

As the UK largest nature conservation charity volunteers are fundamental to our success. We have an amazing track record in developing volunteers and want to develop an individuals marketing skills to help increase engagement with this projects activities and also increase our income. Doing this will help make a significant contribution to Saving Nature in the South West.

Whats in it for you:You will gain valuable marketing and project management experience from lead the marketing and communication plans for successful promotion of project fundraising activities.

You will learn to work as an integral member of a team by supporting the Team Leader and the two Events Officers. You will build confidence by using real marketing & promotion skills to liaise with different organisation and venues to ensure success of the project. You will learn about RSPBs brand guidelines in promoting events. This experience will improve your confidence and build the track record of experience on your CV needed for future employment.

The RSPB will provide a reference statement about the project and the team, which draws on what you have done and demonstrated during the project - provided a good job is done and the agreed targets are reached. The Skills and Talents you need:You will have - or have a keen interest in developing marketing, promotional and management skills.

You must be interested in ways to promote events and activities, and be prepared to actively negotiate and promote these to a range of audiences - including the media, students and other interested groups, and through use of social media. Youll also need a keen interest in our cause, so that you can convince people of its value when promoting activities.

The marketing officer must be a self-starter with creative drive and excellent communication skills. We will be looking for the ability to take initiative. An understanding of marketing and promotional initiatives is essential. The ability to understand the use of different language, emotive styles and communication mediums that talk to various target audi-ences would be useful.

The ability to use all social media mediums (twitter, facebook, youtube) is essential.

Notes:RSPB will provide some mentoring support for the project over its duration. We will also get you started in fundrais-ing, and what you need to know to do it legally and safely. You will also have access to further opportunities with the RSPB.

Out of pocket expenses can be reimbursed.

Events Officer x2Why we want you:The RSPB is looking to pilot an exciting new volunteering and fundraising development project targeted at students in Higher Education. And we need a creative, persuasive person to do the marketing and promotional work in and around campus.

The RSPB is looking to pilot an exciting new volunteering and fundraising development project targeted at students in Higher Education. We are looking for two enthusiastic and organised individuals to work as part of a team to manage, plan and deliver on fundraising events and activities for the teams project within The Bournemouth University commu-nity.

A team of four student volunteers is tasked, over 1-3 months, with developing and executing a programme of events and activities to raise 500 to help RSPB save nature [in Dorset].

We already have an exciting project in development in Bournemouth that we urgently need your fundraising help to enable. We have other projects across Dorset also in need of funds.

What in it for you:The RSPB is looking to pilot an exciting new volunteering and fundraising development project targeted at students in Higher Education. And we need a creative, persuasive person to do the marketing and promotional work in and around campus.

The RSPB is looking to pilot an exciting new volunteering and fundraising development project targeted at students in Higher Education. We are looking for two enthusiastic and organised individuals to work as part of a team to manage, plan and deliver on fundraising events and activities for the teams project within The Bournemouth University commu-nity.

A team of four student volunteers is tasked, over 1-3 months, with developing and executing a programme of events and activities to raise 500 to help RSPB save nature [in Dorset].

We already have an exciting project in development in Bournemouth that we urgently need your fundraising help to enable. We have other projects across Dorset also in need of funds.

The Skills and Talents youll need:We are looking for volunteer events officers who have or have a keen interest in developing event management skills. You must enjoy planning and delivering events that increasing unrestricted income for a National Charity.

The events officer must be a self-starter with the ability to take the initiative. An understanding of events management and a good track record of delivering events is important. You will need to be very practical and organised, and have a real eye for important details and deadlines.

Notes:RSPB will provide some mentoring support for the project over its duration. We will also get you started in fundrais-ing, and what you need to know to do it legally and safely. You will also have access to further opportunities with the RSPB.

Out of pocket expenses can be reimbursed.

All roles a have a minimum committment of 1 - 3 months and are based in the Bournemouth Area. The hours and days you committ to the project are variable.

ChallengesBy participating in this challenge are you fundraising on behalf of the RSPB, below is the list of popular and traditional community fundraising events which we know have worked well in the past for you to choose from if you like.

In order to reach your minimum target we advise that you choose 3 of the 10 events below using venues that are warm to student fundraising activities such as your Student Union. Do not let these limit your imagination but do make sure your activities are achievable in the time scale you are given and dont tie you into any long term commitments.

1. Organise a campus or city bucket collection 2. Host an Open Mic night with a raffle 3. Organise a bake sale, BBQ or Tombola4. Host a quiz night 5. Organise a challenge events (Fun Run, Walk and Cycle, Swim, Jail break how far can you get from campus in 24hours, (pizza) eating competition, camp on campus)6. Organise a themed Bar Crawl or Night (MAD Make a difference night)7. Organise a campus or city wide treasure hunt open to all. 8. Organise an Urban picnic. 9. Organise a team sports tournament 10. Organise a trip to a local attraction Get the best deals or work in part nership with other organisations to help support nature.

Richard EvansCommunity Fundraiser South West RegionRichardw.evans@rspb.org.uk

01392 45376907525 802662

ActivitiesYouve chosen your event, and its been approved. Its now time to get started!Here are some top tips and advice to help everything go to plan.

Choose the date Who you are expecting to support your event could influence your choice of date. Clashing with a big sporting occasion or local festivals/events is probably not a good idea. Check your local venues or social media channels they should list future events that are coming up.

Choose the venue The bigger the event, the more likely it is that you will need to hire a venue. Choosing a date when the venue is not usually booked could be cheaper or free

Budget The RSPB is unable to provide a budget for this project, however as you are fundraising for a charity and part of the University you shouldnt need anything more than time much. In order to get the best return on investment for your event you should aim to have very low costs. Events like coffee mornings or raffles may require you to buy some resources, unless you can get local shops donate it.

Budget The RSPB is unable to provide a budget for this project, however as you are fundraising for a charity and part of the University you shouldnt need anything more than time much. In order to get the best return on investment for your event you should aim to have very low costs. Events like coffee mornings or raffles may require you to buy some resources, unless you can get local shops donate it.

Make a list Checklists are a great way of making sure you dont forget anything. Prepare a list of everything you need to do, and then show it to another member of your team to check they may think of other things that need to be done. Give yourself a time-table and deadlines as well, so you know when things need to be completed!

Promote, Promote, Promote! Dont assume that just because you have chatted to your friends about your fundraising they will come along or donate. Be specific about asking them to sup-port you, even if its just to be a volunteer, bake or cook something. Use e-mail, posters and articles in local papers, social media and even ask your friends to tell their friends.

Resources The RSPB can support with resources to make sure you can collect money ef-fectively. If you require posters, leaf lefts, buckets, collection pots stickers, image bank and any branded resources please get in touch. We can also provide you with access to our volunteer e-learning portal which provides over 200 subjects including negotiating skills, effective communication, computer skills, facilitation skills and influencing techniques. Again please get in touch and we will provide you with a login.

Have fun, feel great and stay safeWe want your event or activity to be as successful as possible, so there are some rules and regulations will help you. If there is anything you are not sure about, please contact your community fundraiser for advice before you start to fundraise. Please also carefully read the Guidelines for organisers, which you can find in this pack.

Public collections All collections held on public property need to be reg-istered with the appropriate local authority. If you want to do a street collection, we will check our events data-base to ensure that this does not clash with any other RSPB activity. Some local authorities only allow each charity to collect once in 12 months, so please dont be disappointed if you are turned down. If you wish to collect on private grounds, such as a supermarket or garden centre, campus, Student Union etc. you need the permission of the Manager or venue.

Alcohol at events If you are chose an event where alcohol might be used, you must used licensed and approved venues. If you choose to give away alcohol at events for a prize, you must not give it to anyone under the age of 18.

Raffles and lotteries Small raffles can only be used if its not the main focus of your event. Standard cloakroom style tickets can be used but they must be sold on the same day the raffle is drawn. All tickets must be sold for the same price and should not be sold to anyone under the age of 18. You can spend up to 250 on prizes but we would suggest that you try to keep this well under if you want the raffle to generate a good return, especially as you will often be able to solicit donations from local businesses. There is no limit on the number of tickets you can sell. If you plan to sell tickets over a longer period, you will need to apply to your local authority for a permit. The tickets need to have the address of the promoter, details of the charity and the draw date printed on them, with space for recording names and addresses of who buys them.

Children and photography If you want to use photographs of children from your event to send to the local paper or to us, you will need written permission from their parent or guardian. It is a good idea to check with adults too, just in case they dont want any publicity. If you are taking photographs at your event, please ask us for a form for people to sign, allowing the RSPB to use the photos as well.

Health and safety It will be your teams responsibility to make sure that your event is run safely. You should do a risk assess-ment to make sure that you have considered the safety of all your participants and spectators: hse.gov.uk is a good place to get up-to-date advice. If your event includes a lot of children, you need to make sure that there parent or guardian is present at all times. If you need first aid cover, contact your local St Johns Ambulance or the British Red Cross, who might be able to provide trained volunteers for your event. We would ask that you complete a risk assessment for any event that you are doing please contact your com-munity fundraiser for a template risk assessment.

Insurance Check what insurance you need to cover any equip-ment for the safety of people taking part. If you are do-ing an event at home, you should check whether your insurance policy covers you for Public Liability. If you are hiring a venue, ask to see their insurance cover and check if you need to add anything

Use of RSPB logo and materialsIf you create your own fundraising promotional mate-rial, we will provide you with the RSPB logo. It is im-portant that you include our registered charity number on any materials or a press release for your event and that it conforms to our brand guidelines. We can also provide official sponsor forms and other pre-printed materials.

Please remember when volunteering for us, that you are our ambassador and are representing the RSPB. On behalf of volunteers are volunteers that have authority from the fundraising organisation (RSPB) to fundraise. We know that they are raising money and will do our best to help you by providing advice and resources.

As you are acting with our authority and represent the organisation please protect our brand and follow best practise, if in doubt speak to your local community fundraiser. If you are asked an awkward question or you dont know the answer to it, please put the person asking in touch with their regional RSPB office, rather than risk saying the wrong thing or getting into an unpleasant discussion.Please visit rspb.org.uk/supporting/fundraise for more information

Notes