MU on the Move 2021 – Celebrating 145 years of Mothers’ Union.

Guide to running your event.

MU on the Move Fundraising pack

Thank you so much for your interest in taking part in our 5km MU on the Move Challenge. This year it will be part of our Summer of Hope campaign and will be on your chosen date in June or July. We have chosen as we hope this will also mean favourable weather conditions for your walks whilst still giving you time to organise. This year the focus of our events will be “celebrating our 145th anniversary”.

We understand that Covid-19 has had an impact on how we usually fundraise, so we want to make sure the MU on the Move is as safe and accessible as possible. If the dates in June / July does not work for you then do not worry, you can complete the challenge any time in the year or you may ask your branch / diocese to undertake the event individually, combining it as a virtual group event.

You could also open the challenge further by completing the 5km over a few days or a week, to encourage even more of your members to get involved. This was a suggestion from Susan Warner, Branch Leader for Malta & Gozo.

This year you may also want to buddy up with someone in your support bubble, with the other runners spread out a bit more (social distancing). Of course, you can also get your family involved, including your pets, it has been wonderful to see members with their friends, pet dogs and children get involved in the past.

MU on the Move has also been created so you can talk about Mothers’ Union and the work we do either with each other or of course with people you may encounter through your event – we have thinking and prayer points for each kilometre you move.

What your support means to us:

It doesn’t matter how many people take part, it all makes such a difference! With your support we can continue our projects both oversea and in the UK to end poverty, violence and injustice.

Supporting you:

We want to help support you with the planning of your MU on the Move challenge therefore inside this pack you will find information about Mothers’ Union, fundraising tips and ideas, sponsorship forms, posters as well as other useful resources you may need. As one of our amazing fundraisers you can receive support from us along the way. We will be more than happy to provide advice and share some fundraising ideas. You can contact the Fundraising team at Fundraising@MothersUnion.org or by calling 02072 225 533. We also love to hear about your amazing events (and it’s even better if you have some pictures to share as well!).

You can also find our downloadable Fundraising pack and the individual resources here:

The Mothers’ Union Fundraising Team

What does my MU on the Move pack include?

Organising your MU on the Move event

Top 10 fundraising tips

How to set up a fundraising page

Fundraising ideas

Sponsorship form

Event Parent/Guardian Consent Form

Ways to keep your event safe – Risk Assessment.

Event posters

Ways to pay in your donations.

Organising your MU on the Move event

MU on the Move has historically been a 5km run which has taken place in October. This year to reflect the changing times we live in due to covid-19 and feedback from members we have moved the times of this to June / July and it will now form part of our activities for our Summer of Hope Campaign. We recommend 5km as it is a very manageable distance, but you can choose a different distance should you wish!

This year we have also produced some prayer points and information about MU to help elevate your event!

Celebrating 145 years!

This year Mothers’ Union celebrates, our 145th anniversary and so the theme of your MU on the Move will reflect this. There are so many ways you can do this, and we have some suggestions below for you to choose from – or maybe you can come up with one of your own!

1. Each person taking part has the target of raising £145.00.

2. If you are doing this individually maybe rather than 5km you could run / walk 14.5km

3. If you are a diocese, why not set the target of 145 participants!

4. You could aim to tell 14 / 15 people about MU who may not already know about us.

5. You could set a team target of raising £1450.00.

When you start planning the route, it is worth thinking about the following:

· Aim for a circular route. Your route should start and end in the same place, which should be off road.

· What COVID restrictions do you need to comply with – we have found contacting your local authority can be helpful in this instance

· If you are doing this individually, please make sure you route is safe.

· It can be nice to start and finish at your local Church where your branch / group is based.

· Pavements make for nice solid ground but be aware of any busy junctions that might interrupt your route.

· Think about facilities. Aim to find somewhere with toilets and possibly a refreshment venue. Large parks are a good place as well churches.

· Measuring the distance to make sure its 5km. One of the easiest ways of doing this is via a website or app like MapMyRun (https://www.mapmyrun.com/gb/)

· Once you have planned your event you need to register it with Mothers’ Union (via fundraising@mothersunion.org) so we can help support you.

Permissions and licences

If there are just a few of you taking part you should not need to gain permission to use somewhere like a park. However if you are a larger group then this event may possibly require a license to run. Do not let this put you off – just contact Mary Sumner House for more information and we can support you on this on 020 7222 5533 or email: fundraising@mothersunion.org

Health and Safety

When planning your event please make sure you consider the following:

· COVID-19 restrictions are changing all the time. Please contact MSH for up-to-date advice or your local authorities. We are hopeful that June / July people will be allowed to exercise outside in groups so doing this event is made more possible.

· You can stagger starts to comply with social distancing.

· Covid-19 safe – you will also need to check the Government’s website regarding any restrictions. We have included some details in the risk assessment within this pack as well.

· Consider the abilities of participants - could your route pose any problems for younger, older, or disabled people?

· First Aid - It is advisable to have someone who is First Aid trained present at the event. Larger events may need to consider St Johns Ambulance – this is something that will be discussed when you speak to the Fundraising team about organising an event.

· Any participants aged under 18 must provide a signed guardian consent form and the guardian should be encouraged to attend the event. These forms can be found in this pack.

· You may wish to provide a disclaimer to all participants so that they know they are taking part at their own risk. Please contact Mary Sumner House for suggested wording

· Risk Assessments – We have included a risk assessment within this pack because all events should complete the basic risk assessment. A copy of the completed form must be sent to fundraising@mothersunion.org and the event organiser should have a printed out copy with them on the day of the event.

Communicating your run!

· Use the posters in this pack to advertise and promote your event and get other people to sponsor you / your group. We have also kept the posters in a word document, so you edit them as you so wish.

· Send an email to your friends and family to ask them to support you.

· It is a good idea to contact local churches and businesses to ask to support your event. If they promote your event you might get more people involved or they may provide refreshments.

· You could write an article for your parish magazine asking for support.

· Advertise on your diocesan Facebook page.

· Contact the local press to see if they may be interested in covering your event. It is useful to have some sort of hook for this – perhaps an anniversary being celebrated by the branch, a member’s personal story or the reason you are fundraising. Please contact us if you would like more support on this.

Top 10 Fundraising tips

Follow these top 10 tips to help you smash your sponsorship targets:

1) Set up a Just Giving page - make sure it is compelling, explains your motivation and includes a link to the Mothers’ Union website: https://www.mothersunion.org

2) Tell people what your fundraising target is and what their contribution will help to achieve. For example:

£27 can help someone in Ethiopia complete a two-year course to learn to read and write, providing them with a basic skill that completely changes their life.

£65 can start a savings and credit association in Rwanda, allowing group members to save collectively and provide each other with loans to buy household items, start businesses, care for others in the community and build a secure future for their families.

3) Time your donation request - people are more likely to donate after payday.

4) Don’t forget to ask for Gift Aid as it means Mothers’ Union will receive an extra 25p for every £1 sponsored.

5) Ask close friends and family to donate first as other people may then match their generosity. Ask them to spread the word about your fundraising too – they’ll be keen to help you get more sponsors.

6) Help people put their donation into perspective. For example £10 might mean giving up just one takeaway dinner.

7) Set yourself small weekly fundraising targets rather than thinking about a daunting total target.

8) Collect as many donations before the event as possible, so you don’t have the difficult job of chasing up pledges afterwards. Encouraging people to donate through Just Giving helps with this and means the money comes directly to Mothers’ Union.

9) Do continue to keep asking for sponsorship after the event though - as much as 20% of donations can come in at this time!

10) Mention your fundraising event at every opportunity – on social media, in your answer phone messages, email signatures, notice boards.

How to set up a fundraising page – Just Giving

1) Go to www.justgiving.com

2) In the top right hand side of the screen, either click on ‘Log in’ - if you already have a JustGiving account - or ‘Sign up’ - to set up an account.

3) Once your account is set up and you have logged in, click “start fundraising” in the top left hand corner of the page.

4) Then click on the button that says you want the money to go to a charity:

5) Search for Mothers’ Union as the cause you want to support, choosing ‘United Kingdom’ on from the drop down list on the right hand side. Make sure you choose the option that has our current logo (see below).

6) You will then be asked ‘What are you doing?’ Click on ‘Doing your own thing’

7) On the ‘Tell us about your event page’:

a) Choose either ‘a personal run / marathon’ or ‘a personal walk’ as your event type, depending on which you have chosen to do.

b) Type in MU on the Move (and then your branch / own name) as the Event name.

c) Set your event date

d) Leave the two check boxes marked as ‘No’ (see below)

e) Choose whether you would like to receive fundraising information in future from Mothers’ Union.

f) Click “Create your page” - You have now created a fundraising page!

g) You can click on “edit your page” at the top of the page to add more information.

8) Under ‘Donations made to your page’ on the right hand side you can edit your fundraising target and keep your total up to date by saying how much money you have raised offline.

9) Under’ Edit and personalise your page’ on the left hand side, click on ‘Edit your page title, summary and story’ then say a bit about why you have chosen to take part in this event. It would be great if you could add something along the lines of:

a) Your connection with Mothers’ Union…

b) Why people should donate e.g. By supporting and working with people in need all over the world, Mothers’ Union are enabling real change and improvement to the lives of a great many people and their families.

c) Add a link to our website and video to provide more information about Mothers’ Union and our work: e.g. You'll see a lot more detail on their website: https://www.mothersunion.org/ and I also recommend this video for a succinct summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kERCG7y52mc

d) A line or two about your motivation…

e) A sentence to encourage people to donate e.g. please give generously!

10) Click on ‘Add photos’ to add a picture of yourself. You can then add more photos later – of you training, taking part in and completing the event etc. You can also add updates during your training and after the event.

11) Click on “Visit your page” to see how it now looks. Once you are happy with your page, share it on social media or email it to friends and family and watch the donations roll in!

We wish you the best of luck with your run! Don’t forget if you want any help or support, you can email fundraising@mothersunion.org or call us on 020 7222 5533 and we can help answer any questions that you may have!

Fundraising ideas

We have put together a few ideas which can be done alongside the money you raise through sponsors. They have been chosen as a simple way to raise some extra money, as we are aware you may have your hands full with the planning of your MU on the Move event.

To note, we have included ideas which can be adapted to be safe during lockdown as well as being great ways to fundraise once we get back to normal. For even more ideas please click here _____ for our A-Z of fundraising ideas.

Virtual quiz:

This is a simple and effective way to raise money, it is also a fun way to catch up with your friends. We recommend setting a price per person to enter the quiz (as a suggestion, £5 per person). We have created a virtual quiz which you can use or adapt, you can find the quiz here:

Collection jar:

You could just have a jar at home where you can put your loose change in now and again, or you could have a set amount you put in the jar each day. Also, when it is easier to have visitors, you could ask them if they would like to donate a little something. Once you have filled the jar you could donate the money to MU.

Host a virtual murder mystery:

Why not host a virtual murder mystery night? It’s a bit different from the norm and is a little bit of fun. There are a number of websites that have free murder mystery night games you can download (see below for some free murder mystery links) and some that cost a little bit. You could of course create your own murder mystery story.

https://www.birthdayinabox.com/pages/preteen-teen-party-ideas-murder-mystery-party-ideas

Michael Akers - Free Murder Mystery Party Game: Sour Grapes of Wrath (whodunitmysteries.com)

Upcycling:

Depending on how adventurous you are feeling you could try upholstering an old chair, re-imagining an old pillowcase or making sock poppets. You can then sell your creations online and donate the proceeds.

Host a virtual workshop:

Why not share a specific skill with your friends and fellow members and ask for a donation to attend. Depending on the type of workshop, for example a crafting workshop, you may want to charge a little extra to send the attendees any materials in the post. Alternatively, you could choose a workshop where people will likely have the items at home (we recommend sending those attending the workshop a list of items they will need, so they can be fully prepared).

I (name)................................of (address).................................................................................

Sponsorship form

will be taking part in (event name)........................................................................................

Registered Charity No. 240531

Please sponsor me as I raise money for Mothers’ Union to support families around the world!

Title

First Name

Surname

Home Address

(Needed for Gift Aid purposes to identify you as a current tax payer, please clearly provide your full home address, do not put your work address)

Postcode

Donation (£)

Date Paid

Gift Aid

(Please√)

I am happy for Mothers’ Union to post me information about its programmes and fundraising in future*:

TOTAL DONATIONS RECEIVED £_________

Gift Aid - Give Mothers’ Union EXTRA money without paying more. Are you a UK taxpayer? If so, we can reclaim tax, so every £1 you give could be worth £1.25, helping us to fund vital work at no extra cost to you. All we need, in addition to the address printed here, is confirmation of your signature and name, including your title and initial. I want to Gift Aid my donation and any donations I make in future or have made in the past 4 years to Mothers’ Union. I am a UK Taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on donations made to all charities and amateur sports clubs in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference. Please notify us if you wish to cancel this declaration, you change your name or address or you no longer pay sufficient Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax. If you pay Income Tax at the higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your Self-Assessment tax return or ask HMRC to adjust your tax code.

*If you do not tick the box requesting further information from Mothers’ Union, we will only record your details for relevant Gift Aid purposes. We will never pass your data onto third parties for marketing purposes. For more information, please visit www.mothersunion.org/privacy-policy

Event:Date:

Registered charity no: 240531

Event Parent/Guardian Consent Form

For your child’s safety, we require all young persons under the age of 18 to provide written consent from a parent or guardian to take part in Mothers’ Union events.

Child’s Name:……………………………………………………… Date of Birth:……………………………… Parent/Guardian’s Name: ………………………………………………………………

Address:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Postcode:………………………………………

Phone No:……………………………………………… Mobile:…………………………………………………………

I give permission for my child to take part in the event stated above.

Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. I am unable to attend and therefore give permission for my child to attend the event with:

Name of Accompanying Adult:…………………………………………………………………

Phone No. of Accompanying Adult:…………………………………………………………

I give consent for Mothers’ Union to use any photos of my child for future publicity purposes, which may include publication by the press and use on our website and publicity materials.

Signature of Parent/Guardian:……………………………………… Date:……………………………

Health History

If your child suffers from any illnesses, disabilities (learning or behavioural) or allergies (foods, medicines, stings) that might affect them during the event please give details below, along with any medication you require for these (and where they are kept if you have them with you)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I understand that in the event of illness or accident that the event organiser considers needing medical attention, medical aid will be sought and all attempts made to contact parents/

guardians. In the event of no contact being possible a doctor will decide whether examination and subsequent treatment are necessary.

Signature of Parent/Guardian:…………………………………… Date: ………………………………

Ways to keep your event safe – Risk Assessment

Event:

Event Date:

Start time:

 

Finish time:

 

Location:

 

Assessment completed by:

 

Date of assessment:

 

Hazard

Who might be harmed?

Risk control measures

(tick when completed or mark as Not Applicable - n/a)

Comments

Covid-19

All involved and members of public

1. Does your event comply with the most current restrictions?

1. Have you sought approval from your local authority?

1. Can social distancing measures be put in place?

1. When stationary is everyone able to wear masks?

Event coincides with another event

Organisers, marshals, participants, spectators, members of the public

1. Have you checked if another event is taking place on the same day, which could affect this event?

Event occurs in a public place

Organisers, marshals, participants, spectators, members of the public

1. Have you obtained the correct permissions and licences (if necessary)?

1. Has the event been promoted to forewarn members of the public when and where it is happening?

1. Have participants been briefed on the need to be considerate of members of the public, and consider their own safety (e.g. don’t approach strangers or dogs)?

1. Has the site been left clean and tidy at the end of the event?

Participants could get lost

Participants

1. Have you clearly marked the route?

1. Have participants been briefed on the route and supplied with a map if appropriate?

1. Do you have an appropriate number of marshals for the size of the event?

1. Are marshals easily identifiable (e.g. Wearing Hi-Viz)?

1. Do you have a check in / out system to ensure everyone is accounted for?

1. Do you have a lost person procedure in case someone does not check out at the end of the route?

1. Will children be supervised at all times by a parent or guardian?

Registered charity no: 240531

MU On the Move!

When

We are raising money for Mothers’ Union!

Get Involved

Where

Goal………………………

We are raising money for MU on the Move!

We are…………………

Event……………………

Date………………………

If you would like to sponsor us, visit: www.justgiving.com/………………………………………………………………

Or speak to:

Name:…………………………………………

Email:…………………….……………………

Phone:……………………………………………

The money raised will be used to support our ongoing mission to end violence, poverty and injustice around the world.

Goal…………………………

Help making a donation

Thank you for enabling Mothers’ Union members across the world empower women and strengthen communities. Your generosity is allowing them to reach more people and leave a lasting impact, year on year. Making a donation to Mothers’ Union is simple, and can be done by any of the following methods:

 

 

Online

Postal

Phone

Via our websitemothersunion.org/donate

Sending a cheque made out to ‘Mothers’ Union’ to ‘24 Tufton Street, LONDON, SW1P 3RB’.

We would be happy to take a card payment over the phone on 02072 225 533

By Bank Transfer, please contact us for more information.

Completing one of our Credit Card forms and sending it to the above address. For a copy, please get in touch.

 

By choosing ‘Mothers’ Union’ when starting a Just Giving/Virgin Money campaign.

We accept Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) vouchers in the post as well.

If you are a UK taxpayer, you can make your gift worth 25% more at no extra cost to you. Simply check that you agree with the Gift Aid declaration, then provide your details.

If you would like to Gift Aid your donations, you can do so by:Returning this form to the address aboveVerbally declaring this by calling the number aboveChoosing the option when making a donation online

If you are new to Mothers’ Union and don’t want us to write to you by post, or wish to alter your existing contact preferences , please call 0207 227 0620 or email marketing@mothersunion.org. We will never share your details for marketing purposes. Please get in touch for more information.

*Gift Aid declaration I want to Gift Aid my donation shown above and any donations I have made to Mothers’ Union in the last four years or make in the future, until further notice from me. I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on my donations in a tax year, it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

Please notify Mothers’ Union if you want to cancel your Gift Aid declaration or no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains to qualify for Gift Aid, or change your name or home address.

Title

 

First Name

 

Last Name

 

Home Address

 

 

 

Post Code

 

Email

 

Phone number

 

Date

 

If you would like to Gift Aid your donations, you can do so by:

· Returning this form to the address above

· Verbally declaring this by calling the number above

· Choosing the option when making a donation online

*Gift Aid declaration I want to Gift Aid my donation shown above and any donations I have made to Mothers’ Union in the last four years or make in the future, until further notice from me. I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on my donations in a tax year, it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

Please notify Mothers’ Union if you want to cancel your Gift Aid declaration or no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains to qualify for Gift Aid, or change your name or home address.

*Gift Aid declaration I want to Gift Aid my donation shown above and any donations I have made to Mothers’ Union in the last four years or make in the future, until further notice from me. I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on my donations in a tax year, it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

Please notify Mothers’ Union if you want to cancel your Gift Aid declaration or no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains to qualify for Gift Aid, or change your name or home address.

*Gift Aid declaration I want to Gift Aid my donation shown above and any donations I have made to Mothers’ Union in the last four years or make in the future, until further notice from me. I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on my donations in a tax year, it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

Please notify Mothers’ Union if you want to cancel your Gift Aid declaration or no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains to qualify for Gift Aid, or change your name or home address.

If you are new to Mothers’ Union and don’t want us to write to you by post, or wish to alter your existing contact preferences, please call 02072 225 533 or email marketing@mothersunion.org. We will never share your details for marketing purposes. Please get in touch for more information.