We get it – this probably isn’t the first sponsored event you’ve done in recent years, and it can get difficult to keep asking the same people for another £20. So here are some ideas of other ways they can help, or ways to make sure that they feel they’re getting something in return:

Cakes!

Every cyclist loves a bit of cake (it’s the reward, right?) so have a cake sale and ask friends and family to bake a cake or traybake for you to sell or help with the actual selling on the day. If you google ‘charity cake sale’ you’ll find tonnes of advice on what works best, how to portion it out etc, plus good recipes. A good cake sale should make you over £200 and the best we’ve ever heard of made over £1,000 selling just 200 Valentines cupcakes!

• Ask your company if you can host a cake sale at work
• Ask your company to match fund all your sales on the day
• If your workplace doesn’t lend itself to a cake sale, think about any clubs or societies you’re a member of and tap into one of their socials. Get the parents from school involved. Or even just have a lovely afternoon tea party at your house!
• Maybe raffle off one splendid cake, selling raffle tickets as well as slices of cake.
• Make the most of Valentines and copy one rider’s hugely successful themed cupcake sale
• Pancakes – make the most of Shrove Tuesday and have a pancake flipping competition! Entry fee … prize … great fun … job done!

Ebay/Gumtree/Car Boot Sale

We all love a good clear out of clutter – so ask your friends to donate all their unwanted goods, then sell them either on ebay (using Ebay for Charity), Gumtree or in a local car boot sale. They get rid of their stuff – you get things to sell.

Easyfundraising

If you haven’t got this set up yet, do it now! It costs you nothing – but every time you buy online (even things like train tickets, airport parking, your gas/electric) you can be getting small donations that top up surprisingly quickly. BUT! Don’t just do it yourself – ask your friends and family to use it for you too!

Safari date night

It doesn’t have to be a ‘date night’ as such – it’s great to get out for dinner once in a while and meet some new people. Put the logistics in place for this, including all the restaurant reservations, then book a private area in a pub for everyone to gather in at the end of the night for a drink together (where you can then host a raffle, auction a leg wax etc etc).  Everyone will have a great time and you get to raise loads of cash if you get it right!

Slave/skills auction

Ask all your friends to donate a talent – be it a piano lesson, some gardening, bike servicing, even help with clearing out a messy shed! Kids can do car washes. Dad’s can do a basket of ironing. Anything goes – then you auction it all off at a fun evening together.

TOP TIPS

If you’re going to host a fundraising event and put all that effort in, then throw everything at it! Include a raffle, or an auction if you can. Set some challenges/sweepstakes with cash donations linked in. Ask friends, local companies, your employer to donate prizes. Really go for it and don’t hold back. Make every fundraiser raise as much as you possible can so that you can nail your fundraising target as quickly and easily as possible!

GOOD LUCK!!! And please – share your ideas and sucesses so that we can pass on to other riders.