Mentoring Young People in the Highlands of Scotland

Personal Sponsorship Schemes

There's a wide range of possibilities for sponsorship activities:

For the adrenalin junkies
	Parachute jump
	Abseil
	Firewalk

For the sporting enthusiasts
	Half marathon / marathon
	Cycle
	Kayak
	Five a side football
	Tennis tournament
	To climb Ben Nevis or other in set time
	Swim

For the work minded
	Charge £1 for dress down day
	Wear your clothes back to front for a day
	Sick of acronyms? Charge every time someone uses 'work-speak'

For the habit breakers
	Swear jar in the office
	Sponsored weight loss
	Quit smoking Get sponsorship for every day / week or just one off donation

Your host for this evening is...
	Know someone in a band? Ask them to play for free or reduced fee and charge entry… it’ll raise their profile too!
	Talent contest
	Theme night Murder mystery, celebrities, Charity ball

For the green at heart
	Replicate earth hour Get people to pay a set fee for turning lights out for an hour (money they saved on electricity)

Trust them enough?
	Get your mentees involved what can they do? Make jewellery, take photos, paint? Design Bebo skins? Put on a skateboarding display? Wash and style hair? We have talent in our team.

For the community minded
	Litter pick / Beach clean
	Gardening
	Paint community building
	Car wash
	Dog walk
	Pub quiz
	Treasure hunt
	Silent disco! Get everyone to wear an ipod and dance to their own tune (hilarious!)
	"Name the Bear" Put a cuddly bear in local shop window and charge people to guess what it is called. Offer £20 to the winner and the rest to charity.
	Baby Clothes Too small very quickly…collect and resell at an organised baby fest
	Silly games afternoon Egg & spoon, throw the sponge, bouncy castle...
	Are you smarter than a ten year old? Get kids to pitch questions and compete with teams
	“Mr & Mrs” competition Testing couples on their innermost family secrets!

Just for you
	Host a BBQ Charge people to attend (cover your own costs)
	Host a coffee morning / mini get together Charge people to attend (cover your own costs)
	Ask colleagues to bring a pound to work for the charity
	Host fancy dress party and charge entrance
	Be a taxi for your friends on a night out for a regular taxi fare
	Garage sale
	Be a man or woman with a van Charge to help move or dump stuff for people

Showcase your skills
	What are you good at? Offer to paint a neighbours fence or fix their lawnmower with donation to charity.
	Can you do massage or yoga? Run an event with proceeds to Day1
	Good with a camera? Offer to take some family group shots for a small fee
	Good with makeup? Give top tips and mini makeovers
	Handy with the face paint? Host a kids party, give most parents a day off…

For your event to be a success try to gain maximum publicity and word of mouth. There are a few simple ways to do this

At work
	Get a poster up on noticeboard
	Write a short article for staff magazine
	Announce it at team meetings if appropriate
	Talk about it......... a lot!
	Be positive about the challenge and use it to motivate others
	Pop a jar next to the kiosk or sandwich van (or any other source that encourages small change). You’ll be amazed how many people just throw in their loose change and how quickly it adds up

On the day
	Record the occasion Make sure there are some good quality photographs of the event so that Day1 can use these on the website to inspire and encourage others to take part.
	Be presentable Remember that if you are doing this event for Day1 then the outside world will think of you ‘as Day1’ so it’s crucial that you show yourself off at your best!
	Involve your Mentee If you are already mentoring for DAY1, is there a way to get your mentee involved? If you’re running could they take part? Or, could they hand you a bottle of water at a meeting place? That would make a nice pic for the website. Team effort.
	Be courtious Remember to thank everyone who’s helped you along the way!

At home
	Smile about it! People will be more encourage to help
	Tell your family and friends
	Drum up any support through the local radio station if possible
	Write a letter or get a free notice in the local newspaper
	Is there a story that you can make out of it for the local paper? Talk to them (can you make it more of a publicity stunt / get a local celeb or dignitary involved?
	Can you and your mentee make an entertaining video (e.g, for YouTube) requesting sponsorship?
	Get a notice or poster up In local post office / notice boards / local shops / GP surgery

Handy hints to help you drum up funds!
	Set a high sponsorship target!
	Create a professional looking sponsorship form So people know that you are serious (click here for an example that you can adapt and print off required number of copies)
	Seek help From friends, friends of friends, once you’ve got a few names on the list more will follow!
	Cash up front If people are signing your form and pledging sponsorship try to obtain the money now to avoid precious time later
	Set up a Just Giving page for online payments ...through the Day1 website (fast, easy, effective) – then you just forward the link to people you know who live further away
	Use your social networking sites Put a notice on your facebook / bebo / my space page
	Put your email account to good use Add a request for sponsorship as a signature on your emails (as long as the company policy doesn’t prevent you from doing so). It might say: Charlie Dogood, Running the Loch Ness Marathon to raise vital funds for our charity! To show your support please donate by logging onto..….. by May 10th! Thank you!!
	Start collecting sponsorship early It will give you more time to gather momentum and it will help you to focus
	Make sure that the first person who sponsors you is generous So that others will follow suit
	Set yourself extra challenges for bonus donations Without making it too complicated can you ask people if they’re willing to double their input or give you an extra £5 or so if you beat a target time / distance etc.