A R E YO U R E A D Y TO M A K E A D I F F E R E N C E ?

Here’s our fundraising guide to help you do something amazing!

FUNDRAISING HANDBOOK

the

Where every moment counts

W H Y T H E D O N N A L O U I S E ?

This is your chance to make a real difference and do some amazing fundraising.

The Donna Louise is belly laughs and best friends, it’s light in the darkest hour, it’s glitter and sparkle, Xbox and drums, it’s real understanding - it’s so much more than you think. Whatever our children,

young people or families need, The Donna Louise is there. Wherever, whenever, always. Your support makes this possible.

Lyla suffered a stroke in the womb at 18 weeks gestation, followed by a haemorrhage. Amazingly she survived the pregnancy and her premature birth. She has severe brain damage as a result of the stroke

and has 13 diagnoses, 4 types of epilepsy, visual impairment and cerebral palsy. As time goes on, Lyla requires more specialist care, equipment and medical intervention.

Her family came to The Donna Louise when Lyla was nine months old. Mum Meghan says, “I was exhausted with worry from trying to be strong all of the time for everyone else. I was broken and Lyla was very ill. The Donna Louise came into our lives, just at the right time. They saved us - they literally picked up

the pieces of our broken family.”

The Donna Louise provides respite stays for Lyla and sometimes for the whole family as well. Meghan said, “We’re not able to leave Lyla with anyone else because of her high level of needs. For us to leave Lyla at the Hospice is a massive relief, even to be able to just have a night’s sleep is magic. I cannot begin to

explain the value of Lyla being in a safe environment with trained people that know her well.”

Last year they all completed the 5k family fun run. Meghan explained; “We did it together as a family. It was a massive challenge for all of us but it was a truly memorable day with a lot of joy. That experience brought home to us how much we need The Donna Louise and how much it’s part of our lives now. It

means the absolute world to us as a family. We really would be lost without them. I realise that one day we may need the Hospice in the traditional sense - at the end of Lyla’s life. However, in the meantime, we are making every moment count and that’s all thanks to the generosity of local supporters. Without you

we just wouldn’t survive”.

M E E T L Y L A

If you’re in need of a little inspiration, our Fundraising Handbook is bursting with ideas to turn your promise into

pounds. Whether it’s being a whizz in the kitchen, facing your fears or taking on an epic challenge, you’ll be doing

something amazing to help our children, young people and their families. From dress down days to fun runs, your

fundraiser could be anything from a once in a lifetime experience to something you do every day. Whatever you

choose to do, one thing is for sure – you’ll be making a difference.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR FUNDRAISING!

2

S E T Y O U R F U N D R A I S I N G G O A L . . .

It doesn’t matter what you do. And it doesn’t matter if you raise five quid or five thousand, what matters is that you want to make a difference and each penny counts:

M U S I C M A K E R S - £ 2 0 Music is a great healer and can uplift the soul. Our one-to-one music sessions

are a real hit with children of all abilities.

N U R S I N G C A R E - £ 3 , 2 0 0For families, being able to come to The Donna Louise surrounded by people in whom they have faith, trust, and professional friendships, enabling them to simply concentrate on being a family. But it's not

just about the day-to-day care our nurses provide – administering medications, giving feeds and managing symptoms – they are so much more. The one-to-one care they offer the child also allows their parents to take a break, relax and re-fuel, and to meet others in similar situations in what, at times, can

seem a lonely journey. A pledge of £3,200 could sponsor a month of care by one of our nurses.

A R T A S T H E R A P Y - £ 3 0 Art therapy is an important outlet offered to all families who spend time at The Donna Louise. It's a way

for the children, young adults, siblings and parents to express their feelings in a creative way. A pledge of £30 would pay for an art therapy session with our Counsellor and give someone the chance to create a

meaningful work of art.

2 4 H O U R R E S P I T E S T A Y - £ 1 , 3 0 0

Whether it’s making music, playing games, meeting a Counsellor or socialising with friends, the focus is on relaxing, having fun and making the most of life. Respite stays give families the chance to recharge

their batteries in our home-away-from-home.

F E E D A F A M I L Y M E M B E R - £ 1 0Families that come to The Donna Louise often say it's like a home-from-home. That's thanks to people

like you because your support means that families can relax and have a break from cooking while they're here. There's always a home-cooked meal available for all the family and a pledge of £10 would pay for a

meal for a child or young adult, or their mum, dad, brother or sister.

P L A Y T I M E - £ 4 5 0Play is really important for all kids, and the children who spend time at The Donna Louise are no

different. They love nothing more than gluing and sticking and there's always plenty of paint and glitter to go around. There’s always a great range of fun activities to keep the children, and their brothers and sisters, entertained while they're here; regardless of age and physical ability. For £450 you could sponsor

play activities for a week and bring a smile to loads of (messy) faces.  

C O U N S E L L I N G S E S S I O N S - £ 7 3 0Whether it's a child who's lost a brother or sister, a young adult with something they need to share, or a mum who just needs to let off some steam, our Counsellors are always here to listen. A pledge of £730

would pay for counselling sessions for a week and give our families the security blanket of knowing there's always someone to talk to.

3

The Donna Louise has an adrenaline-packed calendar of challenge events – jump from a plane, hike through a

desert, run an incredible distance, we have something for everybody. If you can’t find what you are looking for,

get in touch and we can help you find your unique challenge adventure. We can also help you with your

training, help you to gain sponsorship and cheer you on with bucket-loads of moral support!

IF YOU WANT TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE, CONTACT  NIKKI WRENCH IN THE

FUNDRAISING TEAM - T: 01782 654444 E: NICOLA.WRENCH@THEDONNALOUISE.ORG

C H A L L E N G E Y O U R S E L F . . .

4

RUN DIVE CLIMB

PEDAL ZIP SURVIVE

F U N D R A I S E A T W O R K . . .

When you pledge your support to The Donna Louise, you're entering into a partnership which will make a real difference to your business. Your support not only helps our children, young people and their families it demonstrates your commitment to social responsibility, builds staff morale

and strengthens your corporate image. The Donna Louise is committed to developing and nurturing long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with our local business community.

The opportunities for you to get involved and support our children are as diverse as the people in your business. We really do have something for everyone…….

S T A F F F U N D R A I S I N GHarness the creativity, planning and delivery skills of your staff to have fun whilst fundraising -

quizzes, sporting sweepstakes or simple cake sales, you can be as creative as you like!

M A T C H F U N D I N GAs an employer you may be able to match your staffs’ fundraising total, pound for pound.

Ask your Regional Fundraiser for more information.

C O R P O R A T E E V E N T S P O N S O R S H I PSponsorship of a Donna Louise event will give your business local publicity,

and ensure that more money raised goes directly to caring for children.

L O T T E R YJoin our All Stars Lottery for just £1 per line. You could win cash prizes,

corporate hospitality tickets and much more.

G I F T S I N K I N DBy donating goods we can use or offering the services of your business free of charge.

P A Y R O L L G I V I N G Giving a regular gift directly from your wages is the easiest,

most tax efficient way for your staff to donate.

V O L U N T E E R I N GOur “Helping Hands” programme is a great team building activity and a way to motivate and

inspire staff. The opportunities are endless and include gardening, building maintenance, help at events and more. We can offer bespoke days to suit your needs.

R E F E R R A L S You can help us by introducing us to your contacts that

could potentially support The Donna Louise too.

5

O R G A N I S E Y O U R O W N E V E N T . . .

Our local community do amazing things for the children, young adults and families at The Donna Louise. Whether you’re involved in a school or college, sports group, community group, pub, club,

place of worship or you just want to get together with friends to raise money, we would love to hear your fundraising ideas. Here’s some inspiration:

C H A L L E N G E Y O U R S E L F

B A K E U P A S T O R MH A V E A B A L L

W O R K P L A C E F U N

G E T D R E S S Y

• Give something up – quit social media for a month,

sponsored silence, lose weight

• Impress your mates – sponsored leg/back/chest wax,

shave your head, dye your hair

• Be Epic – trek, climb a mountain, run a marathon, etc.

• Have a dress down/dress up day

• Dress as a super hero for the day

• Wear your pyjamas for the day

• Crazy hat day/odd sock day

• Hold a fashion show

• Don’t dump, donate to our shops

• Be amazing at work – anything from dress down days

and raffles to holding a charity Ball

• Crazy tie day

• Auction off the boss’s car park space

• Have an inter-team bake off

• Have a swear jar in the office

• Volunteer your team to help at charity events

or on projects at the hospice

• Hold a bake sale – who doesn’t like cake!

• Coffee mornings – get together with

your friends and work colleagues and

have a chin-wag

• Hold a bake-off to find the next

Paul Hollywood or Mary Berry

• Hold a footy/netball tournament

• Get sponsored to do a keepy-uppy challenge

• Hold a penalty shootout marathon

• Hold a glamourous charity ball

6

M E E T O N E O F O U R F U N D R A I S I N G H E R O E S . . .

K E V I N ’ S F U N D R A I S I N G J O U R N E Y …Kevin McCafferty is a Donna Louise fundraising hero! Since 2010 he has trekked and cycled his

way round the UK, Europe and conquered the highest mountain in Africa.

He started his fundraising journey in 2010 with the 3 peaks challenge, and in the next 2 years did the Yorkshire Three Peaks and then scaled the dizzying heights of Kilimanjaro. It was in his

words, “An incredible experience.”

In 2012 he decided he’d had enough of trekking and he took to pedalling. He pedalled….and he pedalled …..and he pedalled through London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Berlin,

Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Bilbao, Bordeaux, Munich, Bratislava and Northern Spain; each time completing a 400 mile route and having a wonderful time along the way. He is joined by

friends on his journey and he explains: “We have a lot of adventures and, yes we’ve had punctures and got lost, but we’ve also had some wonderful laughs, seen some beautiful places

and met some beautiful people along the way.”

And in-between his bike rides, Kevin has raced boats, organised raffles and discos. To date he has raised over £4,000 to support the children and families who use The Donna Louise. He

originally chose to support the hospice as he has 2 children himself, he works in a school and loves the humility and innocence of children, “I feel really sorry for children who are poorly, and what their families have to face. This is my small way of helping. I am doing something I really

enjoy, and using it as a way to raise money. It’s very rewarding.”

And he has not done this alone, he is grateful to his family, friends, the local community and businesses who have supported him. As he says, “I am surrounded by very good people.”

And Kevin is not stopping now, this year he will be back in the saddle as he tackles the Italian Lakes, the Dolomites and the Alps.

The children, families and staff of The Donna Louise are extremely grateful to Kevin for everything he has done; he is our hero!

7

S T E P S T O F U N D R A I S I N G S U C C E S S . . .

S T E P 1 : SET YOUR TARGET £Keep it realistic – you can always increase your target later.

S T E P 2 : DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO DO TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE(check out page 5 for inspiration!)

S T E P 3 : SET UP YOUR FUNDRAISING PAGE

Visit www.uk.virginmoneygiving.com/giving or www.justgiving.com

You can personalise your page, add pictures and videos and tell everyone about what you are doing to raise cash. It’s simple and safe, and the money comes straight to the charity.

Make sure you ask everyone that qualifies to tick the box!

S T E P 4 : SHOUT ABOUT IT! LET EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WHYTell your local newspaper or radio station about your fundraising.

Share your story with us and all your friends on social media.

S T E P 5 : INSPIREInspire your friends, family and work colleagues to join you, sponsor you or better yet, get them to do

something amazing too. Use social media to encourage your friends to join in.

S T E P 6 : PAY YOUR MONEY INPay your money in so children and families get the care they so deserve.

(see page 10 for ways to send your money)

F U N D R A I S I N G M A T E R I A L

We can arrange promotional material and merchandise to

help you raise as much money as possible, and let people

know that you are fundraising for The Donna Louise.

We can provide:

T-SHIRTS

BALLOONS

POSTERS

INFORMATION LEAFLETS

SPONSORSHIP FORMS

DONATION ENVELOPES

COLLECTING TINS AND BUCKETS

BANNERS

BRANDED TABLECLOTHS

8

K E E P I T L E G A L A N D S A F E . . .

W H A T I S A D O N N A L O U I S E F U N D R A I S E R ?A fundraiser is someone who raises money for The Donna Louise. As a fundraiser you’re raising money to

change the lives of seriously ill children, young people and their families. We’ll help you along the way, but we ask you to take responsibility for your own events and activities. It’s also important that you’re

open, honest and transparent. Please let us know if you need any help!

R A F F L E STo hold a raffle without a licence, tickets must be sold and winners announced during the event. You

should make it clear who’s running the raffle, sell all the tickets for the same price and don’t allow discounts for bulk buys. Tickets should not be bought or sold by anyone under the age of 16. You can

read the full rules and regulations at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk

P U B L I C C O L L E C T I O N SWritten permission from the owner is usually required when you collect on public property e.g. a pub or in a supermarket. Lots of large shops may have internal procedures which you would need to follow. To

find out if this is the case, you should contact the store directly. You will need to apply for a licence when you collect on council land e.g. street collection. Make sure you apply in plenty of time and check the maximum number of collections you can have. If you would like us to issue you with buckets, please

show us a copy of your licence or permission letter.

I N S U R A N C E A N D L I A B I L I T YYou may need to take out insurance for your fundraising event including Public Liability cover or

insurance against theft, damage to property or for valuable equipment. Check to what extent the venue has insurance to cover your event. The Donna Louise does not take out insurance to cover the events of

volunteer fundraisers. The responsibility for the activity lies with you and The Donna Louise cannot accept liability for your event, nor for anyone who participates in it.

H E A L T H A N D S A F E T YYou should carry out your own risk assessment to ensure that you have properly addressed any hazards at your event. Ensure that you have first aid cover with trained volunteers / professionals if applicable. A

copy of your risk assessment should be available on the day of your event. Don’t forget to inform the police and council if your event is in a public place. For more information visit www.hse.gov.uk

G I F T A I DYou can ask people who are sponsoring you if they would like to Gift Aid their donation. Just tick the relevant box on your sponsorship form with details of their home address and, as long as they meet

the criteria, it will enable us to claim back 25p for every £1 they donate from the government and increase the overall benefit to the charity. This is at no extra cost to them or you and is a great way

of boosting how much you raise! Gift Aid can only be claimed on donations and individual sponsorship, NOT on entrance fees.

C H I L D R E NIf children are attending your event please consider their safety and your protection. Encourage parents to attend with their children, make arrangements to deal with lost children and do not take photos of

children without their parents’ permission. You should request copies of DBS checks from suppliers such as children’s entertainers and not allow children to enter games where the prizes include alcohol.

A L C O H O L A N D F O O D If you plan to sell alcohol at your event in a venue which is not already licenced, you will need to arrange an alcohol licence. For more information, just contact your local council for advice. If you are serving food

in a public area you may need a licence and you should get copies of food hygiene certificates from caterers. Visit the Food Standards Agency website for more information www.food.gov.uk

9

O T H E R W A Y S T O H E L P . . .

S H O P W I T H U S

We have a number of shops across Staffordshire selling an excellent range of women's and men's clothing and accessories, children's clothes and toys, jewellery, books, music, household linen and

unique gifts....and more! Our 3 superstores also sell a range of furniture and electrical items for the home all under one roof! Furniture is one of our best sellers, so if you have a sofa, bed, or even a whole house to

clear, give us a call on 01782 654 444

The addresses and telephone numbers of our stores can be found on our website

www.thedonnalouise.org

One-off donation – you will find all the ways in which you can donate on page 10 of this handbook.

You can also donate via Text "DLCH01 £ (donation amount)" to 70070

Regular Donations – Choosing to support The Donna Louise on a regular basis is a commitment we’re so

grateful for; every penny really does count. Regular straight to bank donations help us support families

during the hardest times they will ever face. You can sign up on the website www.thedonnalouise.org

G I F T S I N M E M O R Y / G I F T S I N C E L E B R A T I O N

If you have lost a friend or relative, a donation to The Donna Louise is one way of paying tribute to their memory and ensures a lasting legacy for your loved one while supporting our children, young people

and families. You may wish for relatives, friends and loved ones to make a donation in lieu of flowers at a funeral, or you may simply wish to remember a loved one on their birthday or anniversary.

We have thank you collection envelopes, which you may wish to use. For more information contact the Fundraising Team on 01782 654444

G I F T S I N W I L L S

Leaving a gift in your will is a wonderful way of making a life-changing difference to the children and families we support without costing you a penny during your lifetime. Our ‘Guide to leaving a

life-changing gift in your will’ contains all the information you need to know if you are considering leaving us this most special gift. It explains why gifts in wills are so important to us, how your gift will

make a difference, things to consider when making your will, our promise to you and much more.

To request your free guide, please call 01782 654444

V O L U N T E E R I N G

Volunteers are our bread and butter and we simply would not function without them. There are plenty of ways you can help and you can dedicate as much or as little time as you wish. Volunteering at The

Donna Louise is an incredibly rewarding and enjoyable experience and can offer the opportunity to meet new friends, gain new skills and support local families. Our Corporate “Helping Hands” programme is also

a great team building activity. The opportunities are endless and include gardening, building maintenance, help at events and more.

10

C O N T A C T U STHE DONNA LOUISE

@DONNALOUISEUK

WWW.THEDONNALOUISE.ORG

General enquiries about the Hospice

and the care we provide:

01782 654440

Fundraising enquiries and support:

01782 654444

Like us, follow us and visit usfor our latest news and events:

Charity Registration No.1075597Company reg no 3701610

S E N D Y O U R M O N E Y . . .

O N L I N EIf you held a sponsored event and used an online giving page such as www.virginmoneygiving.com or

www.justgiving.com then the money will already be coming straight to us. Thanks!

B Y H A N DIf you live locally to the hospice you can drop off the cash at our reception at 1 Grace Road, Trentham,

Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 8FN. We are open between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

If you have been working with a Fundraiser, you can always give them a call and ask them to pop by and collect it.

D I R E C T T R A N S F E RYou can pay in money online at www.thedonnalouise.org via our “donate” page.

To deposit money by bank transfer, the details are:Account Name: The Donna Louise

Bank: Barclays Bank plcAccount Number: 50284432

Sort Code: 20-36-43

B Y P O S TIf you aren’t able to get to us, or meet with us, another alternative is to send the money raised in the form

of a cheque through the post. Cheques should be made payable to ‘The Donna Louise’. If you haven’t already let us know about your fundraising, fill in the form below when sending your funds:

Your details

Title ............. First Name ........................................................... Surname ...........................................................

Organisation (if applicable) ………………………………………………………………………………..........................................................

Address……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………................................................................

Postcode ………………………………………… Tel. Number…………………………………………………………….....................................

Mobile …………………………………………………….. Email………………………………………………………...............................................…..

If you have an online fundraising page, please provide the web address

.....……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Event Details

Name of event ……………………………………………………………………………............…… Date of event .........…………......…

How much did you raise? £ ………………………………………………………………………………………..........................................

Signed…………………………………………………………………………………………. Date………………………..................................................

11

T H A N K Y O U F O R D O I N G S O M E T H I N G A M A Z I N G !

C O N T A C T U STHE DONNA LOUISE

@DONNALOUISEUK

WWW.THEDONNALOUISE.ORG

General enquiries about the Hospice

and the care we provide:

01782 654440

Fundraising enquiries and support:

01782 654444

Like us, follow us and visit usfor our latest news and events:

Charity Registration No.1075597Company reg no 3701610