Fundraising ideas: With your friends and family

Your friends and family can play a massive part in helping Voice support vulnerable children and young people in care. Here are some ideas in how they can get involved.

At home

  • Knit and chatter
    Pull out those knitting needles and invite your friends and neighbours over for a gossip. Why not get sponsored to see how many squares you can all knit in four hours?
    If knitting is not your thing, then organise a needlecraft orstitch work night instead.
  • Ladies' day
    Strictly no men allowed! Ladies get together with your friends to enjoy a day of pampering and relaxation. You can treat yourselves to various beauty treatments, delicious snacks and a keep fit or yoga session.
    Each participant decides on a role, for example one friend to do hair and nails, another to give shoulder massages. Everyone pays a fee to take part. Men if you feel left out, then hold a day for the men only. This will give you the chance to do some pampering of your own.
  • Poker or card game night

Do you like to gamble – why not hold a cards night where the competitor’s winnings or large percentage of the winnings go to Voice?

Dinner party
Cook up a storm in the kitchen and hold a fundraising meal at home. You can sell tickets to those who wish to attend.

  • Quiz champions
    Fancy stepping into Chris Tarrant's shoes for a night? Then host your own Who Wants to Be a Millionaire show at home. Or why not have fun playing your own version of the Weakest Link or the Wheel of Fortune? Each participant pays a fee to take part.
  • Poetry and music night
    Hold a recital for your family, friends and neighbours. You can sing songs, play instruments and recite poetry. Audience members pay an entrance fee.

Out and about

  • Community helpers
    Love pets? If you do, why not offer to walk your neighbours' dogs for a fee? With a group of friends, you could set up a car wash service on your street or in the parking lot of your local place of worship or community centre.
  • Dance-athon
    Host a day of non-stop ballroom dancing. Each participant pays a fee to take part and should also raise sponsorship money. If the foxtrot and the tango are not to your liking, then why not spend a day line-dancing?
  • Wacky races
    Get several teams together to enjoy some old-fashioned fun in the park. You could organise various races including three-legged, egg-and-spoon, skipping and sack races. Or why not hold a sports competition in your local gym or leisure centre? You could have rowing, swimming, running and bike races. Prizes can be awarded to the winners.
  • Go Bonkers
    Get sponsored to be silly. You could exchange clothes with your other half, shave your beard or hair, wear your clothes back to front, dance everywhere and tell jokes to everyone you meet.
  • Black tie ball
    Put on your best frock and dinner suit for a fabulous night of glitz and glamour. Hire out a venue and invite your work colleagues and friends to enjoy a lovely three-course meal and dancing. You might want to ask a local jazz or pop band to perform. Other themes for balls include 20s, masked and toga. Ticket prices can start from £20 upwards.
  • Have a fête
    Get all your friends involved and hold a fête in a local hall or community centre. You could have various stalls such as a cake stall, homemade jam, book, art and craft, jewellery and plants. There could also be face-painting for the children and a bouncy castle.
  • Fashion show
    Before you throw out that old shirt, stop! Why not customise it and use it in a fashion show? Get all your friends and family involved with the designing and making of the clothes. Maybe your friends could also do some modeling for the show. Charge an entry fee and consider auctioning off a few of the outfits at the end of the night.
  • Guest speaker
    Invite a guest speaker to give a free talk to your social group or in a local hall. Sell admission tickets to raise money.

Old favourites

  • Raffle 'n' roll
    Everyone likes a good old raffle, so get as many people as possible to donate prizes then sell tickets. You could also ask local businesses if they'd kindly donate a prize.
  • Whip it round
    The traditional whip round is always a quick and easy way of raising money for a good cause. So start shaking that collection tin today!
  • Bingo night
    Organise a fun night of bingo in a local hall or community centre.
  • Quit it
    Get sponsored to quit smoking permanently! If you don't smoke, then why not get sponsored to give up fatty foods or to make exercise a part of your daily routine? Or ask someone to stop smoking and give what they would spend on cigarettes over a week or two to Voice!
  • Keep quiet!
    Hold a sponsored silence for a whole day.
  • Auction it
    Get your friends, family and local businesses to donate some good quality items. Be creative in what you can auction off and make sure that the goods are sold at a reasonable price. Try to get a local professional auctioneer to donate their time.
  • Garage sale
    Get all your neighbours to rummage through their houses for those hidden treasures they'd be happy to part with, then hold a sale on your street!