[dulciemae]

So, I've been placed on the ICS scheme to go to Sierra Leone this Sept for 3 MONTHS! and I need to raise that amount of money before I go! :/

I finished college over a month ago now, and I only just found out the details of my placement - plus I've been working, so it wasn't really feasible to 'use' my school earlier, but I'm really annoyed about it. I'm pretty sure many of my teachers would have sponsored and I could have done a mini-concert or cake sales to give me a starting amount...oh well.

So basically, now I'm without that platform at need other ideas! So far I've thought of a car boot sale, going busking, going bag packing at supermarkets, doing a 5k race, and 'living under the line' on a fiver for 5 days.

Although there are hinderences to these things: nothing in my house is worth any value, especially the junk!; busking means I'll have to rely on my friends to help (i only sing), bag packing doesn't really work if it's just a one-person cause, i can't run to save my life....Plus my mum thinks I should PURELY use my own hard earned money, which I don't want to do because it defeats the point! I'm meant to be spreading the message of my volunteer organisation - what satisfaction am I going to get with just plainly handing over my own cash - which I don't have £800 spare of anyway!?

But maybe I should just take these challenges on? I suppose there's no harm in trying! Anyone got any other ideas?

Thanks if you read on past the ramble and you can help even just a bit!

[Carrby]

I did bag packing for a trip to Iceland and that raised a good amount of money. Can't remember how much exactly but it was a significant amount towards my total. Don't be put off that it's just one person, it won't look weird. Just remember to tell people why you're there, smile, explain your trip while you pack their bags and they're more likely to take an interest and donate a bit more. Pin a sign to your shirt and a donation bucket to make it really obvious what you're raising money for.

I also did a film night round someone's house (because they're lucky enough to have a home cinema ). Charged school friends £5 entry for a fright night - would be even better if you got it sorted for Halloween this year! So if you or any of your friends have a big house and are willing to let people in that'd be good. You might have to check about licence fees before you charge to show a film though.

Hope that helps!

[amime]

If you really want to help and actually volunteer you'd probably be better off getting cheap flights and very cheap accommodation there and actually getting stuck in.

Not trying to take away from the ICS scheme or many other similar ones but a lot of the time youll be placed in a group of people tha say they're volunteering be lets face it, theyre doing it for the prestige of being able to say "oh yeah, I went on a back packing trip to Africa once where I helped starving babies and built wells" thinking that it will look Good on their CV's but most employers already know this and think of it as a mini holiday.
What I found was, your not actually paying to volunteer, youre paying for the convenience of having a lot of the things done for you while you watch others do work and lay a few bricks.

Reading back through I realise that none of this actually helps you though so how about you set up an online fundraiser and go to different forums explaining the cause and see if any strangers will help?
http://gofundme.com/online-fundraising/

[Georgiina_Tee]

If there is an after school kids club or something you can a group of friends can orginise a summer event of entertainment (volunteered) and charge for tickets £1, and then have cute children with donation boxes
I did made £51 on a 20 minutes of children's terrible singing drama and dance and it was only one night

Hell of a load of work but the parents really enjoyed it and the kids

[TruetoMyself]

(Original post by amime)
If you really want to help and actually volunteer you'd probably be better off getting cheap flights and very cheap accommodation there and actually getting stuck in.

Not trying to take away from the ICS scheme or many other similar ones but a lot of the time youll be placed in a group of people tha say they're volunteering be lets face it, theyre doing it for the prestige of being able to say "oh yeah, I went on a back packing trip to Africa once where I helped starving babies and built wells" thinking that it will look Good on their CV's but most employers already know this and think of it as a mini holiday.
What I found was, your not actually paying to volunteer, youre paying for the convenience of having a lot of the things done for you while you watch others do work and lay a few bricks.

Reading back through I realise that none of this actually helps you though so how about you set up an online fundraiser and go to different forums explaining the cause and see if any strangers will help?
http://gofundme.com/online-fundraising/

+1000000. This is 100% true and all the perfect information you need. With all due respect OP, unless you pay for it, it is clearly a quite selfish act for others to fork out the £800 so you get this experience. If somebody really wants to make a difference as Amime points out-get cheap flights and accomodation to the place and start getting stuck in. Unfortunately very few people really want to make a proper difference and more seem to crave an experience/mini holiday in someway funded by others. Might sound critical...but ultimately i am stating the facts.

[dulciemae]

(Original post by TruetoMyself)
+1000000. This is 100% true and all the perfect information you need. With all due respect OP, unless you pay for it, it is clearly a quite selfish act for others to fork out the £800 so you get this experience. If somebody really wants to make a difference as Amime points out-get cheap flights and accomodation to the place and start getting stuck in. Unfortunately very few people really want to make a proper difference and more seem to crave an experience/mini holiday in someway funded by others. Might sound critical...but ultimately i am stating the facts.

With all due respect to both of you, ICS is probably the best org out there. my accomm, flights, vaccinations and everything were paid for, it wasn't about whether daddy could give me 5 grand but about passing an assessment day and going through a fairly vigorous application process. any money i raise goes DIRECTLY to Voluntary Service Overseas, and ensures that volunteers are able to be sent out to these communities where they're most needed. VSO is the least gimmicky programme out there, they're leading the field and have been for years. Ultimately, I get what you mean about it about being percieved as 'my' experience, but i've profusely stated that although i'll greatly appreicate any funds that come my way, it will be even more appreciated by the people i'm going out to help.
the only reason i'd prefer to fundraise than put my own money forward (although i will if I have to and already have put money forward and aside) is because i'm spreading the message of VSO and ICS, which I genuinely believe is an amazing scheme, and despite your fairly blunt words that may apply to some people, I am greatly confident that i'm doing this for completely the right reasons and am ecstatic to be going away with VSOs expertise and guidance to support me do what I've always dreamt of doing.

[walkonmeplease]

Do you have any old shoes I can buy form you?

(Original post by dulciemae)
So, I've been placed on the ICS scheme to go to Sierra Leone this Sept for 3 MONTHS! and I need to raise that amount of money before I go! :/

I finished college over a month ago now, and I only just found out the details of my placement - plus I've been working, so it wasn't really feasible to 'use' my school earlier, but I'm really annoyed about it. I'm pretty sure many of my teachers would have sponsored and I could have done a mini-concert or cake sales to give me a starting amount...oh well.

So basically, now I'm without that platform at need other ideas! So far I've thought of a car boot sale, going busking, going bag packing at supermarkets, doing a 5k race, and 'living under the line' on a fiver for 5 days.

Although there are hinderences to these things: nothing in my house is worth any value, especially the junk!; busking means I'll have to rely on my friends to help (i only sing), bag packing doesn't really work if it's just a one-person cause, i can't run to save my life....Plus my mum thinks I should just use my own hard earned money, which I don't want to do because it defeats the point! I'm meant to be spreading the message of my volunteer organisation - what satisfaction am I going to get with just plainly handing over my own cash - which I don't have £800 spare of anyway!?

But maybe I should just take these challenges on? I suppose there's no harm in trying! Anyone got any other ideas?

Thanks if you read on past the ramble and you can help even just a bit!

btw, my fundraising page is http://justgiving.com/DulcieH, if you can help even just a little bit you have no idea how much it'd mean to me!

[TruetoMyself]

(Original post by dulciemae)
With all due respect to both of you, ICS is probably the best org out there. my accomm, flights, vaccinations and everything were paid for, it wasn't about whether daddy could give me 5 grand but about passing an assessment day and going through a fairly vigorous application process. any money i raise goes DIRECTLY to Voluntary Service Overseas, and ensures that volunteers are able to be sent out to these communities where they're most needed. VSO is the least gimmicky programme out there, they're leading the field and have been for years. Ultimately, I get what you mean about it about being percieved as 'my' experience, but i've profusely stated that although i'll greatly appreicate any funds that come my way, it will be even more appreciated by the people i'm going out to help.
the only reason i'd prefer to fundraise than put my own money forward (although i will if I have to and already have put money forward and aside) is because i'm spreading the message of VSO and ICS, which I genuinely believe is an amazing scheme, and despite your fairly blunt words that may apply to some people, I am greatly confident that i'm doing this for completely the right reasons and am ecstatic to be going away with VSOs expertise and guidance to support me do what I've always dreamt of doing.

Without again sounding critical, you've pretty much hit the nail on the head with what Im saying. Ultimately blunt, but true words. If the fundraising is a matter of raising awareness only, you can gladly undertake the same activities your taking without requesting the money of people- requesting money will not spread the message of the VSO and ICS any further.

Yup ecstatic and achieving your dream- many people would be, if not everyone- in this case it should be about daddy giving you the five grand as opposed to other peole.

[Tycho]

(Original post by TruetoMyself)
Without again sounding critical, you've pretty much hit the nail on the head with what Im saying. Ultimately blunt, but true words. If the fundraising is a matter of raising awareness only, you can gladly undertake the same activities your taking without requesting the money of people- requesting money will not spread the message of the VSO and ICS any further.

Yup ecstatic and achieving your dream- many people would be, if not everyone- in this case it should be about daddy giving you the five grand as opposed to other peole.

To be fair I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. You could want to help out and want the experience at the same time. A lot of people go to such organisations because they feel safer in their hands. When you travel to a land that is far from your own way of life it can be daunting - especially for a first-timer. You want to know that your needs have been fully catered for, or how can you possibly expect to be in a position to help others?

Whilst I largely agree with what you've said, I don't think you should be quite so critical of the girl. She is - after all - doing more than most people, for right reason or not.

[TruetoMyself]

(Original post by Tycho)
To be fair I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. You could want to help out and want the experience at the same time. A lot of people go to such organisations because they feel safer in their hands. When you travel to a land that is far from your own way of life it can be daunting - especially for a first-timer. You want to know that your needs have been fully catered for, or how can you possibly expect to be in a position to help others?

Whilst I largely agree with what you've said, I don't think you should be quite so critical of the girl. She is - after all - doing more than most people, for right reason or not.

Fair point and glad you agree with most of what i said. Most of my criticism is aimed at the fact that the OP wants other people to fund this, which to me defies the purpose of charity work. And believe me I hate being critical, but this is one of those few situations that do really really irk me-and i do believe with good reason. 'I want to do some good in this world, but want somebody else to pay for it?'. Do you honestly believe this is fair? Absolutely no problem whatsoever if OP wants to dig into her pockets or use some of fundraising methods mentioned here to raise the cash required.

[GeorgieBoy]

Fundraising meals with raffles and stuff always seem to raise quite a bit of money.


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[Clip]

I have friends who were over there in 2000. It's no place for anyone without a lot of boys and a lot of guns.

[clareyyyyyyy]

bag packing! i raised £860 from one in about eight hours!
organise a party and charge people for entry always works

[dulciemae]

(Original post by TruetoMyself)
Fair point and glad you agree with most of what i said. Most of my criticism is aimed at the fact that the OP wants other people to fund this, which to me defies the purpose of charity work. And believe me I hate being critical, but this is one of those few situations that do really really irk me-and i do believe with good reason. 'I want to do some good in this world, but want somebody else to pay for it?'. Do you honestly believe this is fair? Absolutely no problem whatsoever if OP wants to dig into her pockets or use some of fundraising methods mentioned here to raise the cash required.

The only thing that is annoying me about this, is that's what fundraising is all about - in a round about way, your getting other people to help you, because realistically, as an 18 year old with a job (that isn't making much money because of Ramadan at the minute lol. asian events company - yep) how much can I do? Thing is, when I started this, I knew that I'd have to fund most of it myself, and more than 2/3 of what I've already raised has come from my own pocket, and when I start my new job, most of my pay will be going to towards it without a shadow of a doubt, because I don't have the network of friends and family that can afford to give generously and I don't really like asking them for money. But at the end of the day, even if I do give my own money towards it, I'm not spreading the message, I'm not having as much fun, and I'm not making as much I could do for VSO as if I just did it myself. Also, I'm doing things that people can sponsor me for, I'm not telling them to fund my trip to Africa; I'm planning to busk, sell my stuff, go bag-packing, run a race, live below the line, and I'm not EXPECTING ANYTHING. But the fact of the matter is, 'getting other people to fund it for you' works to raise money for a cause better than I could alone, the good feeling you get from doing activities and telling people about the cause is brilliant too. I can understand your harshness but unfortunately beggars can't be choosers, and I might have to stick to the good old fundraising lark that has raised billions for charities while I try to help by my own means too.

[dulciemae]

(Original post by clareyyyyyyy)
bag packing! i raised £860 from one in about eight hours!
organise a party and charge people for entry always works

Oh wow! How did you get involved and what was the cause? Did you get other people to help you? I'm just worried that I don't really know anyone else doing it and am not sure if my friends would be around to help for that long!

My house is too small and crap for a party, but that would have been a good idea!

Thanks so much!

[dulciemae]

If you decide to neg me, atleast give a reason why. I can't really figure out why I'm having to defend myself for wanting to fundraise for christ's sake. go pick on people that are intent on doing some actual harm to the world.

[amime]

(Original post by dulciemae)
If you decide to neg me, atleast give a reason why. I can't really figure out why I'm having to defend myself for wanting to fundraise for christ's sake. go pick on people that are intent on doing some actual harm to the world.

I didn't neg you originally, but I did neg this post ^ for complaining about a previous negging.

[bellazz]

i think u should keep the balance. work hard to earn money for the program and in the meanwhile, also egg ur friends to contribute towards it. this will make u achieve ur target pretty much easier.

Hope it helps!

[rock_climber86]

(Original post by amime)
What I found was, your not actually paying to volunteer, youre paying for the convenience of having a lot of the things done for you while you watch others do work and lay a few bricks.

THIS! You shouldn't have to pay to volunteer. You should be able to get a flight out where ever and work with a charity with them paying expenses at least for your time. You paying to volunteer doesn't make sense. I was going to do this in thailand a few years back but then came to my senses that they wanted money, not my help and I would find another cause where my time is more valued than my money.

Sorry I can't add to the discussion about how to find £800 but all the ideas you mentioned sound like a step in the right direction, good luck!

[dulciemae]

Thanks everyone, but just to clarify - I'm not paying to volunteer, I am fundraising for the charity I'm going with.