Keeping your event Safe and Legal
Any events that are organised to raise funds for Dove House Hospice need to be safe and legal so we have put together a guide of things you need to consider whilst you are planning your event. Whilst we are very happy for your support and are pleased to help you in any way we can, Dove House Hospice cannot accept liablity for any activity or event you undertake in aid of us so please read the below section carefully and make the relevant plans.
We have also put together a useful links page which includes details of our local authories and other sites that might help ensure your fundraising activity is safe and legal.
Keeping it Legal:
It is essential to keep your event legal and law abiding so we've put together a few points for you to bear in mind:
Collecting Money
- If you want to collect money for Dove House Hospice in a public place (like on the street or doing a pub crawl) you need a licence from your local council. If you do decide to hold this kind of event please let us know and register your event with us.
- If you would like to hold a collection on private property (e.g. a shopping centre) you must get the get the position of whoever is in charge.
- Door to door collections are illegal without a license and we generally discourage these as a means of fundraising.
- Remember anyone under the age of 16 should always be accompanied by an adult and any children collecting should have the permission of their parents/guardians.
Alcohol
If you are intending on supplying alcohol at your event you will need to get a licence (Temporary Event Notice) from your local council - this will cost you about £21. If your event is a venue such as a pub it will already be covered by the appropriate licences, however if it is in a community centre or hall you should double check.
Public Entertainment
Any events that have any elements of public entertainment will also need a licence from your local council (this can usually be combined with the alcohol licence - see above). Public entertainment can include playing recorded music, dancing, showing a film, putting on a play or indoor sport but we advise you to check with the local authorities to see if you need a licence for the entertainment at your event.
Raffles, Lotteries and Competitions
The law around raffles can be very confusing, please see below for our advice on how to go about holding a fundraising raffle (refereed to below as lotteries):
- Incidental, non-commercial lotteries (most raffles fall under this) - this is type of raffle does not require a licence but tickets must only be sold during the event and on the premise where the event is taking place, therefore you must not sell raffle tickets in the run up to the event to raise more funds, and the draw of the raffle must take place during the event where the tickets were sold. Also tickets must all be sold for the same price so you cannot sell them, for example, "25p each or 5 for £1" - if someone buys five they must be charged for 5 individual tickets.
- Small society lotteries (raffles where tickets are required to be sold before the event to the wider public) - this type of raffle will need a licence from the relevant local authority (who will provide registration forms). The customer must receive a document (i.e. a ticket) which has details of the promoter of the event and the date of the draw on it. The tickets must all be the same price and there cannot be any discount for buying more tickets.
- Competitions - competitions whereby the participant pays a fee to enter but requires skill, judgement or knowledge to win a prize do not need any licences.
For further details on the regulations surrounding raffles and lotteries please visit the codes of practice section of the Institute of Fundraising's website by clicking here or please contact our fundraising team for advice on this matter.
Data Protection
It is important that your fundraising complies with the Data Protection Act and so we advise that you do not keep information about people for longer than you have to and that you do not share information or data about someone without their permission.
Using the Dove House Hospice name and logo
We are happy for you to use the Dove House Hospice name on your fundraising literature however on our resources page you will find ready made poster templates for you to download, print off and fill in your own details.
Keeping it Safe:
Food and Drink
It is important that at your event any food or drink that is being sold or provided is prepared and stored in a safe and hygienic way. Always ensure that food is hygienically prepared, cooked thoroughly where necessary and stored at the appropriate temperature. For detailed information on food safety visit www.food.gov.uk or www.eatwell.gov.uk/keepingfoodsafe.
First Aid
Whatever the size of your fundraising activity you should always ensure you have adequate first aid provisions. If your event is quite small try and make sure you have a first aid kit to hand, however if your event is bigger and there will be a lot of people present it is advisable to have an obvious first aid point and a qualified first aider available in case anyone should need medical assistance. Groups like the St. John's Ambulance can provide first aid cover for events.
Health and Safety Risk Assessments
It is always advisable to assess your event for potential health and safety risks in the planning stages as this gives you chance to make sure you have taken steps to reduce the chance of any accidents occurring. It is always important to check for any hazards (e.g. steps or ponds/lakes/water), ensure there is access for people with disabilities, make sure that you are aware of the location of fire equipment and that all emergency exits are obviously signposted and kept clear at all times. On our resources page we have put together a risk assessment planner to get you started and help you along the way.
Insurance
Any event that is open to the public should be suitably covered by the appropriate insurance policy. Most venues should have there own insurance cover but make sure you double check before the event in case there are any accidents. Please note the Dove House Hospice's insurance policies will not cover any events that are raised in aid of us so if your venue is not covered you may need to look into getting your own policy.
Children
Any events where there will be children attending or helping out need to take their safety into consideration. Always make sure that you have the permission of parents/guardians in children are involved in the event in anyway and always ensure that they are supervised at all times. If your event is going to have lots of children attending it might be worth having a "Lost Children Area" just in case any get separated from their families.
Carrying Money
Whether it is you or your helpers that end up sorting out money at the end of the event it is important to be careful. Always try to have at least two people available to move money and if anyone has to walk with it anywhere ensure that they stay to well lit areas and that someone knows the route they are going to take. Personal safety is very important and however successful your event is we encourage all of our supporters to take care when dealing with the money that has been raised.