Who said charity had to be boring? Take a look at our A-Z for some inspiration!

Air Partner - 10 may. 2016

The days when raising money for charity involved nothing more exciting than a sponsored walk (in the rain, naturally) are long gone. These days, people will do pretty much anything in the name of charity, whether it is growing unfortunate facial hair for Movember, or jumping out of a plane.

From hosting a charity coffee morning at the office to trekking in Cambodia, here at Air Partner we have been looking for more and more opportunities to raise funds for our chosen charities, Chestnut Tree House and Macmillan Cancer Support. For those lacking inspiration, we’ve come up with an A-Z of fundraising ideas – from the tried and tested to the downright wacky.

A – Auction

You can use your imagination here - this could be an object, an experience, or even your boss!

B – Bike Ride

Dig out your lycra and helmet, and get on your bike. This year various Air Partner employees are cycling from the UK to Paris on behalf of Chestnut Tree House, while Aviation Support Specialist Colin Kinchett will be cycling from London to Brighton for the British Heart Foundation.

C – Coffee Morning

This is an easy sell - coffee and cake, what could be better? Air Partner will be hosting a Macmillan coffee morning in September.

D – Dress Down Day

Particularly appealing as the weather gets warmer and anything is more appealing than a stuffy suit!  Air Partner is planning a fun twist on this theme, with employees being required to dress entirely in green in support of Macmillan.

E – Egg and Spoon Race

Who wouldn’t pay money to feel young again?

F – Flight of Fancy

If you’re feeling really extravagant, why not hire a private jet, destination unknown, and auction the seats off to your friends (or their bosses!) to raise money for a charity.

G – Get your hands dirty and help someone with their gardening

Charity isn’t just about raising money- giving your skills (or enthusiasm) is often just as valuable.

H – Henri Conda Challenge

A unique event that we were introduced to by Baines Simmons – a charity sailing regatta day to facilitate networking and teambuilding which Air Partner is hoping to join in June.

I – International Evening

Host an evening where people bring food from their home country or a country they love.

J – Jumble Sale

Gather together all your unwanted clothes and bric-a-brac and raise money for a good cause while freeing up some much needed closet space.

K – Karaoke night

For all the frustrated rock stars among you…

L – Lunch and Learn

How about a learning lunch rather than a working lunch? The cancer support charity Macmillan offers Lunch and Learn sessions, with healthy food and important information on cancer awareness in the workplace.

M – Marathon

The fact that this is an increasingly popular choice doesn’t detract from what a huge achievement it is! Air Partner’s Ben Cupidi recently completed the Brighton marathon for Chestnut Tree House in a time of 4hr42min, raising over £950.

N – Nominate someone to do something embarrassing

No explanation (or encouragement) needed for this one…

O – Obstacle Course

For those of you who think running is just not challenging enough. Try Tough Mudder if you think you’re hard enough.

P – Penalty Shoot Out

A chance for the football-mad to show off their skills and raise some cash at the same time.

Q – Quiz night

A night of fun and raising money for charity? Sign me up. Air Partner will be holding one for its employees in July.

R – Ride the Night

A unique event for women – a 100km overnight bike ride. Air Partner’s Linzi Barber is stepping up to the plate and taking part in this event on 28^th May.

S – Skydive

For the really keen (or nuts) among you, there’s nothing that quite beats the exhilaration of jumping out of a plane! Some 12 employees at Air Partner have signed up to take the leap and raise money for local children’s hospice Chestnut Tree House.

T – Trek

An intrepid team from Air Partner will be hiking through rice fields, up the Kulan Mountain and through jungles to reach the walled city of Angkor Thom in November 2017. Colin Clements, another Air Partner employee, will be trekking 150kms over 5 days in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania in June of this year.

U – Unwanted gifts

Get all your colleagues to bring in their unwanted gifts and hold a sale (just make sure you leave behind anything they may have given you in the past…)

V – Volunteering

The most important you can give to charity – your time. Air Partner’s UK Team have been given one day a year to be used in volunteering of some kind.

 

W – Wellbeing Day

Give back whilst learning how to look after your own health. Air Partner has hosted a Wellbeing Day this month with yoga, healthy baking and back massages.

X – X-Factor competition

Channel your inner Leona and embarrass yourself for a good cause.

Y – Yes day

A day of saying yes to everyone’s demands – within reason of course!

Z – Zany clothes day

A great excuse to dig out your old leg-warmers or those 70s flares.

At Air Partner, we are trying to raise more money for charity this year than ever before, as well as encourage our staff to donate something just as important as money – their time.  We have introduced an initiative that gives all UK employees one day off a year to volunteer for a charitable cause, and are looking forward to seeing what ideas everyone has in store. Read more about our volunteering intiative here. We hope that our A-Z has given you some food for thought about how you can encourage your colleagues to dig deep, while having a great time as well.