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Fundraising

  • Essential Resources

Fundraise for Oesophageal Cancer Research

Every pound brings us closer to a cure. Join thousands of supporters across Scotland raising vital funds for oesophageal cancer research, early detection, and patient support. Your fundraising can make a real difference.

Contact
  • Essential Resources

Fundraise for Oesophageal Cancer Research

Every pound brings us closer to a cure. Join thousands of supporters across Scotland raising vital funds for oesophageal cancer research, early detection, and patient support. Your fundraising can make a real difference.

Contact

Why Fundraise for OCHRE?

Every year, over 9,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. Currently, long-term survival rates remain stubbornly low at around 15%, but research funded by OCHRE is changing that.

Reference Links:

Fundraising Ideas That Work

Whether you want a big challenge or something simple, there’s a perfect way for you to support OCHRE

Challenge Events

Based on popular charity fundraising activities:

Running & Walking:

  • Marathon and half-marathon events
  • Sponsored walks and hiking challenges
  • Park runs and fun runs
  • Walking the West Highland Way

Cycling:

  • Charity bike rides and cycle challenges
  • Static bike marathons
  • Family cycling events

Adventure Activities:

  • Skydiving or bungee jumps (with safety considerations)
  • Rock climbing or abseiling
  • Swimming challenges and swimathons
  • Mountain climbing expeditions

Community Events

Social Events:

  • Quiz nights and trivia competitions
  • Charity auctions and raffles
  • Bake sales and coffee mornings
  • Garden parties and BBQs 

Entertainment:

  • Battle of the bands competitions
  • Talent shows and performances
  • Game nights and tournaments
  • Movie screenings

Seasonal Events:

  • Christmas fairs and markets
  • Halloween parties
  • Burns Night celebrations
  • Summer festivals

Creative Fundraising

Arts & Crafts:

  • Art exhibitions and sales
  • Photography competitions
  • Craft fairs and handmade sales
  • Pottery painting events

Modern Challenges:

  • Gaming marathons and e-sport tournaments
  • Social media challenges
  • Online streaming for charity
  • Virtual events and competitions

Personal Challenges:

  • Sponsored silences
  • Head shaves or hair colour changes
  • Giving up something for a month
  • Learning a new skill challenge

Workplace Fundraising

Office Activities:

  • Dress down days and themed dress-up
  • Office competitions and sweepstakes
  • Lunch hour activities and sports
  • Tea and coffee fund donations

Corporate Programs:

  • Matched giving programmes (employer doubles donations)
  • Volunteering days
  • Corporate challenge events
  • Payroll giving schemes

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Memory & Celebration Giving

Sometimes fundraising comes from the heart, whether celebrating a special occasion or remembering someone special.

In Memory Fundraising:

Create a lasting tribute while supporting vital research. Online memorial pages allow family and friends to leave donations and memories together.

Benefits:

  • Meaningful way to honour a loved one
  • Brings family and friends together
  • Creates lasting legacy for research
  • Easy online memorial page setup

Celebration Fundraising:

Special Occasions:

  • Birthday fundraisers instead of gifts
  • Wedding donations to charity
  • Anniversary celebrations
  • New baby fundraisers
  • Retirement parties
  • Graduation celebrations

“Instead of gifts, please consider donating to OCHRE” is becoming increasingly popular for milestone celebrations.

Fundraising Platforms

Choose the platform that works best for your fundraising style and audience:

JustGiving

Best for: Traditional charity fundraising

Features:

  • 0% platform fees for fundraisers
  • 1.9% + 20p payment processing fee
  • Automatic Gift Aid handling
  • Easy social media sharing
  • Trusted by major UK charities
  • Mobile-friendly pages

Why Choose JustGiving:

  • Most popular UK charity platform
  • Familiar to donors
  • Professional appearance
  • Excellent customer support

GoFundMe

Best for: Personal and community fundraising

Features:

  • 1.9% + 20p payment processing fee
  • 100% of Gift Aid goes to charity
  • Large global community
  • Mobile app available
  • Quick setup process
  • Team fundraising options

Why Choose GoFundMe:

  • Easy setup and sharing
  • Strong social media integration
  • Global donor network
  • Good mobile experience

Facebook Fundraisers

Best for: Social media savvy fundraisers

Features:

  • Completely free for registered charities
  • Built into Facebook platform
  • Easy sharing with friends and family
  • Birthday fundraiser reminders
  • Automatic payment processing
  • No separate website needed

Why Choose Facebook:

  • Zero fees
  • Built-in social network
  • Birthday fundraiser feature
  • Simple for friends to donate

Other Options:

Total Giving: Completely free service with internal processing Crowdfunder: 1.9% fee with rewards-based options Localgiving: Focus on local and community charities

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Corporate Partnerships

Does your company want to make a difference? OCHRE offers various partnership opportunities for businesses of all sizes.

Partnership Options:

Charity of the Year Programs:

  • 12-month partnership with dedicated support
  • Employee engagement activities
  • Joint marketing opportunities
  • Impact reporting and recognition

Employee Fundraising:

  • Workplace giving schemes
  • Matched funding programs
  • Team challenge events
  • Volunteer opportunities

Corporate Events:

  • Golf tournaments and networking events
  • Executive challenges
  • Conference sponsorship
  • Award ceremony support

Benefits for Your Business:

Employee Engagement:

  • Team building through shared purpose
  • Improved workplace culture
  • Enhanced recruitment and retention
  • Personal development opportunities

Corporate Reputation:

  • Demonstrate corporate social responsibility
  • Local community connection
  • Positive brand association
  • Marketing and PR opportunities

Networking:

  • Connect with other socially responsible businesses
  • Industry networking opportunities
  • Community leadership recognition

 

Fundraising Tips & Support

Maximising Your Fundraising:

Planning:

  • Set a realistic but ambitious target
  • Choose an activity you’re passionate about
  • Create a compelling story about why you’re fundraising
  • Plan your timeline with key milestones

Promotion:

  • Share regularly on social media (but don’t overwhelm)
  • Tell your personal connection to the cause
  • Ask family and friends first – they’re most likely to donate
  • Update supporters on your progress

Engagement:

  • Thank donors personally when possible
  • Share photos and videos of your journey
  • Post training updates or preparation progress
  • Celebrate milestones along the way

Persistence:

  • Don’t give up if donations start slowly
  • Share your page multiple times (people forget)
  • Ask for shares even if people can’t donate
  • Follow up after the event with final totals

Legal & Practical Considerations:

Collection Regulations:

  • Street collections require local authority permits
  • House-to-house collections need specific licenses
  • Charity bucket collections have location restrictions

Event Planning:

  • Public events may require insurance
  • Health and safety risk assessments
  • Food safety considerations for bake sales
  • Venue permissions and bookings

Financial Management:

  • Gift Aid eligibility (UK taxpayers can add 25% to donations)
  • Record keeping for donations and expenses
  • Banking regulations for charity funds
  • Tax implications for fundraisers

Safety Considerations:

  • Risk assessments for challenge events
  • Insurance for adventure activities
  • First aid coverage for events
  • Child protection for youth involvement

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Key Warning Signs

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Your donation helps us provide vital support and fund research for better treatments.

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