FAQs

Fundraisers

Nottinghamshire Blood Bikes © 2020

What does this involve?
 
We take part in a wide variety of fundraising activities.

These can include supermarkets, shopping centres or retail parks, as well as some 'small' venues such as quiz nights or cake sales.

Our larger events tend to operate over several days, such as Beer Festivals or County Shows. We're guests as all these events, rather than the organisers.

Fundraiser volunteer roles for our charity would normally focus on attending any of these, sometimes helping to man our display stand, and sometimes to hold a collection tub to enable us to cover a wider area, ensuring that we maximise the potential for donations from the public (or visitors to shows / festivals).

For how many hours?

The more you can give the better, of course, but sometimes we could make a lot more impact when we have someone even for a couple of hours in any given day.

It varies by venue, so there's no set minimum.

At events such as the Nottingham Beer Festival, for instance, we're in attendance - as a whole group - for around 12hrs every day of the event, typically 4 consecutive days. Having volunteers who are able to give a few hours during peak times means that we can ensure everyone has a good break, but also that we can cover as much of the venue area as possible.


 

Is it just about raising money?

No, that's sometimes the most obvious element, but we want to interact with members of the public, raise awareness of the work we do and - at the same time - to see if we can encourage people to join us as a volunteers rider, driver, controller or - just like this - as another fundraiser.

We encourage families to let their children sit on the motorbikes or in the cars and have their picture taken. When the kids are entertained, we can speak with parents and guardians and let them know what we do.

By encouraging them to take some pictures, for instance, there's a good chance that they'll eventually go on their social media accounts and we can gain further, free publicity too. 



Do I have to raise money myself?

No, not at all.

This role is about helping us, as a team, to function properly at events - ensuring adequate cover to allow for rest breaks, and to ensure we maximise the potential from each venue.

There is no requirement for you to physically raise money yourself, and there is no form of responsibility for how much money might be raised whilst attending events.

Of course, if you wanted to help in other ways - such as creating your own fundraising opportunities, or by utilising contacts that help raise money for instance, then we'd welcome it...



What if I want to do more?

There's nothing to prevent you!

We encourage our riders, drivers and volunteers to take part in fundraising activities too, and we don't have any policies preventing people doing more than one role.

So, if you wanted to fundraise but also do a little bit of riding, driving or controller duties, that would be a bonus.

Additionally, if you have experiences or skills that you think could help us in any other ways, we'll gladly let you bend our ears.



How often must I volunteer?

There is no minimum requirement - we encourage all volunteers to be "active", but the onus is on you to give what you want to, rather than feel like you're doing this because you have to.

For those who join solely as a Fundraiser, the element of being "active" is perhaps slightly more relaxed than our key operational duties, but we would still expect to see you fairly regularly, and not just once every 6 months.

The reason for this is that we engage with people and, as an ever-changing (and growing) charity, it's important that the people who represent us know what we're doing, and even where we're going.

Above all else, we don't look for volunteers solely because it adds to some "number" that makes us look better. We'd hope that anyone wanting to give their time to our charity would do so because they truly believe we're doing something good.



What help will I get if I join?

We would welcome you to our group in the way that suited you.

If you would like to understand much more about the charity, you could even come along to our Induction Training days, getting a feel for the work that we do and how we do it.

If you'd prefer to head straight into an event, we let you know about all the upcoming plans and let you chose one to suit your availability, where we would then introduce you to other volunteers in the charity, and let you spend as little or as long as you like with us, chatting about the charity and gaining more of an understanding, whilst beginning to take on the role itself.

What we wouldn't do is place a collection bucket in your hand and send you off on your own for several hours.  



Will it cost me anything?

All volunteers for us require an ID card and a branded hi-viz vest, helping us to maintain a level or uniformity in our appearance.

As such, the membership 'fee' is the same as any other, but it is purely to cover costs - we don't make any money from that.

It's very typical for us to even provide a few hot drinks, even some cake, although we wouldn't go as far as making that a guarantee!

Will I need transport?

We would only class this an as "ideal", certainly not compulsory.

If you're making yourself available to help us, we would do our very best to help you, including collecting you and returning you home, if transport was an issue.

We would look at that on an individual basis - event by event.

For the rare events that we finish late (such as the Beer Festival) then we make a point of ensuring all volunteers get a lift home, if they didn't have their own transport.

Ready to give us a go?

Still have other questions?