We want you to stay safe and on the right side of the law when you’re fundraising. If you’ve got any questions, just get in touch with us.
Collections
Written permission from the owner is required when you collect on private property e.g. a pub crawl or supermarket and a licence is needed when you collect on council land or house-to-house. Contact your Local Authority for more information. Always use collection tins or buckets provided by Amber.
Collection box
If you place our collection boxes on till points in local retail outlets there are legal requirements that we need to adhere to. You will need permission from the owner of the outlet to place your tin there. Tins require a seal by law – you should replace the seal (which we provide) each time you open the tin to empty it. Always have two people present when you open a tin and count/record the money – this qualifies the money raised for Gift Aid.
Alcohol & Food
If you plan to sell alcohol at an event which is not already licenced you will need to arrange an alcohol licence, even if the premises is already licenced. You should contact your local council for advice. If you are serving food in a public area you may need a licence and you should always get copies of food hygiene certificates from caterers.
Letters of Authority
We can write a letter that you can show other people to prove that you are fundraising for The Amber Trust. If you would like one of these, please get in touch.
Music
If you intend to play music at an event you may need a PRS licence. Visit www.prsformusic.com for more guidance.
Insurance
You may need to take out insurance for a fundraising event including Public and Products Liability Cover, insurance against theft of money/damage to property or special cover for valuable equipment.
Health & Safety
You should carry out a risk assessment to ensure that you have properly addressed any hazards at your fundraising event; we can provide a template risk assessment to help. Make sure you have first aid cover and that you inform the local Police and Council if your event is in a public area. Always get copies of insurance and certificates from any suppliers.
Raffles
Books of raffle tickets are available from most stationers; rules state that the raffle should be drawn on the same day that you sell the tickets and each ticket should not exceed £2.00 in price. If your raffle lasts longer than 24 hours there are strict rules that apply – call us for more guidance.
Children
If children are going to be at your event, you must consider their safety and your protection. Encourage parents to attend with their children, make arrangements to deal with lost children, do not take photographs of children without their parent’s permission, request copies of DBS numbers from suppliers such as children’s entertainers and do not allow children to enter raffles or games where the prizes include alcohol.
Fundraising Regulator
The Amber Trust is a member of the Fundraising Regulator (FR) We conduct ourselves in line with the FR’s Fundraising Promise when fundraising, ensuring that all activities are legal, open, honest and respectful. Here is the Fundraising Promise:
We Will Commit to High Standards
- We will adhere to the Fundraising Code of Practice.
- We will monitor fundraisers, volunteers and third parties working with us to raise funds, to ensure that they comply with the Code of Fundraising Practice and with this Promise.
- We will comply with the law as it applies to charities and fundraising.
- We will display the Fundraising Regulator badge on our fundraising material to show we are committed to good practice.
We Will Be Clear, Honest & Open
- We will tell the truth and we will not exaggerate.
- We will do what we say we are going to do with donations we receive.
- We will be clear about who we are and what we do.
- We will give a clear explanation of how you can make a gift and change a regular donation.
- Where we ask a third party to fundraise on our behalf, we will make this relationship and the financial arrangement transparent.
- We will be able to explain our fundraising costs and show how they are in the best interests of our cause if challenged.
- We will ensure our complaints process is clear and easily accessible.
- We will provide clear and evidence based reasons for our decisions on complaints.
We Will Be Respectful
- We will respect your rights and privacy.
- We will not put undue pressure on you to make a gift. If you do not want to give or wish to cease giving, we will respect your decision.
- We will have a procedure for dealing with people in vulnerable circumstances and it will be available on request.
- Where the law requires, we will get your consent before we contact you to fundraise.
- If you tell us that you don’t want us to contact you in a particular way we will not do so. We will work with the Telephone, Mail and Fundraising Preference Services to ensure that those who choose not to receive specific types of communication don’t have to.
We Will Be Fair & Reasonable
- We will treat donors and the public fairly, showing sensitivity and adapting our approach depending on your needs.
- We will take care not to use any images or words that intentionally cause distress or anxiety.
- We will take care not to cause nuisance or disruption to the public.
We Will Be Accountable & Responsible
- We will manage our resources responsibly and consider the impact of our fundraising on our donors, supporters and the wider public.
- If you are unhappy with anything we’ve done whilst fundraising, you can contact us to make a complaint. We will listen to feedback and respond appropriately to compliments and criticism we receive.
- We will have a complaints procedure, a copy of which will be available on our website or available on request.
- Our complaints procedure will let you know how to contact the Fundraising Regulator in the event that you feel our response is unsatisfactory.
- We will monitor and record the number of complaints we receive each year and share this data with the Fundraising Regulator on request.