Fundraising is essential to our success in educating everybody to enjoy water safely, and in turn, reducing the number of drownings that happen each year. We rely on your fantastic efforts to do this, so this Valentine’s Day and beyond, we’re asking you to fall in love with fundraising – as together, we can help protect families from the sudden and devastating impact of drowning.  

Whatever your challenge, and however big your target, every penny you raise for us really does make a big difference. For example, a donation of £75 can provide expert water safety education to a full classroom of children, giving them the chance to enjoy a lifetime of fun in the water, safely.  

Looking to make more of an impact? Well, look no further – our fundraising team have compiled six top tips below to help blow your sponsorship target out of the water! 

1. Tell us about your fundraising 

Our RLSS UK fundraising team are here to help! Get in touch with us and we’ll provide guidance and support from the planning stages, right up to the finish line. We may also be able to help with branded materials to help your fundraising. Tag us @RLSSUK in any social media updates and we’ll be sure to share your amazingness on our channels too! 

Email the fundraising team

2. Set a target 

It might sound simple but setting a fundraising target can lead to an increase in the amount you raise. It gives your supporters a goal to help you reach, so aim high and push yourself – remember, we're here to help promote your efforts too! 

3. Create a fundraising page online 

Taking that step towards going online is an important way to increase your visibility and reach a wider audience with your fundraising efforts. Be sure to personalise your page with a story, images and a diary of your training or progress which can then easily be shared with everyone. 

You’ll have seen lots of online fundraising platforms to choose from – we recommend building a free fundraising page on our website so that we can keep in touch with you, follow your challenge along the way and keep 100% of donations from your generous sponsors (saving us the cost of fees). What’s more, it’s really easy to set up – here's how... 

Create a fundraising page 

4. Don’t underestimate the power of social media 

Social media is a fantastic resource and tool to share what you’re getting up to as you raise money for our charity.  

Step 1 is to send the link to your fundraising page to friends, family and colleagues, asking them to share, share, share! 

Once you’ve got people hooked on your challenge, keep them there with regular updates – the more visual the better. Always use pictures and videos to document your training or promote your event for maximum impact. And don’t forget to tag us @RLSSUK too! 

5. Word of mouth 

Use your connections within the local community to share your fundraising far and wide! Simply chatting about your challenge with friends and family can open any number of doors with local businesses, shops and schools. They may be able to sponsor you or promote your challenge through word of mouth, their social media – or even a good old-fashioned poster in the window! Get enough traction and you could end up in the local paper too! 

6. Thank your supporters 

This sounds obvious, doesn’t it? But taking time to publicly thank anyone who has supported you along the way can help you to achieve more. That’s because it’ll put your activity back on people’s radar, reminding others of the great cause and encouraging them to make donations too – everyone loves recognition! 

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Ready to start FUN-draising? 

Our fundraisers are an essential and valued part of RLSS UK – and we’d love to have more of you on board for 2024! We have some fantastic challenges planned for this year, from our Make a Splash distance challenge to the Birmingham and Black Country Half Marathon for keen runners among you – but we welcome your own ideas too... 

Some people challenge themselves in extreme ways, such as climbing mountains or skydiving whereas others prefer something a little more sedate and reach for a spatula instead of a parachute. The secret is to choose something you will enjoy! 

So, what are you waiting for? Do something extraordinary and help us to deliver vital water safety education by falling in love with fundraising for RLSS UK. Let’s make 2024 the best year yet!