Health & safety and risk assessment
Follow the professional advice of equipment manufacturers and staff supervising any facilities. Events need to be adequately risk-assessed to find, reduce and control the risk to all those taking part and members of the public who may be attending.
Treetops Hospice Care cannot accept liability for any loss, damage or injury suffered by yourself or anyone else as a result of taking part in a fundraising event organised in aid of Treetops.
Some useful information on organising your own event can be found on the Institute of Fundraising website.
Help for how to complete a risk assessment can be found at the Health and Safety Executive.
Food Hygiene
This is vitally important. Please take great care when handling food and work to basic rules for safe preparation, storage, display and cooking.
A Food Standards Agency booklet ‘Preventing Food Poisoning – Good hygiene at home’ can be downloaded from the Food Standards Agency website. Further information can be found on the NHS Choices website and from your local authority.
Data Protection
Make sure any electronic or paper record you keep about people involved in a fundraising event complies with the Data Protection Act. As a rule of thumb, don’t keep information about people any longer than you have to, and don’t share information or data about someone without their permission. More information can be found on the website for the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Raffles, Lotteries and Prize Draws
For simple raffles all you need to remember is to charge a standard price for each ticket and to draw the name of the winner before the evening is over.
If you plan to run your lottery over a longer period of time or sell tickets at more than one venue, you will need to purchase a local lottery license from your council.
Information about these rules can be found on the Gambling Commission website.
Collections
Public collections take place in a public space. Public collections are governed by strict legal requirements and must be licensed by the Local Authority. Some popular premises for public collections, such as supermarkets, train stations, etc. may require you to arrange public liability insurance. It’s worth checking beforehand.
Private collections take place on private premises and do not need the permission of the local authority. If you’re organising a private collection you only need the permission of the owner of the premises.
Remember that anyone collecting money in public must be over 16.