Supporter Blog: Community Fundraising

Oh, hello there - my name is Bethan and I am a League supporter. I live in West Sussex and work for another animal charity as an Events and Fundraising Assistant. I’m hugely passionate about so many things, including crime, human rights, gender equality and animal welfare. If there is any kind of injustice out there, I want to fight it!

I first heard about the League back in 2017 when I was working for Ferne Animal Sanctuary in Somerset. We had a lot of greyhounds come to us for rehoming from a gentleman who raced them. Until that point I really didn’t know anything about greyhound racing, or in fact greyhounds, and I was keen to learn more. After a bit of Google searching, I came across the League website and learned how horrific this ‘sport’ is. I was devastated by how this amazing breed is treated, and even more upset from a rehoming perspective, as they can take a really long time to rehome - meaning they spend a huge portion of their life stuck in kennels. After further exploring the ‘Campaigns’ section of the League website, it didn’t take me long to realise that I was passionate about every campaign the charity was championing, so I became a League member that same day.

My passion for animal welfare is what inspired me to start fundraising for the League, alongside three other animal welfare charities. My initial plan was to run four 10k races throughout 2020, to try and raise as much money as I could to help animals. Not only was this a benefit for each charity, but a huge motivation for myself, as a person who really does not enjoy running! I had previously taken part in a 10k and an 8k race for different charities, and I found that picturing in my head the people I was helping while I was struggling really helped to push me forward and cross the finish line. I find this also helps me while training, and motivates me to get outside even when I might not be in the mood!

Of course, due to the current situation, two of the four races I had signed up to take part in have been cancelled. However, I felt I couldn’t stop fundraising. A lot of charities are really suffering as a result of COVID-19 and they are going to miss out on a lot of their regular income. I believe it is more important than ever to continue fundraising and supporting them however we can. I had to adapt the way I fundraised, so I decided to take part in the 2.6 Challenge, and have also set up a few virtual quizzes each month to help raise some extra funds.

I know that times are difficult at the moment, but there are still ways that you can fundraise from home if you are thinking about fundraising yourself:

? Use your talents - if you have a special skill that you can share with others, set up a video call and teach your friends and family. This could be knitting, a dance routine, a special recipe, anything! Simply ask for a donation in return.

? Motivate yourself - if you’re like me and really don’t want to exercise unless there’s a good reason, set yourself a running, cycling or walking challenge and ask friends and family to sponsor you for your efforts. It’s a great way to use your daily exercise time as well!

? Give up something for a day, week or month. Whatever your guilty pleasure, whether it’s sweets, chocolate, crisps or TV, you can set up a Justgiving page or Facebook fundraiser to share with friends and family.

? Have a spring clean - Virgin Money Giving has partnered with Ziffit so you can sell all of your unwanted items, and all of the money goes straight to the League

? Celebrate! If you have a special occasion coming up such as a birthday or anniversary, ask your friends and family to donate the cost of a gift they might have given you instead Again, you can use Justgiving or Facebook for this.

I hope these ideas have given you some inspiration, and just remember the sky's the limit! I know it can sometimes feel hopeless during this lockdown, but just know that you have so much power. You can stay home and stay safe, while still building a better world for the animals we share it with. Despite these challenging times, we must continue to be a voice for the animals that cannot speak for themselves.

If you’d like to support my ongoing training and 10k challenges, you can sponsor me here: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BethanCrisfield 

If Bethan’s determination and passion has inspired you to take up a fundraising challenge, we’d love to hear from you.

You’ll have a dedicated contact who’ll help you get started, give you one-to-one support and help you get the most out of your fundraising. Simply email us at fundraising@league.org.uk