RGC Fundraising Committee

Registered Charity No. 1197184

Email: fundraising@www.rugbygymnasticsclub.co.uk

Welcome to your Fundraising at

Rugby Gymnastics Club

Welcome to our Gymnastics Club.

This booklet has been compiled by our Fundraising Committee especially for you. If you have any questions that remain unanswered, please contact one of the committee members – our details are in this booklet.

Why do we have a Fundraising Committee?

We are fortunate at our club to have a fundraising committee that is and has been an integral part of the club’s community for a number of years. In its time the fundraising committee has raised thousands of pounds, which has been spent on equipment and resources to enhance our members experience within the gym. Our fundraising committee is about much more than simply fundraising. The fundraising committee is an excellent way to bring staff, parents and friends together socially in support of the club, working towards a common goal. It is fun too – just ask any of the Committee members or helpers. All parents and members of the club community are encouraged to get involved, even if they only have a small amount of time available. The fundraising committee is extremely conscious of the ethos and diversity of our member, and we try very hard when organising and planning events to respect this.

Links with local businesses

We have, over time, developed strong links with the local community and are always well supported by both residents and businesses, for which we are very grateful. Many of our local shops are very generous providing donations for raffle prizes, auction items etc. and some have taken part in various events.

Meetings

Our fundraising committee consists of four Officers: Chair, Deputy Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. We also have between 5 and 10 committee members. The Committee meet on a regular basis usually once a month.

Annual General Meeting (AGM)

Our Annual General Meeting is held in October each year and provides an opportunity for all interested parties to come along and hear in more detail about the work of the fundraising committee, the events we have run, the funds we have raised and how the money has been spent. It is also the occasion when we elect our new committee members.

Company matched giving

Company matched giving is a very simple. Companies or businesses pledge to donate to a charity such as ourselves an amount of money relating to the amount that an employee(s) donates or fundraises for us. We have been helped in the past by this type of donation, and there are several benefits to both ourselves and the company involved:

Employees’ morale is boosted by having their efforts supported by their employer
The company benefits from having charitable donations written off against taxable profits
The company can endeavour to get publicity for their giving
Our fundraising committee benefits from receiving perhaps double what we have raised at an event

If you think that your employer has a matched giving scheme already in operation, or if you would like some more information about charity matched giving or setting up a scheme in your workplace, please talk to one of the fundraising committee officers, or ask in the school office.

How we raise money

Like most fundraising committees, the majority of our funds are raised through the events that we run. Some of our most popular events are: Flip & Sip Café, Cake Sales, BBQ, Book Sale, Duck Race, Barn Dance, bags 4 Schools, easy fundraising and our very popular 100 Club. So you can see there is always something going on? We always try and respond to the gymnasts requests; it is great to see them having fun at the events or enjoying using a piece of new equipment that the fundraising committee has donated. We raise money in other ways too. Donations from parents are extremely important. You can donate time, money, items for sale, raffle prizes and auction lots or offers of services and skills.

How we spend the money we raise

It is at our fundraising committee meetings that the decisions on how to spend the money are agreed. Usually, the management and or coaches will have a ‘wish list’ of items that the school would like the fundraising committee to consider funding. We always endeavour to spend our funds in ways that will benefit all our children across all disciplines and curriculums. We recently funded the purchase of new parallel bars, springboard, preschool hand equipment and the repair of crash mats. This really enhanced our children’s experiences within the gym. The money we raise is usually spent fairly quickly. That way, you can be sure that in supporting our club, your child/ren will feel the benefit, along with everybody else. Of course there have been times when we have been fundraising for a large project. We are currently raising money to replace and fill the foam pits this will cost approximately £7000. However, whilst saving for these, we have still managed to find funds for smaller items thanks to the generous and continued support of our members.

How we get information to you

All fundraising committee information we send home is printed in the newsletters or, if separate, is handed to your child at the end of the session. This includes information on forthcoming events and dates plus requests for assistance, when we are planning large events. Following a fundraising committee event, we always let you know how much was raised, and if we can, we tell you what the money will be spent on.

How you can get involved

There are lots of ways you can help and support your child through the fundraising committee. Offering to help before events or at other times during the year is so valuable. It doesn’t matter if you can’t help on a regular basis, or even if you cannot come into the club. There are always jobs that can be done from home if you have half an hour to spare e.g. designing posters, preparing raffle tickets etc. We really couldn’t achieve what we do without the behind the scenes help that we receive. You can help by letting us know if you have any contacts or skills we could use, everything is potentially valuable to us. Thank you for taking the time to read our booklet. We hope you now know a little more about the clubs fundraising committee. On behalf of all the gymnasts we would like to thank you for your very valuable support