As part of my role as RAG Associates' Coordinator, I created a step-by-step guide for students to set up their own RAG Associate, to raise money for a charity of their choice.

1. RAG Associates
Handbook
The step-by-step guide to setting up and running your
own RAG Associate Group
2010-11

2. The RAG Committee...
Vice President Activities and
Development: Becky Warburton
Associates Coordinator: Fran Hughes
Communications: Rom Shahabeddin
PR Coordinator: Becky Beaumont
Finance Coordinator: Becky Higgin
RAG Events Coordinator: Ally Ellis
RAG Week Events Coordinators: David
Walton and Katie Cullen
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3. Choose a cause that you want to
fundraise for
Contact the charity
Page 4
Page 4
Find other people who are
interested and set up a committee
Page 5
Complete and return a Declaration
Form and Statement of Interest
Page 6
Complete and return a Constitution
Form
Page 7
Use the Guide to Event Planning
Start Fundraising!!
Make sure you follow Health &
Safety policy
Make use of what RAG can offer
Get rewarded for all your hard
work
Page 7
Page 8-9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
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4. Choose a Cause...
People choose to fundraise for charities for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you
have had first-hand experience of a disease or illness and want to show your
appreciation to a charity in that area. Maybe you're a huge animal lover and
would like to do your bit for creatures great and small! You may know an
someone who has set up a charity for a lesser known cause and want to help
them out.
Whatever your reasons you will be doing a great job for a worthy cause and you
will be helping to make a difference. Not only does fundraising provide muchneeded money to charities, it also helps raise awareness.
If you would like to fundraise but you haven't chosen a cause, you can find a
directory of over 10,000 at http://www.charitychoice.co.uk, with links to their
websites.
Contact the Charity...
Once you have chosen a charity, get their contact details from their website or
http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk. Contact them to let them know that you
would to fundraise for them.
Most charities will have details on their website about fundraising with them. They
might also be able to supply you with branded material so you can prove that
you are legitimately raising money for that particular charity.
As a RAG Associate, you will need to provide a letter confirming that you are
fundraising for your chosen charity, with contact details for the charity.
You can be an individual RAG Associate or create an Associate
Group. To create a group, you will need to find more interested
people and make a committee of 3 people.
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5. The Committee...
The committee is the key to a successful Associate Group
The committee as a whole are responsible for:
Promotion of the RAG Associate throughout the year to actively encourage
membership.
Ensuring health and safety is complied with and risk assessments completed
for RAG events.
Ensuring the Northumbria Students’ Union RAG logo appears on all
promotions and at all events.
Ensuring all income received by the RAG Associate group is paid directly
into the RAG Associate’s SU account.
Preparing a written handover for their successors.
Ensuring they attend at least one training session per academic year.
Sending apologies in advance if the RAG Associate is not represented at
one RAG Associate group meeting.
Ensuring that the activities of the RAG Associate group reflect the aims and
objectives of the RAG Associate group.
President:
Overall responsibility for the RAG Associate
Responsibility for chairing meetings of the RAG Associate or its committee
Secretary:
Responsibility for the general
administration of the RAG
Associate
Minute taking
Communication with all
members of the RAG Associate
Keeping membership records
Treasurer:
Keeping records of all financial
transactions
Responsibility for keeping the
RAG Associate financially viable
Submitting an annual
equipment inventory form and
adding additional equipment
purchased throughout the year
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6. Declaration Form...
Once you have an idea for a group, you need to complete a Declaration Form.
This tells us who you are and which charity you want to raise money for.
List the aims of your group and what support you think you will need from us.
Statement of Interest...
You will also need to complete a Statement of Interest. Collect signatures from
anyone else who is interested in supporting your group, and you will need to
create a committee.
The Statement of Interest will also give us the details of the charity you are
fundraising for, and the details of your contact at the charity.
We will also need a letter from the charity, confirming the fundraising is taking
place.
Web Info...
Complete a Web Info Form with the details about your group that you want to
appear on the RAG website.
This can include who you are, which charity you’re fundraising for, and some
details about the cause. You can also say how much you’re trying to raise and
what you’re planning to do.
Your section of the website can be kept up to date, with details of fundraising
events that you have done so, how much you’ve raised, what else is planned,
and what your target is. You can use it to thank people who have donated or
helped in anyway. You can have photos of your activities.
And anything else you think might help!
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7. Constitution Form...
Your group will be governed by a constitution. This lists the aims and objectives of
the group, as well as the duties you, as a committee, must comply with. It must
be signed by the committee and returned to Becky Warburton to counter-sign.
Finance...
As a RAG Associate, you can have a bank account to keep your funds safe. You
can deposit funds raised after activities, and you can also withdraw money
necessary to hold any events you’re organising.
Planning Events...
Time and planning is key to a successful event. A big event takes a lot of time,
resources and stress! Check out the Students’ Union Guide to Event Planning,
which has all the info you need if you want to hold an event in the Union.
The process is the same regardless of whether you are planning a meeting for 10
people or a function for 500.
Allow enough planning time and check that the space you require is
available.
Look for dates a minimum of 3 weeks ahead
Think about what sort of space you want to book
Make a provisional booking
Think about your requirements: do you need a bar or catering? Will you
need any technical services, such as microphones or PA systems? What sort
of room layout do you require? Will you need security personnel?
Make sure you request everything in plenty of time
Confirm numbers and requirements with the venue
Room and Bar Bookings
The Students’ Union can offer rooms and bars of different sizes, set up
for all sorts of activities free of charge as a society. You can also book a
cordoned off area of Reds free of charge. We can also book University
rooms for you.
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8. Hold and X-Factor or Battle
of the Bands night, or
maybe an Anti-Talent
competition
Get people to sponsor
you to shave your head,
beard, or you can get
waxing and be more
imaginative!
Wrap presents or bag
shopping for a small
donation
Hold a University Challenge,
where teams from different
university departments,
societies or sports clubs can
compete in events to be
crowned the champions.
Duck Race: Get loads of yellow
rubber ducks and set them off to
race down a river. People choose
a duck that they think will win.
Just remember they all need to
be collected at the end!
Do a sponsored run, swim,
bike ride or treadmill
marathon, or the 3 Peaks
Challenge (climb the highest
peaks in Scotland, England
and Wales in 24 hours).
Hold a 50:50 raffle where there
is only one prize: half of the
money raised, and the other
half goes to charity.
Get sponsored to give
something up—smoking,
chocolate, alcohol,
whatever. It has to be
something you’d miss
though!
Get some people together
to act out murder mystery
performance. Sell tickets
for audience members, who
can play detective and try
to figure out who the
murderer is.
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9. Ask beauty therapists/
hairdressers to give their
time to Pamper Days—
people can donate a few
quid to charity rather than
paying for the treatment
Hold an Auction of
Promises—ask people
to donate vouchers (for
meals, etc.) or their time
(two hours ironing, etc.)
Hold a Cheese & Wine
evening—sell tickets and
ask for donations from local
businesses
Hold a pub quiz
Guess the amount of
sweets in the jar, the
name of the teddy, or
the weight of the...
(any item you want
really!)
Hold a bingo night, race
night or casino night. Ask
local businesses to donate
prizes, or a portion of the
money raised can be given
as prizes
Organise a sports
competition between
different teams. You could
even mix it up—football
team v rugby team in both
sports, or something
completely different.
Hold a coffee morning
or bake sale (get your
friends to help with the
baking), and ask people
to make a small
donation.
Do a sponsored abseil or zip wire
from the Tyne Bridge, go to another
organised event, or arrange your own.
Give out Smarties to
friends and family. Ask them
to fill the tube with coins once
they’ve finished the chocolate, and return the tube full
tube to you.
Or try a sponsored skydive or bungee
jump. If you raise enough money the
jump can be covered sponsorship
(approx. £50 for bungee jump and
£250 for skydive).
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10. Health & Safety Policy...
Northumbria Students’ Union strives to ensure that all our members, staff and
volunteers remain safe from injury and harm. We have a duty to provide for the
health, safety and welfare of ourselves and others.
As a RAG Associate, you have a responsibility to create a safe environment for
yourself and your group’s members.
You must comply with the following health and safety guidelines.
If you are planning an activity or event you must fill in a Risk Assessment and
send it to the Students’ Union at least 2 weeks before the activity. This gives
us enough time to check it and discuss any amendments with you. If you do
not the activity is not supported by the Students’ Union.
All those who take part in your specific activity/event should see a copy of
the Risk Assessment beforehand.
Any accidents occurring whilst participating in the activity or event should
be reported as soon as possible.
Student Activities are building up a library of risk assessments, so as soon as you’re
thinking of running an event or activity, we might be able to send you a similar
assessment for you to read and amend as appropriate.
To enable the Union to provide a safe volunteer environment we may ask for
details of your emergency contact (the person we can get in touch with should
anything happen) which will be confidentially stored on our volunteer database.
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11. What RAG Can Offer...
Collection
Tins
Advice
Drop us an email if you
need a chat about
your group or any
events your planning
Webpage
Check out www.mynsu.co.uk/rag
There is a RAG Associates
webpage, where details of your
group and your activities can be
posted.
E-newsletter
RAG sends out an email to all
students who are interested in
getting involved, so email any info
you have (whether it’s about an
event, something the group is
selling, or something great that
you’ve all done )
Volunteers
To help run your
event
Plasma Screen adverts
The environmentally-friendly poster!
There are plasma screens all over
the Union building, so if you want to
get your group noticed email Lucy
your jpeg advert.
Ad dimensions: 856 x 480 pxl 300dpi
Money
Counting
Facilities
Rooms
To hold meetings
or events
Support
Check the resources page for
downloadable copies of all the
documents you’ll need to run
your events and campaigns.
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12. Get Rewarded...
We know that volunteering takes up a lot of your time. We really appreciate all
the time and effort you give up to make your group a success. We have lots of
ways of officially rewarding your dedication to the volunteer cause.
Northumbria Students’ Union
Annual Awards
These are the coveted Union volunteer
awards which are presented at our
annual Awards Ceremony.
Global Citizenship Award
This award scheme is run by the University
alongside the Union and recognises the
different levels of volunteering. Aim for the
Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum awards
depending on how many volunteer hours
and activities you complete during your
time at Northumbria.
Vfifty
Another hourly based award
scheme run by Vinspired (if you’re
doing the volunteering why not
reap the rewards?). All you have
to do is clock up 50 hours and
you’re sorted!
To find out more on all of these rewards click: www.mynsu.co.uk/getrewarded
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