Keeping your fundraising safe and legal

If you plan to take photos of other people at your fundraiser, please make attendees aware and get their consent.

You’ll need to complete a risk assessment for your event. A risk assessment will help ensure that you’ve thought of any potential hazards and have put measures in place to minimise any risk.  

If you’re holding an event involving a number of people you must make sure that you have appropriate first aid support in place.

If your event involves the public, it’s important to have Public Liability Insurance in place. This will protect you in case someone is injured during your activity or event. The venue may already have this. If you’re holding an event at home or on private property, check your insurance covers this.

To keep everyone safe, check the Food Standards Agency guidelines  on preparing, handling, cooking and storing food.

Check with your local authority to see what licence you need when fundraising. You will need a licence if you intend to do any of the following:

• Entertainment, including recorded music .

• Selling alcohol.

• Holding a raffle, lottery, auction or prize draw.

• Doing a cash collection in a public place or street.

• Putting up banners or signs in public space.

You should read guidance provided by the Gambling Commission if you are holding any raffle, sweepstake, lottery or bingo activity to make sure your activity is legal.

Only collect the information you need. Keep it safe, do not share it, and only keep it for as long as you need. You can find information about how we protect and use personal data in our privacy policy.

If you're collecting money in a public place or street, you will need a licence to collect from the local authority. If you are collecting on private land or property, you will need written permission for the person responsible for that site.

Anyone under 16 must not carry out house to house collections or street collections.

You need to stay safe when you are collecting and handling money. You should:

• Not leave cash unattended.

• Ensure float cash is kept separate from the personal money of the people handling it.

• Not allow someone under 16 to have overall responsibility for cash.

• Have two unrelated people present when transporting, handling and counting money.

• Deposit the money as soon as possible, ideally on the same day but if not possible keep the money in a safe or secure location.   

• You must make sure ADSS is sent the full amount from all sealed collection boxes without any expenses or fees being taken, unless it has been agreed beforehand.

• If confronted by someone, you should hand the money over and report it to the police straight away.

There are some activities which children and young people cannot carry out. The age restriction depends on the activity and where it is carried out. These activities include:

• Street and house-to-house collections

• Lotteries or raffles

• Events involving alcohol

Other factors to be aware of:

You must not, take advantage of the trust, lack of knowledge, apparent need for care and support, or vulnerable circumstances of a potential donor.

You must keep to any relevant age limits set by law when organising fundraising activities. Please refer to the Code of Fundraising Practice for guidance, specifically the section on fundraising involving children.

You must not accept a donation if you know, or have reason to believe, that a person cannot make an informed decision to donate.

Children and vulnerable people should be considered as part of your risk assessment.