Arranging a fundraising event for BRF Ministries is a rewarding way to support our work.
Fundraising should be FUN; taking part in something you enjoy whilst raising money for your favourite charity. Always remember that you are never too young or too old to fundraise!
Below are some (mostly!) tried-and-tested ways that you can help.
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On 20–21 September, PR executive Neil Bennett made a 24-hour pilgrimage to raise awareness of our Anna Chaplaincy ministry to older people. He followed the 39-mile Peak Pilgrimage route from Ilam to Eyam, through Derbyshire’s southern peak district.
Covering 25 miles in appalling weather on the Saturday, tracks became streams and the going was tough. He stopped at churches along the way to pray, and have his route ‘passport’ stamped.
The first day ended at dusk in Bakewell with a welcome change into dry clothes and a few hours rest before, thankfully, the Sunday dawned bright and clear. Neil ran the nine miles to St Anne’s, Baslow in glorious sunshine and arrived for the morning service and a small family celebration in the church in which he and his wife were married.
Then it was back on the trail to complete his run at Eyam parish church, where Anna Chaplaincy lead Debbie Ducille (pictured with Neil) and her husband Brian were there to thank him for all he’d done to raise money and awareness for Anna Chaplaincy.
Neil said after his run:
‘This was an absolutely unforgettable, moving and deeply spiritual journey that I will remember for the rest of my days.
‘When I suddenly had the idea of the 24 Hour Pilgrimage a few months ago, I thought I would do something small to celebrate caring for dementia sufferers and raise a few pounds for Anna Chaplaincy: something that fused together faith and endurance. I had no idea what it would become. I feel we made a connection with so many people and though I ran on my own, I was never alone.
‘I have so many memories – of trial and turbulence, yes (just as in life, there were times when I doubted myself and the whole venture), but mostly of love and fellowship – to treasure. It has all been truly life affirming.’
After he’d caught his breath and signed the book to show he’d completed the Peak Pilgrimage, Neil joined Debbie and Brian and over 50 people at the annual Anna Chaplaincy cream tea organised by local Anna Chaplain Sarah Lacey (pictured) and an amazing team of volunteers in the village hall in Hartington.
We are so grateful to him for his amazing generosity in putting himself through such a gruelling challenge and for raising the fantastic amount of over £12,500 to date.
Read the story behind Neil’s 24-hour pilgrimage Find out more about Anna Chaplaincy
Sponsored walks, runs, bike rides and swims are always popular and great fun. For the more adventurous, shark dives, skydives and abseiling can be arranged!
If your church organist is up for a sponsored challenge, they could potentially set a world record! The longest current organthon is 60 hours of non-stop playing. Gather support and sponsorship from the local community then invite people to pay for a piece of music of their choice to be played and sell refreshments.
If you have a special birthday or anniversary, consider asking for donations to BRF Ministries in lieu of gifts.
Buy someone you love and/or members of your church family a tube of Smarties. When they have enjoyed the contents ask them to fill the empty tube with 20 pence pieces. Each tube holds £10!
Hold a ‘Repair shop.’ If you know people who can repair household items ask if they would be willing to do so with the fee going to BRF Ministries. If you advertise these sessions locally, through your church network and on social media, they can be extremely well attended. Sell refreshments to those waiting for items to be repaired and chat to them about the work of BRF Ministries.
Be creative and have fun inventing your own fundraising idea or have a look online for some more inspiration
BRF Ministries is home to Anna Chaplaincy, BRF Resources, Messy Church and Parenting for Faith and these continue to grow and evolve.
Donations, gifts in wills, regular giving and general fundraising activities have enabled BRF Ministries to do the following:
In 2021, the BRF Ministries staff team took part in a virtual walk from our offices all the way to Bradford, where our head of fundraising lives. Each day, each member of the team recorded how far they had walked, run, skipped or hopped via an online form and these were then all added together to work out the distance travelled collectively.
As they moved along the route, roughly every ten kilometres, they posted fun snippets of the ‘walking tour’ based on research found online about the place on the map. It went surprisingly quickly with everyone working together and those taking part had a lot of fun learning about some lesser-known places across the countryside whilst raising funds for BRF Ministries through sponsorships and donations.
