Putting the Fun into Fundraising

Naturally, at Toilet Twinning, we are absolutely thrilled when people choose to fundraise for us, because the money raised allows us to do what we’re passionate about: bringing good sanitation and clean water to more of the world’s population.  

But where do you begin if you want to fundraise but don’t quite know how?  

Our top tip is don’t be afraid to be a bit quirky!   There are many wacky toilet-related ideas to play around with, which means you’ll not only have fun but also attract attention (and hopefully funds) at the same time.  

Intrepid supporter Sulin Milne organised a host of activities, including a sponsored wheelbarrow push of about 23 miles, with the barrow full of toilet rolls, a potty and other toilet-related items (photo below).

Toilet Twinning chuckled along with Emily Heather and her friend Hayley Williams, who did a 10 km ‘toilet trot’ along the seafront in Devon, with their trousers round their ankles.  But the serious business was done too, with £150 raised via an online giving page, and press coverage to boot (photos below).

Champion twinner Gweirydd Williams (52 twins and counting) ramped up the toilet humour by employing an unplumbed loo as a collection box at his church ‘Curry, Cawl and Mummies’ night - the ‘mummies’ came wrapped in toilet paper, naturally (you can read the full details at our blog posted on 19 October 2012).   For sheer wince-factor, you can’t beat his back waxing (you can see it here ) and he has yet to reveal his sponsorship idea for 2013: ‘at the moment it is under wraps’ he said coyly. 

Staff at Specsavers in Bridport, Dorset, donned eighties gear - reason unknown, but we’re sure they enjoyed those wigs and shoulder pads -  to pedal 180km for Toilet Twinning.  On a serious note, the distance was chosen to symbolise the 180 children who die every hour as a result of poor sanitation.

Eleven-year old Fred Tocque, from Flintshire, took the charity chop and sacrificed the long locks he’d been growing for years.  He said: ‘I decided to get my hair cut because it was getting in the way’ and in the process was able to put a stunning £500 into his scout troop’s Toilet Twinning fund.

Don’t forget that Toilet Twinning is ready to support you too - we are shortly launching teaching materials and fun items especially for schools to use, (more of that in a future blog), but in the meantime visit our resources page here where you will find posters, T shirts, stickers and much more to help you fundraise.

Of course, while your fundraising is vital to us, just talking about Toilet Twinning is a really great way to support us too.  So if you can tweet or post on Facebook,  or mention us on other forms of social media, don’t hold back. Perhaps you could do a talk about Toilet Twinning (we’ve got a powerpoint and film on the resources page which you can use), tell your local press and radio about your event, or simply talk enthusiastically about us to your friends: all these activities help to spread the word.

And remember you can gift twin someone else’s toilet - great for those friends and rellies who are hard to buy for, and a talking point for visitors spotting the framed certificate.  You can opt to personalise the wording on the certificate, and Toilet Twinning will happily add a gift card into the parcel.

Thank you: happy fundraising and may you all be flushed with success!