Five children at Madley Primary School, Herefordshire raised a fantastic £254.60 for MCS by selling ice creams, cakes and milkshakes in their Summer term 2007. Katie Shearer (centre left), had the initial idea, and raised the funds with a team effort from (l to r) Libby Snell, Sophie Lyons, Annie Roper and Ellis Howell (not pictured). The girls are shown with teaching assistant Sarah Fleming (far right), handing the fabulous cheque to Richard Harrington at MCS.
Volunteer fundraisers play an increasingly important part in our organisation and by raising funds for MCS you can really make a difference - and have fun at the same time!
MCS is the only UK charity caring for our beautiful seas, shores and wildlife and every penny you raise will help us continue our vital work.
Fundraising can be a great way to fulfil a lifelong ambition such as skydiving (please make your jump carbon neutral by emailing fundraising@mcsuk.org), but if jumping out of a plane is a bit too extreme for you, there are many straightforward ways which you could raise money.
If you have an idea and want to discuss it with us first, Katherine would love to hear from you at fundraising@mcsuk.org or on 01989 561587.
take our coastal challenge!
The UK has over 18,470 km (11,477 miles) of beautiful coastline and we want cover it all in a year with your help. Whether you want to take a sponsored coast-to-coast challenge, walk your favourite stretch of coastline, or add up miles on the treadmill, we would love to hear about it - by World Oceans Day June 8th 2008 together we hope to cover the entire distance and raise vital funds for our work. We don’t mind how you do it (within reason & legality!), so whether you decide to walk, run, cycle, swim, sail or skip to raise money for the MCS - we just need to know the distance you cover so we can start chipping away at our grand total. With your help, we can do it!
To inspire you into action, MCS staff and local groups have taken the plunge and helped to chip away at our Coastal Challenge target with some great events.
Just email fundraising@mcsuk.org with your distance pledge and we'll send you a fun-filled free fundraising pack.
If you're stuck for ideas - how about one of the following:
walk around an island
Our whole challenge is to cover the entire distance around the UK, which on your own is a real challenge; just ask MCS supporter and keen kayaker Sean Morley who circumnavigated the British Isles in a kayak in 2004! If you want to walk around an island on a slightly smaller scale, the UK has 291 inhabited islands for you to choose from. We currently have pledges to walk around the Isle of Man and the Isle of Islay, and would love to add more to our list. Whilst on your journey, look out for wildlife around our beautiful coastline - and don't forget if you see a basking shark, marine turtle, or any jellyfish, be sure to report your sightings to MCS (email info@mcsuk.org for a recording pack).
swim the channel
This is a must for any reputable ‘100 things to do before you die’ list. It’s only 21 miles, but it’s one of the toughest challenges out there with less than 10% of the attempts ending in success. Comedian, David Walliams from Little Britain, joined this exclusive group, swimming through shoals of jellyfish and coping with water temperatures as low as 15oC. If you want to attempt this challenge, please get in touch with us first so we can ensure you contact the right organisations.
source to sea
This idea is 'borrowed' from Steve Morgan, who biked, ran and kayaked with a team of colleagues from the Environment Agency, from the source of the river Wye to the sea for MCS Coastal Challenge. Which river can you track? On your journey look out for sources of litter as most rivers, along with everything they carry, lead to the sea. If you want to help keep our beautiful beaches litter free, contact MCS to take part in your local Beachwatch event.
coast to coast
If you are inspired by stunning scenery and want a challenge with a spectacular beginning and end, then a coast-to-coast walk is the one for you. There are many different routes you can take which vary in distance from The Saints Way (45 km/28 miles) in Cornwall to longer walks, such as Offa’s Dyke (283km/177miles), or the legendary fell walker Alfred Wainwright's original 190 mile coast-to-coast walk from St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay. For route suggestions and guidelines, get in touch with MCS.
getting started
Help Dolphy Save our seas!
Nine-year-old Amy Jones contacted MCS with a story she has written about “Dolphy the Dolphin” and his friends - extraordinary dolphins who use their magic powers to help people and other marine animals.
Amy would like to publish her story to raise money for the vital work MCS does to protect our seas, shores and wildlife.
Amy has made this video diary (NB this file is 1Mb in size - best on broadband) about ‘Dolphy Saves the Planet – bit by bit’
With help from MCS supporters, we have made Amy's first story - How Dolphy met Angel and foiling the oil - into an e-book which we can send to you for a donation of £5 or more to the Help Dolphy Save our Seas appeal - follow this link to make a donation and help MCS protect our marine wildlife.
If you think you could help, ring Katherine on 01989 561587 or email katherine@mcsuk.org
Raise money the easy way – http://www.justgiving.com/
You can now raise your sponsorship money more quickly and easily than ever before! No more dealing with cash and cheques. no more chasing up friends after the event is over… Now you can create your own free personalised sponsorship page and email it to your friends. family and colleagues. They can donate easily and quickly online with a credit or debit card. 24 hours a day. Plus online donations from UK taxpayers collect a 28% bonus!
Just click here.
Alternatively, or as well as, simply download as many copies of our MCS Coastal Challenge sponsorship form as you need and start raising funds today!
two top tips for fundraising
1. Family and friends are always a good place to start when asking for sponsorship. but employers are also often very supportive. They may even match whatever you manage to raise yourself - it's certainly worth asking!
2. Your press release can be the most important part of fundraising, and we would encourage you to concentrate on raising awareness of the importance of saving our seas, shores and wildlife, and sponsorship for your event will follow.
If you have any questions about fundraising, take a quick look at our frequently asked questions. If your query remains unresolved, or you would like any more information or support regarding your fundraising event, we would love to hear from you; email fundraising@mcsuk.org or ring Katherine 01989 561587.
when’s your BIG BLUE DAY?
If you are worried that you don't have enough time to fundraise for MCS, but want to do something, then help is at hand in the form of our fantastic dress-down-day-with-a-difference: The MCS Big Blue Day!
Our amazing oceans cover over 70% of the earths’ surface. You can help to raise awareness of the importance of our oceans by creating your very own blue planet at work, school or university, It couldn’t be easier; you just have to wear something blue for a suggested donation to MCS of £1. For the more adventurous, the blue theme can be extended to eating only blue food, dying hair, beards and moustaches a fetching shade of blue or playing the blues…extra points will be given for creativity!
make a difference on world oceans day june 8th
Every year June 8th is set aside for you to do something amazing for our seas, shores and wildlife. People all around the world are taking this chance to learn about and celebrate our diverse and beautiful oceans. This is your chance to raise cash and awareness for MCS through joining or organising a fantastic fundraising event. Whatever you choose to do. this is a great day for it!
If you would like more information on the type of events that could be organised for World Oceans Day, or would like to have details of your UK-based event publicised, please contact us here at MCS.