Supporting the Citi London charity of the year couldn’t be easier with these helpful hints and tips from the team at Haven House and Richard House.

Quick ideas

• Host a Blue House collection box on your floor – we accept all denominations
• Sweepstakes – sporting-related or who will win this year’s Great British Bake Off or Strictly Come Dancing.
• Dress down day – choose a date for your floor and get everyone to donate £2.
• Host your own Bake Off – cakes make the world go round. Read our tasty recipes ideas
• Summer lottery – donate a £10, put your name on it, one winner is drawn from the notes on 1 September and wins half the prize pot.
• Give it up! Donate what you would normally spend on a coffee, packet of cigarettes or chocolate bar - do it as a team for moral support
• Tuck shop - for when you need that sugary fix. Nominate someone in your team to play shopkeeper and donate all proceeds to the hospices. 

If you have an idea and need some help, invite us to your team meeting to discuss. 

Fundraising games

Raffles are a well-tested fundraising game and can take a variety of forms.

You could do a lucky dip, ask each colleague to bring in a prize to the value of £3-£5 and then run a tombola for £5 a ticket – everyone’s a winner!

Alternatively source some higher value items from the traders/restaurants around Canary Wharf and sell ‘cloakroom’ tickets in strips for a £5. We can provide you with a letter of authorisation from the charity so you can ask for prizes on our behalf.

Auctions can raise huge sums and are exciting to watch. These are best offered as part of an event or as a stand-alone activity, but require a bit more planning. Source prizes from colleagues who might have connections to holiday villas, sporting experiences, artwork, golf clubs or exclusive memberships to sold-out restaurants. Nominate your auction date and auctioneer, set a starting bid and then go for it! We can help you with the logistics of running an auction and advise on lots and bids.

Heads and tails is a fun and simple game which works well if everyone is seated at an event. Participants add an agreed amount to an envelope. Everyone stands up and asked to choose ‘heads’ (putting their hands on their head) or ‘tails’ (putting their hands on their bottom). A coin is tossed and the result announced. All those who lose sit down and this continues until you are left with one winner.

Team activities 

We have a number of challenge events throughout the year – 10km runs, cycle rides and walks, abseils, sky-diving and wing-walking. You can attempt these as a team or on your own. View our events page here.

Virtual challenge - climb Snowdon or run a marathon without leaving the gym, or ask everyone to take part in a step challenge. Use a pedometer smartphone app and aim for a collective number of miles, which could be racked up by walking up the stairs, to work or between offices.

Apprentice challenge - each team gets a small budget. The task is to use your wit and skill to multiply your funds in an agreed amount of time.

Shop challenge - join us at one of our shops in East/North London and Essex and see how much money you can make in a day. 

Trek for charity

We’re looking to take a group of colleagues on a trek to Kilimanjaro in June 2017. If you are interested in learning more please email [email protected] 

Or for something closer to home we can also support cycle rides from Cambridge to London or the Three Peaks Challenge.

Something different! 

Laughology - fancy being a stand-up comedian? Take on this laughter challenge (after some training) to make your colleagues laugh with you (or at you).

White Collar Boxing - step into the ring (again after some training) for a few rounds against your colleagues. Enjoy the atmosphere and experience of boxing in the Steel Yard. 

Dates for diary

• Final Hour Appeal - donate the last hour of your salary to the hospices on 31 December 2016. 
• Citi Quiz – your best brains against your Citi colleagues. Canary Wharf, November 2016. 
• Kilimanjaro Trek - June 2017 

Fundraising works when it's fun, so find activities that resonate with your colleagues and make it easy for them to join in. 

Don't forget that on all individual, personal donations we can also claim 25p of every £1 that's donated from the government. The best way to do this is to tick 'yes' to Gift Aid when making a donation online. You just have to be a UK taxpayer. 

For further information or support, please contact:

Kate Rosenthal [email protected] 

Giovanna Grandoni [email protected].