LaSERIO 2016 Update

A little while ago I mentioned that I had been lucky enough to be selected for an international service trip called LaSERIO, in 2016. We have still yet to work out where we are going or what we will be doing as the community action aspect of the trip, but I can understand that it will take some time as it's a case of being able to pair the task and location up together. For example, Haiti is an option which has been raised a few times as they are still recovering from the earthquake in 2008 and still need support out there. It's an ongoing discussion but hopefully a decision will be made soon as it makes fundraising very difficult. After all, when you're looking to raise such a vast amount of money, the first question wish to ask is where you're going, and more importantly where their money is going. The team leaders have now carried out a survey to collate suggestions, so hopefully it won't be too long before we find out! 

Despite this, I like feeling prepared and often find myself feeling quite queezy when I realise I've not really begun fundraising yet.

With this in mind,move got a few ideas in the pipeline - some of which seem more plausible than others. Ideas so far are as follows:

- Bag packing: This guiding classic is one that people have been doing for years, and although it's hard work, it can raise a fair bit of money. Oh hi, Christmas shoppers! The downside to this is that ideally you need quite a large group depending on the size of the store, and the other people going on the trip live a fair distance away so it may be difficult for them all to get involved. 

- Quiz sheets: This is something I did at primary school a couple of times and can raise a hundred pounds fairly quickly. The idea is that people pay £1 to take a quiz sheet and fill it in, and when it's returned, they are entered into the prize draw for a prize, whilst I get to keep all of the money. My plan is to do one at work and one perhaps at a local guiding event. Typically with quizzes such as this, they would be based on the place you're visiting but I imagine that if I hold off to do that it will take far too long to get any money raised at all. To combat this, I'm currently pulling together one based on a 'where in the world' theme. There will also be an actual quiz evening with different questions, if all goes well. 

- Stamps: I overheard someone doing this and thought it would be worth a try, so have signed up to www.fundraisingstamps.com. The aim is to collect as many stamps as possible, of a high quality (at least, not damaged...) and then when sent in I get paid by weight.

- Calendar draw: Hoping to do this at a couple of events, as it is a bit more interesting than a typical raffle. Basically, participants pay £1 or £2 for a specific date and then the dates are pulled out of a hat to win a prize once all of the boxes/dates have been sold. 

- Easyfundraising: the one method I have definitely got under way now is using the website 'Easyfundraising'. This website links to most sites you make purchases from and the companies donate a small percentage of the item cost to my cause. They also have a site called 'easysearch' which is a search engine and every search made through it will raise a small amount of money. You can check out my page here: www.easyfundraising.org.uk/francescajones16 

So, there are a few ideas at least... When we were first given the estimated cost of the trip, I saw it as a challenge and was so excited to try and raise that much money. Now, however, I'm getting quite worried, because £3000 is quite a lot of money to pull together in nine months or so. The ideas I've had so far don't seem as though they will raise vast amounts, with several of the ideas potentially making £100 each, and the stamps (if I'm lucky!) making £10.

If you have any ideas, let me know!