Fundraising from home

We've been living in lockdown for two months and have all had to get used to new ways of living. Along with personal restrictions came the cancellation of hundreds of fundraising events which meant a loss of billions of pounds for UK charities when they've never been needed more.

For the #PurpleHeartArmy, however, it's never been about the miles run, it's about coming together to support the hospitals that have cared for them and their loved ones. Tens of thousands of pounds have been raised running laps in the garden, holding online classes and virtual quizzes to support our amazing Hospitals.

We have some exciting virtual events coming up, but in the meantime take a look at what supporters have been up to so far.

Virtual Challenge Events

You've trained for months to reach your peak physical fitness, a cancelled event does not have to stop you from reaching your goal.

Pippa had planned to celebrate the third year anniversary of her lung transplant by cycling the distance between Papworth and Royal Brompton – the hospitals which cared for her. "It’s a tribute to my donor and his family. I’m so grateful to have this second chance.”

However, the year took a turn and Pippa had to shield herself at home. Undeterred by this setback, she diligently programmed in her route, hills and all, so she could take the ride on from her back garden in Battersea. Pippa live-streamed some of the ride so her friends could cheer her on along the way.

Gaming Tournaments

If you prefer to get your sports fix from the comfort of your living room, why not challenge your friends to an online tournament. For their 10th anniversary, the team behind online motorsports community WTF1 decided to organise a simulated racing tournament in memory of their friend and motorsports fan Tom.

Motorsports fans and big-name drivers alike competed in races live and streamed on Youtube. Hilarious challenges were set for each fundraising milestone passed and brilliant prizes were up for grabs. They smashed their fundraising target and raised over £16,000 for the charity!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by WTF1 (@wtf1official) on

Go Live!

Are you the next Joe Wicks or Ed Sheeran? You can run online fitness classes on Zoom or go live on your favourite social media app and perform a few numbers. Nicky B did just that.

Nicky had been preparing her favourite show 'Era of Heroes' Wartime Remembrance Singalong Show and was due to perform at ten gigs in the coming weeks. The gigs had to be cancelled, but Nicky insisted “the show must go on!” and decided to perform live on Facebook instead. Nicky generously chose to ask for donations to the Charity. So we all got our picnic blankets out and joined the ‘Stay At Home Street Party’ from our front gardens on a beautifully sunny day in May.

Brave the shave . . . or let it all grow out?

There are plenty of fundraising ideas out there which require no specialist equipment or digital know-how at all. We've seen people shaving off eyebrows or growing their beards until the end of lockdown - there are always friends out there who will be more than willing to sponsor a left-field look! No one has styled it out quite as well as Jess.

Jess’s sister, Beth, is a nurse on a specialist respiratory unit at Royal Brompton Hospital. Jess was inspired by Beth to help our amazing hospitals by supporting our emergency Covid-19 Appeal. As most other fundraising activities are now off-limits, Jess decided to make a statement. She shaved all her hair off and raised an incredible £700!

Challenge - Donate - Nominate!

Thank you to all the 'Challenge-Donate-Nominate' fundraisers who have been using social media to raise awareness and funds.

It's easy to take part. Simply film or photograph your challenge, share it on social media, donate what you can and nominate friends to do the same. Remember to tag us and use the @RBHCharity donate sticker or button.

The team behind 262 Burpees took this to the next level! This challenge was the brainchild of Yuebi and Juliet who would have been running the London Marathon this year. Following its cancellation, they created this incredible challenge so they could continue to raise much-needed funds.

Yuebi and Juliet were joined by a group of 24 friends who pledged to do 262 burpees for 26 days. Each day they met on Zoom to do the final 26 burpees of the day together. Along the way, they were tagging in friends and celebs alike and asking them to donate £2.62 or whatever they could afford. In the end, they raised an amazing £15,000 for our Charity and The Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Thank you so much, Team!!

While many fundraising events are on hold until Autumn, the specialist care our Hospitals provide continues to support those with heart and lung disease. We’re so grateful to you all for your creativity, enthusiasm and support during this difficult time.

Join the #PurpleHeartArmy! Set up your fundraising page today and keep an eye on our events page for upcoming virtual fundraising opportunities

Published:

Updated:

Author: Hannah Goodwin

Share this page
Manage Cookie Preferences