Mountain Rescue England and Wales

Keep fundraising safe

Mountain Rescue England and Wales cannot accept responsibility for accidents, so make sure your event is safe for all concerned – fundraisers, workers and spectators. Assess the risks involved and make sure they are eliminated or minimised to an acceptable level, particularly in the case of children.

The following wording is meant as advice only. It aims to improve both the safety of any children participating in any event and that of the organiser and/or any event helpers:–

'All children under the age of 16 years of age must be accompanied by a responsible parent or guardian. Any children wanting to attend/participate who are under 16 years of age and do not have an adult accompaniment must be advised to not attend/participate.'

Keep fundraising legal

Charity fundraising is regulated by law. You, as a fundraiser, and Mountain Rescue can be fined for non-compliance with legal regulations. To make sure your fundraising is legal, check these points which outline the procedures you should follow.

Tell us about it

Complete the fundraising registration pack and return the event registration form and fundraisers agreement to us.

Street collections

If you would like to do a collection in your area please contact your local mountain rescue team as they would welcome the support. If there is no team in your local area, please contact event@mountain.rescue.org.uk.

Bingo

If you organise a bingo night in aid of Mountain Rescue you will be exempt from the licensing requirements which usually apply to bingo games. However, the stakes and fee must be no more than £3 and the total value of prizes must not exceed £300.

Alcohol

A licence is needed if you have alcohol at your event. The only exception to the rule is when it is not being sold and no indirect charge is being made for it (ie. the ticket price cannot be increased to cover the cost of alcohol). You can obtain a temporary licence ('occasional permission') from the licensing justice at your local magistrate's court, if you give notice of a month or more. You can avoid this issue by either holding your event on licensed premises or by asking a local pub to organise a bar at your venue.

Food

Food safety laws apply when you sell food at an event. You need to be aware of these and follow food hygiene procedures. Further information can be obtained from your local authority environmental health department.

Mountain Rescue England and Wales

By law, the words 'Mountain Rescue England and Wales', and the charity registration number 222596, must appear on all posters and advertisements inviting people to participate or help. Use of the logo must have prior approval. Please ask us for guidelines on how to use the logo by contacting us.

Insurance

If you organise an event that involves the public in any way, you will need to ensure you have public liability insurance. Check if your company policy covers you for such activities. Check insurance requirements (particularly for dangerous sports events).

Lotteries and raffles

A lottery is a game of chance in which tickets are sold, enabling the holder to qualify for a prize or money. When an element of skill is introduced then it becomes a competition and has fewer restrictions. A raffle is just another word for lottery and are also subject to strict guidelines, depending on the type and size. We have further information on raffles here.