Fundraising GuidelinesAdvice for organising your own fundraising activity

Fundraising Guidelines

If you decide to organise or undertake a fundraising activity, please make sure you read this advice below before you start and ensure that your activity complies with the relevant laws. Whilst Royal Mail supports your activities, you are the organiser and you are responsible for legal compliance and safety.

Any charitable activity undertaken during normal working time or while you are wearing a Royal Mail uniform must always be approved by your line manager and must be in line with Royal Mail policy (https://intranet.royalmailgroup.com/HumanResources/Pages/HRPolicies.aspx)

Public collections may require a licence from a local authority and/or the police. We advise that you do not collect money in a public place or door to door. If you choose to do so, you will need to check the licensing requirements with the relevant local authority. You should find details about this on your local authority’s website.

Fundraising involving children will be subject to child protection laws. If children (under 16) are involved in fundraising in any way, please make sure that they have permission from a parent or guardian, and are properly supervised by a responsible adult. Never allow children to approach strangers.

If you are planning any type of lottery (such as a raffle or tombola), please be aware that there are strict rules about what you can and cannot do as set out in the Gambling Act 2005. Note that different laws apply in Northern Ireland. See the Gambling Commission’s useful guidance on lotteries at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk. In Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action publishes a good practice guide at www.nicva.org. If in any doubt you should seek independent legal advice.

If your event will involve a live performance or the sale of alcohol, you will need to obtain relevant licences from the local authority and/or property owner and you may need to discuss performance rights with the relevant artist.

Any marketing material such as flyers or posters may require permission from your chosen charity if you are using their name or logo.

You should always consider whether you need appropriate insurance cover for your fundraising activity. If necessary, carry out a risk assessment and make sure participants are fully briefed about the activity. If undertaking an activity as a group we strongly recommend you obtain public liability insurance since Royal Mail will not be liable if any injuries or property damage occur.

For more information on fundraising please click here for the Institute of Fundraising website.

For some ideas to get you started, see our document “A to Z fundraising ideas”.

Fundraising Guidelines © Royal Mail Group Ltd 2013. Royal Mail, the Cruciform and the colour red are registered trademarks of Royal Mail Group Ltd. Parcelforce Worldwide is a trading name of Royal Mail Group Ltd. Registered office 100 Victoria Embankment, London, EC4Y OHQ. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer

Royal Mail Group is not a charity fundraising organisation. However, Royal Mail does encourage its employees to raise money for charities and good causes, provided that those employees raising money accept responsibility and any liabilities for organising the fundraising events.

Royal Mail does not support any activity that might bring the business into disrepute. Nude calendars, for example, are not acceptable. If you are in any doubt about the nature of the charity or the proposed activity, please contact Gary Grange on 07711 095410 for further advice.

You are responsible for the safety of your participants. Royal Mail is not responsible for organising, supervising, hosting or insuring your fundraising activity or protecting the health and safety of your participants. All activities, and participation in them, are at the organisers’ and participants’ own risk and you are responsible for compliance with all relevant laws and accounting for any relevant taxes.

By setting out the information above, Royal Mail has aimed to provide some useful guidance to employees considering organising or participating in a fundraising event. However, Royal Mail provides no warranty or representation as to the completeness of such information. In addition, Royal Mail does not control the content of those websites linked to this document (or the A-Z Fundraising Ideas) and provides no warranty concerning that content.

Royal Mail does not accept responsibility or liability for any loss or damage, or for any death or personal injury, arising out of any fundraising activity you or your participants undertake including liability as a result of your negligence (although nothing limits Royal Mail’s liability for death or personal injury resulting from Royal Mail’s negligence or for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation). Please remember that where appropriate you should always carry out a risk assessment before undertaking any fundraising activities.

Fundraising Guidelines © Royal Mail Group Ltd 2013. Royal Mail, the Cruciform and the colour red are registered trademarks of Royal Mail Group Ltd. Parcelforce Worldwide is a trading name of Royal Mail Group Ltd. Registered office 100 Victoria Embankment, London, EC4Y OHQ. All rights reserved.