Raising money for a minibus

As a scout group, we approved an ambitious plan to raise enough money to buy a new minibus at the AGM in 2024.

As part of this plan, a new sub-committee was set up – the aim of this subcommittee was to plan fundraising events and apply for grants towards the goal of purchasing a new minibus.

Our plan:

The subcommittee have the following plan:

• Raise some money ourselves through fundraising events at the church hall.
• Raise some money through external fundraising events.
• Apply for grants from community funds.

Fundraising in the church hall:

Bingo nights and quizzes – We’re going to be running some quizzes and bingo nights in the church hall! The aim of this is to provide some fun and games and provide prizes for the winning teams.
Charity Sales – Asking for donations, we can sell some unused items at a jumble sale, where the proceeds of which will go into the minibus fund.
Tuck Shop – The tuck shop proceeds all go into the minibus fundraising bank account.

Fundraising externally:

Bag packs – Previously we’ve done bag packs to support the general running of the group. Now, all of the money that we raise at bag packs will go into the minibus fund unless we make it clear that the fundraising is for another reason. We’re going to continue to do occaisional bag packs at the co-op, but we’re going to look into doing them elsewhere, like at B&M Bargains, IKEA and possibly even Gateshead Metrocentre Asda.
Horse racing night – We’re looking into hosting a horse racing night at a local pub, where all the adults are invited, alongside the children. Those in attendance can place bets on which horse they think will win the next race, and any winners will have their money reimbursed plus any winnings associated with it’s odds. We know one landlord who is keen already to do this sort of thing.
Charity walk – We’re looking into doing a walk along Hadrian’s Wall with the explorers and the older scouts. Getting sponsored is a great way to raise money.

Applying for grants:

We’re writing a grant proposal – This will allow local community groups who give grants to see where their money is going and what benefits it will bring to the community.

What are the benefits of having a minibus?

At the minute, we’re extremely limited as to what we can do with the young people on a Friday night, or at any other time. This is because we do not have an outdoor space attached to our meeting place, meaning we cannot do outdoor activities any where near as easily as other scout groups. Not only this, but we have to rely on parents to drop their young people off at all sorts of weird and wonderful places when activities are taking place outside of the hut.

We know that it is impossible for some parents to take their children further afield because they may not have access to a car etc. and it can also be very inconvenient having to remember where parking is available, or having to arrange lifts with other parents. Having a minibus will give the young people access to a much greater variety of activities ran by the district and county, and will also mean that a subset of children can be taken to camps from the hut itself.

How are we doing so far?

Out of a targeted £60,000, as of 08/12/2024 we have raised £1,500.

Donate to the project

You can donate straight into the minibus saving account by clicking on the link below. It is organised through a third party provider, go-fund-me.

Thanks for your generosity.