Events FAQs
We have lots of tips and resources to help you take part in a fundraising event for women and children experiencing domestic abuse.
Q. How do I contact a member of the Events team?
A. Send us an email and a member of the team will get back to you as soon as possible.
Q. How do I update my information on your records?
A. If you move house or change your telephone number or address before an event, please drop us an email.
Q. Can I get a refund on my registration fee?
A. The terms vary by event. Please refer to the Terms & Conditions you signed when registering for your event or email us to discuss.
Q. How do I cancel my place?
A. If you can no longer take part in your event, please email the team.
Q. What happens if my event is cancelled/postponed?
A. Refuge will usually have to wait for instruction from the event organiser before deciding how to proceed. We will contact you via email to confirm your options as soon as we can.
Q. Will Refuge be at my event?
A. We absolutely love attending events and cheering on our amazing fundraisers. Sadly, we can’t attend every event. If you’d like to know if we’ll be setting up a cheer point at your event, email the team.
Q. How do I get started with my fundraising?
A. To get started with your fundraising, we recommend setting up an online giving page through Just Giving. It only takes about five minutes and is a simple way to collect donations ahead of your challenge.
- Set a target. Sounds obvious, but people who set a target raise almost double that amount!
- Upload a profile photo. People want to know it’s you.
- Share why you are doing this challenge. If you have a personal connection to the cause or a reason why you care, let people know.
- You can also create a Team Fundraising Page. To create a team page so that anyone doing individual fundraising activities can contribute to the group total, you can view guidance on JustGiving.
Get started by setting up your page.
Q. How do I pay cheques or cash in?
A. Please send any cheques made payable to ‘Refuge’ to the following address:
Supporter Care
Refuge
Tintagel House
Albert Embankment
SE1 7TY
London
Please also enclose a letter with your full name, address, contact details and information about your fundraising so we can process your payment smoothly. If you have cash you would like donate please email the team with details of how you raised the money.
Q. Why do you set fundraising targets?
A. Refuge does not receive free places in events, we have to pay the organisers for every place. We also have to pay for marketing and administration. We set fundraising targets to ensure those costs are covered whilst a meaningful amount goes directly to the important services we provide for women and children experiencing domestic abuse. It is important to remember that if you purchase a place in an event through Refuge and raise nothing, the charity will lose money.
Q. What is my fundraising target?
A. All our fundraising targets are listed on our event web pages. If you can’t find what you’re looking for simply email us.
Q. When is my fundraising due into Refuge?
A. Deadlines vary between events and are listed on individual event pages. Search for your event or email the team.
Q. What happens if I don’t hit the fundraising target?
A. If you do not meet the deadline set, you will not be able to take part in the event. This is because Refuge is paying for the cost of your place, which we cannot do if you have not raised enough to cover that cost. Some of our virtual events don’t have fundraising targets, so if you aren’t sure email the team.
Q. Why isn’t gift aid included in my total?
A. It takes a long time for gift aid applications to be approved and there are lots of rules on when gift aid can and can’t be claimed. For this reason, gift aid is never guaranteed.
Q. What’s the best way to collect money and donations for a sponsored event?
A. The best way to get people to donate money is to set up an online sponsorship page with JustGiving. It only takes about five minutes and is a simple way to collect donations ahead of your challenge. Get started with your fundraising on JustGiving now.
Here are four tips to help get the most out of your fundraising page:
- Set a target. Sounds obvious, but people who set a target raise almost double that amount!
- Upload a profile photo. People want to know it’s you.
- Share why you are doing this challenge. If you have a personal connection to the cause or a reason why you care, let people know.
- You can also create a Team Fundraising Page. Doing so will allow anyone doing individual fundraising activities to contribute to the group total. Learn how to set up a team fundraising page on JustGiving.
Q. How do I claim Gift Aid on the money I raise?
A. As a registered charity, Refuge is allowed to claim back an extra 25p on every £1 donated to us in gift aid. For us to be able to claim gift aid you need to check the sponsor or donator is a UK tax payer, record their home address, postcode, donation amount and make sure they tick the Gift Aid box on your sponsor form or web page.
Q. Can I have a letter of authorisation to collect money for Refuge?
A. A letter of authorisation outlines that you or your event is an official Refuge fundraising event. Email the team and tell us your name, address and what you are doing to fundraise so we can send out the letter to you.
Q. Can I fundraise for Refuge on Facebook?
A. Absolutely! If you would like to use Facebook as a fundraising platform, follow this guidance from Facebook to get started. You’ll need a Facebook account and must be logged in to use this feature. If you choose to use Facebook as a fundraising platform please note we may not be aware of this fundraising activity. Please get in touch by emailing the team or send us a private message through Facebook so we can acknowledge and support you.
Q. Can I have Refuge branded materials like a fundraising pack, collection tins, balloons and banners?
A. Yes, you can! Contact our team to order Refuge branded resources and materials to help with your fundraising. Please bear in mind that it costs us to produce and post fundraising materials so please order only what you need.
Q. How do I get my t-shirt/running/cycle top?
A. We will send you a link to order your top once you have registered. Please email us if you haven’t received your link.
Q. When will I receive my race pack and running number?
A. Typically the organisers will send your race pack two weeks before your event.
Q. I’ve ordered some materials online but they haven’t arrived yet. What shall I do?
A. Materials usually take around 10 working days to arrive. If it’s been longer, please email us and confirm your name, address and what was ordered.
Q. How do I explain what Refuge does?
A. On any given day, Refuge supports thousands of women and children trying to flee domestic abuse and runs the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, which is the gateway to accessing specialist support across the country. More than one in four women in England and Wales experiences domestic abuse at some point in their lifetime, and on average one woman is killed by a current or former partner every five days. Learn more about our work.
Q. Do you have any survivor stories I can share?
A. Yes, many. You can read and share survivor stories on our website.