Having heard that a group of cyclists were going round all of London’s professional and semi-professional football grounds, Ben tweaked the concept to do a cycle ride covering all of London’s eight prisons!

The ride is set to begin at Feltham Young Offenders and moves onto Wormwood Scrubs, Holloway, Pentonville, Belmarsh, Brixton, Wandsworth before finishing up at Latchmere House, and an open prison near Richmond.

Most of the 65 mile-odd ride that they’ll be riding on Sunday September 19th will be using the back streets, parks and the canals of the capital. It’s going to be a fantastic way to see London.

Ben has plotted the whole route for you to look at on www.bikely.com, simply type any of the above prisons into their search engine and you’ll find the leg that arrives or departs from that prison.

Every penny raised will be for the recruitment and training of more volunteers; working to prevent crime by befriending prisoners, many of whom have no contact with the outside world. New Bridge relies on donations so its volunteers can provide vital links to the community to over 300 prisoners, helping them towards a crime free future.

You can support Ben by donating through his Virgin Money Giving page.

West London is the charity fundraising capital of the UK, analysis from not-for-profit online fundraising service Virgin Money Giving shows.

Fundraisers in West London raised an average of £1,260 for good causes putting them way ahead of the nearest contenders in Tonbridge, Kent, who raised an average £922 per event, analysis of donations through the site for the past nine months reveals.

Other fundraising hotspots across the UK revealed by Virgin Money Giving were South West London and Chelmsford in Essex which tied on £800 and Aberdeen where fundraisers managed £791.

Virgin Money Giving, the not-for-profit online fundraising site researched the top 50 regions for fundraiser activity.

Examining the data by region, London came top with £833 while North Scotland made it into second place with average amounts raised reaching £707.

Top 50 fundraising towns

Breaking down donations within the capital, fundraisers in West London raised the most, averaging £1,260 while those in the City of London came bottom of the capital rankings, raising £493.

Grant Bather, spokesman at Virgin Money Giving, said: “Fundraising is essential to many charities’ existence and it is good to see that so many people are committed to raising money.

“London, with over six million people, and as host city to the largest annual fundraising event in the world – the Virgin London Marathon – understandably fared well but other large cities such as Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds saw average money raised in the £200-£400 bracket.

“However much fundraisers manage to raise, by using Virgin Money Giving, more money can reach the charity.”

Virgin Money Giving has over 30,000 fundraisers registered, and has seen over £17 million raised since its launch in October 2009.

- ENDS -

To view more of our press releases click here. or for further information visit our press centre.

The 24 tired but exhilarated girls finished playing at 7pm on Sunday evening, having started at 7am the Friday before. Equivalent to completing six marathons back to back, this was an incredible endurance test for each player both physically and mentally. With only 14 on court at any one time, the girls could rotate on and off at set intervals but no one could leave the courtside for more than five minutes at any point during the attempt.

The reason for taking on the world record was to celebrate the return to court of one of their players, Debbie Middleton, after her recovery from cancer last year.

“On 15th August 2008, at the age of 32, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma which having previously been a fit and healthy person was a bit of a shock. However, I was lucky enough to be treated at the amazing hospital that is The Royal Marsden.

In April 2009, I was given the all clear and decided I wanted to give something back to the place where I had received such excellent care. Netball has always been an important part of my life, even whilst I was ill. In fact it kept me going sometimes. I still went down to support my team, Claygate, even playing a little bit when I was feeling strong enough.

When I suggested breaking the world record for the longest netball match to raise money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign the girls were right behind me – although some might be a little less enthusiastic now!”

Not only did the girls finish on a high and break a world record, they’ve also raised over £51,000 for The Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign.

You can still make a donation to their Virgin Money Giving page and there are more pictures on their facebook page. The girls also take their rightful place on the Virgin Money Giving Guinness World Records wall of fame.

If you’re attempting a World Record and fundraising with Virgin Money Giving we’d love to hear from you, email mystory@virginmoneygiving.com

A team of four friends have hit the road to kick-start their fundraising for The Sick Children’s Trust ahead of their real roadtrip next month. ‘Team 777′, made up of Kevin Blazer, Nigel Death, Jem Walters and Paul Guzewich from Norwich will be attempting to drive from the UK to Rimini in Northern Italy in September as part of the Scally Rally event. With a route that includes the Alps this is no mean feat.

In order to help the team prepare for this epic 1200 mile journey, they are embarking on a roadshow around Norwich to try and secure sponsorship from local companies and help raise money towards their target goal of £1,500 for the The Sick Children’s Trust.

The group of friends are raising money for the charity after Kevin Blazer used its ‘Home from Home’, Acorn House in Cambridge.

In 2005 Kevin’s six week old son, Finn (sat on the car bonnet above), was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive children’s cancer. He required specialist treatment only available in Addenbrookes Hospital which was 70 miles from their home. Needless to say this was a highly distressing time for their family, it would have been even more stressful if it wasn’t for The Sick Children’s Trust. The charity provided the family with a place to stay while Finn was being treated, allowing them to remain together as a family.

You can support ‘Team 777′ through their Virgin Money Giving page and you can also follow their progress on their blog and twitter feed.

Best of luck guys!

If you’ve got a fundraising story you’d like us to feature drop us an email on mystory@virginmoneygiving.com

A group of friends from Torbay have just completed an 11 mile kayak trip raising money for Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. But that’s just the start…

Over the next 12 months the team plan to take on a whole series of events including:

• Cycling from John O’Groats to Lands End,
• Walking Hadrian’s wall,
• The Plymouth Triathlon,
• The National 3 peaks challenge,
• The 24 peaks challenge in the Lake district,
• The 70k Challenge Ride from Honiton to Teignmouth,
• Cycling from London to Paris,
• The Suffolk whole hog,
• A 3K swim,
• The Great West Run,
• Plymouth Half Marathon,
• The Ben Nevis Challenge,
• The Torbay Half Marathon,
• The Asics 10K,
• A banger rally across Europe.

And as well as the challenges they’re also organising a charity fashion show, and a track day.

They’re doing all of these challenges in memory of their friend Bertie Brookman. Bertie suffered with Muscular Dystrophy from birth and sadly passing away in April 2010 at the age of 23. So far they’ve raised over £2000 but it’s just the beginning.

You can find out more about their challenges on their website bertie23.co.uk or on their facebook page, and you can support them by making a donation through their Virgin Money Giving page.

Good luck guys!

Public places for the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon sold out in record time this year. If you’d still like to run in this years race on 10 October 2010, there are places still available.

The charities listed below all have places available; so if you’d like to run just choose one of the charities and follow the links to find out more details. You can use the email addresses and phone numbers to contact them directly to register.

Once you’ve got your place, don’t forget to create your Virgin Money Giving fundraising page. You can setup a sponsorship page in just a few minutes, and send link sent round to all your friends and family.

It’s that easy!

	For more details click here Please contact Becca on 0207 423 3692 or email events@alzheimers.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Teresa Pastena on 020 7515 7534 or email tpastena@doctorsoftheworld.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Ben or Claire on 0207 404 0808 or email run@leukaemia.org
	For more details click here Please contact the sports team on 01737 365018 or email sports@thechildrenstrust.org.uk
	For details click here Please contact Simon Ekless on 07931 929685 or email Simon.ekless@thepacecentre.org
	For more details please contact the Val Eyre on 01628 501547 or email Val@nras.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Cathy Ashley on 020 7923 2628 or email cashley@frg.org.uk
	For details please contact Emma Jackson on 020 7801 6252 or email Emma.jackson@worldchildcancer.org
	For details click here Please contact the Running Team on 0870 241 3565 or email running@mssociety.org.uk
	For details click here Please contact Laun on 0207 825 2661 or email gorunning@nspcc.org.uk
	For details click here Please contact Soosie Rhodes on 0300 373 1037 or email srhodes@cftrust.org.uk
	For more click here Please contact 020 7324 1720 or email h.hodgkinson@savethechildren.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact LCD Events on 0870 420 4301 or email events@lcdisability.org
	For more details click here Please contact James or Rich on 01865 245678 or email fundraising@peopleandplanet.org
	For more details click here Please contact Mick Helm on 0113 2575287 or email michael.helm@barnardos.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Aimee Pickering on events@theplace2be.org.uk
	For more details click here Please email Rose Blackie on rose.blackie@readinternational.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Daffodil Runs on 08700 340 040 or email daffodil.runs@mariecurie.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Anne Ridge on 020 7601 8486 or email events@orchid-cancer.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Laura on 01737 363222 or email laura@c-r-y.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Julia Drake on 0207 262 2881 or email Julia@starlight.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Cat Skakle on 020 7250 5767 or email catherine.skakle@youthnet.org
	For more details click here Please contact Laurence Swan on 020 8908 7376 or email lsawn@wspld.org
	For more details click here Please contact Jude Bull on 01489 566925 or email events@rnmdsf.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Catherine Attwood on 020 7616 7966 or email fundraising@st-dunstans.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Rebecca Cork on 020 7812 0635 or email redballclub@righttoplay.com
	For more details click here Please contact Lucy Porter on 020 7627 6743 or email Lucyp@childrenincrisis.org
	For more details click here Please contact The Royal Parks Foundation on 020 7298 2058 or email support@royalparksfoundation.org
	For more details click here Please contact Emma Riley on 01494 568912 or email emma.riley@childbereavement.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Jo Bell on jo@fightforsight.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Jessica Truman on 0208 254 3200 or email Jessica.truman@crimestoppers-uk.org
	For more details click here Please contact 0300 200 1244 or email events@oxfam.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact the fundraising team on 01327 322419 or email events@pspeur.org
	For more details click here Please contact Peter Wynne-Jones on 020 3326 4755 (ext 115) or email support@childhoodfirst.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Nick Hollowood on 020 7153 5314 or email nick.hollowood@icr.ac.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Nick Hollowood on 020 7153 5314 or email nick.hollowood@icr.ac.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Spinal Research on 01483 898 786 or email run@spinal-research.org
	For more details click here Please contact Sarah Greene on 020 8347 8111 or email sgreene@actionforkids.org
	For more details click here Please contact Rebecca Highfield on 0207 284 8284 or email Rebecca.highfield@anthonynolan.org
	For more details click here Please contact Nicola Hill on 0207 422 0630 or email nicolah@chfed.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Ellen Brooks  on 020 7696 5541 or email ellen.brooks@mencap.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact the Fundraising Events Team on 0113 210 8800 or email events@epilepsy.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Caroline Crowther on 020 7359 3635 or email caroline.crowther@kids.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Rachael Taylor on 020 8215 2246 or email r.taylor@mind.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Libby Gordon on 0207 523 2127 or email egordon@christian-aid.org
	For more details click here Please contact Sally George on 0207 375 6109 or email halfmarathon@unicef.org.uk
	For more details click here Please email fundraising@beatbullying.org
	For more details click here Please email Tim Ridgewell at tim@elephantfamily.org
	For more details click here Please contact David Fisheron on 0113 2621852 or email david.fisher@bcrt.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact James Penney on 020 7384 0049 or email jbp@breastcancerhaven.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Kathleen Isaac on 020 7702 5655
	For more details click here Please contact Miranda Cobb on 020 7382 2563 or email Miranda.Cobb@lso.co.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Helen Hinde on 020 7095 5333 or email hhinde@cafod.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Bobby Youngwood on 0116 258 7925 or email byoungwood@home-start.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Sarah Barnes on 020 8399 5427 or email SarahBarnes@ymcalsw.org
	For more details click here Please contact Support Care on 01483 426 333 or email supportercare@wwf.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Clare on 020 7009 2500 or email clare.davey03@getconnected.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Nicola Hill on 020 7422 0630
	For more details click here Please contact Lynn Hart on 01491 411569 or email Lynn.hart@autistica.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Charlotte Eastop on 020 7520 2999 or email c.eastop@helpthehospices.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Sarah on 0207 793 5913 or email Sarah.Himelfield@brainandspine.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact the Latin Link Communications on 0118 957 710 or email communications@latinlink.org
	For more details click here Please contact Erica on 0207 8232397 or email erica@honeypot.co.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Danielle Taylor on 0208 885 1517 or email danielle@kithandkids.org.uk
	For more details click here Please contact Heather Collin on 01993 825567

Charities will be Great Run winners online, says Virgin Money Giving

Charity fundraisers taking part in the Great North Run and other Great Run events this year could raise close to £30 million if they go online to organise their fundraising, according to Virgin Money Giving.

Last year the Great Run Series of events, which includes the Great North and South Runs and the Great Yorkshire, Manchester and Edinburgh races, raised over £28 million for good causes*.

But if fundraisers were to raise the same amount this year on Virgin Money Giving, at least another £1 million would make its way to charity.

Assuming an average donation of £24, with Gift Aid uptake at 87% of total donations, the £28 million raised last year would be boosted to £29.06 million if fundraisers were to use Virgin Money Giving.

Grant Bather, spokesman at Virgin Money Giving, said: “The Great Run series of events raise considerable funds for charity.

“Every penny counts for charities and with Virgin Money Giving, more money will make its way to good causes, with £12.46 going to charity for every £10 donated.”

Virgin Money Giving recently passed the £16 million barrier and has over 1,500 charities signed up and over 31,000 fundraisers.

virginmoneygiving.com is the official sponsorship website of the Virgin London Marathon, Royal Parks Half Marathon and ‘Run to the Beat’.

- ENDS -

Notes to Editors

http://www.greatrun.org/charities/default.aspx

To view more of our press releases click here. or for further information visit our press centre.

Average charity donations are recovering as fundraisers and donors remain committed to backing good causes despite the current economic squeeze, new research from Virgin Money Giving shows.

Analysis of donations through the not-for-profit online fundraising site shows the average amount given rose to £31.24 in June compared with £30.59 in April and £29.29 in May 2010.

Its research shows average donations – before Gift Aid which adds 28% to money given by eligible UK taxpayers – peaked at Christmas before gradually declining from the £35.69 in December to a low in May.

However June showed a recovery in average donations compared with April -when the Virgin London Marathon meant a surge in donations across the site – and May. Average donations were 6.6% up in June compared with May.

Jo Barnett, executive director of Virgin Money Giving said: “The current state of the economy means something’s got to give but so far charity giving is holding up well. People remain generous despite impending tax rises and threats of rising unemployment and public sector cutbacks.

“However average donations are under strain as people struggle to make ends meet and it is vital that fundraisers, charities and donors boost their giving power by making full use of Gift Aid and efficient fundraising.”

Virgin Money Giving figures show that while over £5 million was donated in April through virginmoneygiving.com, during the lead up to the Virgin London Marathon, around £1.5 million was donated to non-marathon related fundraising causes.

Donors using the site can instantly add Gift Aid to the money they are giving – Virgin Money Giving currently sees 86% of all donations submitted claiming Gift Aid which is more than double the average 40%* for all donations such as collections and through sponsorship forms.

The not-for-profit fundraising service, which charges 2% for donations compared with an industry average of 5% in order to ensure as much money goes to good causes as possible, has launched its Charity Donations Index to help fundraisers and charities monitor how well-off – or badly off – donors feel they are.

It will update every three months giving an up-to-date snapshot of the state of giving across the UK highlighting issues of concern to charities and fundraisers.

Virgin Money Giving currently has more than 1,800 charities registered on the site from a standing start in October with more than 29,000 fundraisers using the site to raise a total of over £15 million.

virginmoneygiving.com, which is free for fundraisers, charges a flat £100 + VAT registration fee for charities and a 2% fee on all donations before Gift Aid which means for every £10 donation, charities will receive £12.46.

- Ends -

Notes to Editors

*UK Giving 2009 study from the Charities Aid Foundation and NCVO.

To view more of our press releases click here. or for further information visit our press centre.

As well as setting out to raise money for their favourite charities, some of our fundraisers are raising the bar up a notch by attempting Guinness World Records at the same time.

We’ve hunted down some of the World Records being attempted by fundraisers on Virgin Money Giving.

Virgin Money Giving fundraiser Guinness World Records wall of fame

Whether successful or not, attempting a record is no easy task. All the above rightly deserve their place on our Guinness World Record wall of fame.

If you’re thinking of coupling your fundraising event with a world record take a look at the “How do I become a Guinness World Record Holder” guide over on guinnessworldrecords.com and make sure you talk to your charity too. Some charities do not wish to be involved in, dangerous sports or unusual challenges.

Each year lots of Virgin London Marathon runners seem to think the 26.2 miles isn’t quite enough of a challenge, so being the fastest super hero, or wearing the largest outfit adds that extra edge.

Once you have a running number for the 2011 Virgin London Marathon and you think your run may be record-worthy, please contact Guinness World Records as soon as possible by registering your record at guinnessworldrecords.com/virgin and follow the instructions.
Let us know if you’re fundraising while attempting a World Record and we’ll add you to our wall of fame.

Every Friday at 10am Sam from our charity team will be on the phone and online taking questions and showing you around the reporting system. If you’ve just registered with us these webinars will help to get you started, or if you’ve been using charity reporting for some time, we’ll share our top tips and answer any questions you have.

These webinars are available to all our member charities for free.

Webinar details
Date: Every friday
Time: 10am
Places available each week: 10

To book a place just contact the charity team on theteam@virginmoneygiving.com or call 08456 10 10 45. Once you’re booked onto the reporting webinar we’ll send you out details of the free phone number to dial, and how to connect to webex so you can see the demonstrations.

Webex is an online meeting tool from CISCO that allows you to see Sam’s computer screen. Webex will run on most PC’s and Macs (for full details of system requirements please click here)

We recommend you’re somewhere quiet, free from office distractions and with a full mug of tea or coffee while you’re in the webinar so you can make the most of it. We look forward to hearing from you.