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Charity Balls - Tips and Advice

Our supporters organise charity balls for many reasons; from evenings in memory of a special person to annual society balls. It is a big undertaking organising a ball but the feeling of achievement at the end of the night is well worth the time put into it!

Below we have included some tips on organising large scale events. If you have any queries about organising your own event please contact Hannah in the Events Team, 0203 4657 293.

• Identify your audience – always tailor your event to suit the age, lifestyle and interests of those you intend to invite. It’s imperative your event is appropriate for your audience.

• Define your goals – ask yourself what you intend to achieve from the event in terms of ticket sales, awareness raised, income achieved, etc. Agree a budget before you sign any contracts with your suppliers.

• Capture the imagination of your audience – always remember that charity fundraising is a competitive market place so there must be something about your event that really appeals to your audience.

• Check and then double-check – write a checklist for your event as well as a timeline to help you with your planning both pre and post event. We can provide you with a more detailed event checklist at your request.

• Food and drink - always ensure that any food being sold at your event adheres to all safety regulations and ensure you cater for all dietary requirements. If selling alcohol at the event then the premises must be licensed. For further details please contact the Environmental Health Department and/or Licensing Department of your relevant local authority.

• Choosing the right venue – what is the capacity, what is the venue fee, does it have a music or alcohol licence, are their enough toilets, is there a cloakroom, does it allow children?

• Think about accessibility issues – always check the accessibility of your venue in terms of disabled access etc.

• Evaluate the risk – determine whether you need a risk assessment for your event and always thoroughly evaluate any health and safety regulations, insurance issues etc. Find out whether you require First Aid support for the event and marshals and volunteers.

• Plan ahead – run through the event from start to finish in your head planning for every eventuality. Ensure you have enough staff to help you run the event and ensure there is always a safe place to collect or count the money collected.

• Celebrate your success – enjoy yourself at the event, thank all those involved and always remember to have a post event brief to evaluate its success.