Running a Bake Sale

I enjoy baking; most people enjoy eating baked goods and are willing to pay for them... Combine the two and it's clear that a bake sale is the way to go.


A vegan bake sale is great for two key reason: Fundraising and Outreach. Obviously any money raised can go to a good cause, such as your local campaign group to fund future campaigns, to a national campaign group, to an animal shelter, and so on. The outreach aspect also makes activities such as bake sales well worth while. It sends out a positive image of vegans and veganism, and - so long as the food is tasty! - it shows off how good vegan food can be.


We held ours on campus, which took a quick email to the student activities organiser to arrange. There's a usual spot at my uni for holding stalls, bake sales etc, just outside the Students' Union building and by the student pub / bar.


Chocolate brownies (which disappeared within about 15 minutes of us setting up - will make more next time!), flapjacks, chocolate fudge, and lots of different flavour cupcakes were on sale. In the four hours we were out we raised £50.60 - not bad, especially considering it wasn't a very busy day at the Uni and that we'd almost ran out of the food by the end!


Having others help with a bake sale is crucial. There were two of us on the stall the entire time, and a friend who was unable to help on the day kindly baked cupcakes for the sale. Make sure you know what everyone's making so you can get a good range of baked goods.


We used an inexpensive cake stand and some pretty plastic plates to make it look nice, as well as a table cloth, as pasting tables aren't really that attractive! There were a few different vegan leaflets to the side too, such as the Animal Aid "I can't believe it's... Vegan!" one which I always try and have on stalls. I also printed off some copies of some of the recipes I'd used too. People may ask you questions about veganism or other animal issues, so treat this in the same way you would any vegan / animal rights stall, and make sure you know your stuff!


That was our first bake sale. Once I'm back at Uni come September, there'll be more bake sales organised. I know now to bake more brownies, and have some form of bags for people to put their purchases in if need be. I've also got copies of "The Cake Scoffer" booklet to sell to raise some extra funds too.


It's things like bake sales which I enjoy probably more than many other forms of activism, as they're more relaxed but still have an important place.

Street Collections

Street collections are a great way to raise funds for charities and non-profit organisations.


So far, I've helped with two Animal Aid street collections. Many charities and non-profit orgs will be very active in helping you arrange your street collection, so don't let the thought of lots of form filling put you off organising one! Animal Aid list upcoming street collections and info on how to arrange a street collection for them on their website here.


You do need permission to hold a street collection for any charity or organisation. Again, Animal Aid and some other groups will be able to arrange this for you.




Helping with street collection

 Holding a street collection is obviously a really great way to raise funds for your chosen cause. It also is important for raising awareness, too. On both collections I've been involved with, we've had an info table with leaflets, booklets and petitions, and those of us stood away from the table would have a handful of leaflets as well (ones about the general work of whoever you're fundraising for works well). So, you're raising funds, you're letting people know that your chosen charity / org exists, and you're letting people know about the issues your chosen charity / org is involved with. It is good activism. And I honestly do enjoy it, too. I like getting to talk to people about Animal Aid and the issues. It's wonderful when you realise that the leaflet you just handed them, or what you just told them seems to have made them think more about an issue.


Tips for Street Collections


While I'm still a bit of a street collection newbie, here's a few things I've picked up from my experience:

• The more the merrier! In a small town centre or supermarket entrance, you obviously don't want to swamp the place with people collecting, but when you've got a large area, having a good number of people rather than just one or two does help. Again, some charities / orgs will tell their members and / or list upcoming street collections on their website, which really helps with getting more people onboard.
• Outreach. Fundraising for your chosen cause is the main aim, but it's definitely worth doing some outreach at the same time. Having a street stall and getting people with collection tins to hold some leaflets lets people know about the issues. Having a stall also works well for drawing people over, many of whom will then go on to donate. Please do check though what the rules are for having a stall in the place you're collecting. Most places tend to be fine with it, but it's best to check if you're not sure.
• Know your stuff. That's key for all activism though really, isn't it? Even if you're not distributing any leaflets and are simply collecting money, some people still like to know where their money's going. When campaign materials are being given out, knowing the issues is even more important. On the recent collection I did, we had petitions about banning the Grand National (chosen as the race is only a week away). We had leaflets about why people shouldn't support horse racing, but even though these can be given to those who questioned the petition to explain our reasoning, it is more effective when we actually give them a basic overview - we still give the leaflet to back up what we're saying. The issues people are perhaps most likely to ask about are the ones on the petitions, and sometimes the ones on any posters you have by the table as well. These are the issues you should definitely be able to talk about. Other topics will almost definitely be brought up, too, so make sure you know your stuff!
• Don't stand in people's way. Firstly, and understandably, it annoys people. Getting through a town centre on a busy day can be a bit of a battle at times, so makes sure people can easily get by. Secondly, obstructing the highway is illegal. What counts as an obstruction is a bit subjective - aren't many advertising boards put out by businesses causing obstructions? Regardless of this, you should be aware of how easily people can get by.
• Positioning. While you're making sure you're not obstructing the highway, you still need to make sure people notice you! Stand somewhere busy, but with space for people to get by easily.
• One way to get noticed is by wearing an animal costume. It makes you hard to miss!
• Thank people when they donate. Obvious, I know! It shows them their contribution - however big or small - is appreciated, and anyone nearby who notices may potentially be more inclined to give, too. The person who's donated will leave with a positive view of the charity / org.
• Represent your chosen cause well. When doing a street collection, you are representing that charity / org. To some of the public, you may be the first person they meet who's linked to that cause, so making a good impression is key.
• The law. Read through your street collection permit, or ask whoever's organising the collection what the specific rules are. Also, definitely worth looking at is Animal Aid's guide. Read Animal Aid's guide to street collections, leafleting and the law
• Enjoy it! You'll be talking to people about issues you care about while raising all important funds.

If you have any tips, advice, experiences of street collections you'd like to share, please feel free to comment.

Helping Hillside

A few days ago I posted about ways to help Hillside Animal Sanctuary, who are in desperate need of more funds.


One good way to raise some money for them are the new "Guess the Name of the Animal" competitions.

Me with the cuddly dog!

For £5 (which you can claim back later if you want), you get a cuddly dog or donkey toy, a big card with 30 possible names for your chosen animal, and an envelope containing the name of the animal. For a £1 a go, you get friends, family, and basically anyone you know, to guess the name of the animal. Once all 30 possible names have been chosen, you open the envelope to reveal the real name for the cuddly animal. The person who guessed the correct name wins the cuddly animal! It's a fun way to raise some funds for Hillside, and it also helps raise awareness, letting people know that Hillside Animal Sanctuary exists. I recommend ordering some leaflets (which are free, though of course you can donate to help cover their costs if you can) to give out when people guess the cuddly's name.

I went for the dog, which is very cute and soft, and a good size, too! It came with some back copies of Hillside's newsletter for me to give to those who take part to find out more about Hillside.


To order a "Guess the Name of the Donkey / Dog" pack, please visit http://www.hillside.org.uk/acatalog/Raising_Funds_for_Hillside_s_Animals.html

Hillside in Crisis



A cow at Hillside's West Runton sanctuary,
Norfolk, England

Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Norfolk, England desperately needs our help to keep caring for the hundreds of rescued animals who live there.

What We Can Do

- Buy from their giftshop - http://hillside.org.uk/acatalog/allgifts.html



- Distribute Hillside leaflets, and use the cardboard donation boxes to collect loose change to donate. Available from

http://hillside.org.uk/acatalog/videos.html

Billy Griffin the pig at Hillside. He is
one of the animals you can adopt
 to support Hillside's work.



- "Adopt" one of their rescued animals, or sponsor a rescued dog. See http://hillside.org.uk/acatalog/Adoptions.html and http://hillside.org.uk/acatalog/copy_of_Adoptions.html



Me with one of the donkeys at
Hillside, August 2010



- Go to a Hillside open day! I went to one last August - well worth going! It's wonderful to see animals living happily, especially when you consider the conditions many of them suffered in before arriving at Hillside. See http://www.hillside.org.uk/OpenDaysatWestRunton.htm

- Fundraise for Hillside. There are collection tins available from their shop - http://hillside.org.uk/acatalog/videos.html (please make sure you have a the relevant permission before holding a street collection).

 - Guess the name of the donkey or dog -http://www.hillside.org.uk/acatalog/Raising_Funds_for_Hillside_s_Animals.html

- Any other fundraising you can do. Vegan bake sales, sponsored events - anything you can think of!

www.hillside.org.uk