Scotland’s World Cup campaign kicked off successfully at the weekend and one superfan and serial charity fundraiser has completely redefined what it means to be a travelling supporter.
Craig Ferguson’s “Tartan Trek” to Scotland’s opening match in Boston started in Los Angeles more than 100 days ago. Since then, he’s walked more than 3,200 miles to raise money for Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH).
He, more than anyone, will be thrilled that his efforts to get there were rewarded with a win.
Craig is no stranger to this type of extreme challenge. In 2024, he walked 1,000 miles from Glasgow to Munich ahead of Scotland’s first match in the UEFA European Football Championship. This adventure raised more than £75,000 for the men’s mental health charity Brothers in Arms. And his current challenge has already exceeded its £1m target
Fundraising closer to home
Craig’s journey across America falls just before Small Charity Week in the UK which runs from 22 to 29 June. The initiative shines a light on the smaller organisations that are so often on the front line of the voluntary sector, providing direct, local and community centred services.
Applications for this year’s match funding have already been finalised, but any small charity or voluntary organisation with a social or charitable purpose can still use Small Charity Week to boost their online reach by using the hashtag #smallcharityweek and tagging @smallcharityweek on Instagram.
The week kicks off with an afternoon event in London to showcase the work of small charities with presentations and panel discussions available via live streaming.
Small Charity Week highlights the incredible diversity of the voluntary sector’s more modest organisations and the immense lengths that they go to in order to raise funds and deliver their essential and varied services.
The week is also a great way of finding out what other organisations are doing in terms of charity challenges and events. Perhaps you could adopt or adapt some of these ideas for your own organisation?
Multiple benefits attached to challenges
Charity challenges don’t have to be as extreme as Craig’s Tartan Trek to deliver a hugely positive and powerful impact. They can be anything from a 5km run to a community bake off or a short cold-water swim. The options are endless.
At a personal level, they are a fantastic way of enabling focus among your volunteer community. They really foster a sense of team spirit among those taking part as well as those managing the logistics and providing the necessary support. This type of shared purpose is a positive contributor to mental wellbeing and those completing active challenges will also enjoy a boost to their physical health.
At an organisational level, challenges are a first-class springboard for promotional activity and a great way to get people talking. They make strong stories for local media and will help you strengthen links with the newspaper, radio and television outlets in your community. They also give you a reason to contact local businesses and explore how they could get involved and potentially help. And having a strong local network goes a long way to making small voluntary organisations more resilient for the future.
There is also the financial aspect of challenges and the essential, additional revenue they generate. Many supporters like to know their money will have a direct impact on those in need and this is something smaller voluntary organisations can really use to their advantage. They tend to be run by the community, for the community and there is usually a very clear correlation between what they spend and the benefit they provide.
This message resonates well with potential supporters and is one that smaller organisations should remind fundraisers to prioritise when promoting their challenge.
Last kick…
The FIFA World Cup is a sporting behemoth that represents the pinnacle of footballing excellence and ambition. But it’s worth remembering that it’s the grassroots game, organised by volunteers and played in parks and community pitches that impacts young players directly, lets them experience the sport and fuels their dreams of what might be.
It’s this sort of direct impact that small charities and voluntary organisations have and why the recognition provided by Small Charity Week is so important. If your organisation requires bespoke insurance advice about any fundraising activities you are planning, the team at Keegan & Pennykid would be more than delighted to assist.
