Rosemary outside the centre.
Allan and Malcom at the 2005 Pantomine Rehearsal.Fundraising
It costs £50 a day to maintain a 24/7 listening service, and Samaritans receives no financial support from the government, so it is vital that we raise sufficient funds each year to keep the Branch running. We have a fundraising team which organises regular events throughout the year. These are some of the events in 2006.
- We held flag days in Chesterfield and Matlock, and bucket collections at local supermarkets.
- We organised a sponsored walk around Carsington Water, and some of our volunteers took part in the Samaritans national sponsored walk in Surrey.
- We put on another pantomime, Aladdin this time, at Hasland Theatre. As well as successfully raising funds, this also brought many branch members together in a great team effort.
- Our outreach team worked closely with the fundraising team, and joint ventures such as stalls at the Royal Hospital, Bakewell Show and the various special markets in Chesterfield, were a regular feature, where we aimed to make ourselves known to the community and attract new volunteers, while at the same time raising funds.
In addition to these events, the Branch receives income from other sources, e.g
- Donations and legacies.
- Collecting used inkjet cartridges and mobile phones, and sending them for recycling.
- A tote, which pays out two prizes every month.
- Sales of products and merchandise.
A new venture this year has been our charity shop, which opened on 31st January 2006. Managed by two of our listening volunteers and staffed by a dedicated team of supporters, it had a very successful first year. We were greatly assisted in meeting the set-up costs by a generous grant from the Derbyshire Community Foundation.
Fundraising is hard work, but very enjoyable and rewarding. It does, however, rely on the goodwill of volunteers who already give of their time as listeners, and we welcome support from anyone who may wish to help us but may not want to be a listener. Please ring 01246 270000 if you would like to help, perhaps by working in the shop or helping us with tinshakes or bucket collections. We look forward to hearing from you.