Help us... to help others

Every charity is dependent on a variety of support from many, many people.  And Sportability is no different! 

We rely on a whole hinterland of people supporting, assisting and helping us to deliver the Sportability experience to as many people with paralysis round the UK as possible.

Of course one of the main aspects of support is financial, but there are many more ways of providing help.  We hope that one of these might be appropriate to you, and that you can help us, to help others.

Donations

Of course the most consistent and easiest way is to simply support us with financial help, and a donation, even as small as £10 could get one of our people out on a quad-bike, canoeing or sailing.  Remember, all our events are free of charge to the participants, as we don’t want money to be an obstacle to involvement.  So the cash you give could be the difference between somebody confined to their own home or high in the sky gliding, deep under water scuba diving, or skimming across a lake somewhere. Your contribution really will count.                                                                             

Find out more about donating to Sportability »

Fundraising Events

Trekking in Nepal. Bike rides across Britain. The Flying Pies …. and more.

Andrew Long wanted to take a trekking holiday in Nepal.  Mark Butters was tasked to produce a team building event for his company. Both of them used these occasions to raise funds for Sportability.

Duncan McCool is doing the same with his '2010 Strathpuffer 24hour Mountain Bike Challenge' (see link below) and there are dozens of opportunities to do this – a skiing trip, a golf tournament, a walking holiday, a sailing event or holiday, even an evening's go-karting.  And it's very simple to put in place. 
The website justgiving.com (with whom Sportability has been associated since 2006) will provide a page template that is very easy to fill out with the details of your event.  You can then simply direct any donors to that site for easy, tax-efficient giving.  As an example check out:  http://www.justgiving.com/theflyingpiesgetontheirbikes
So if you would like to turn your holiday, hobby or one-off activity into an altruistic fundraiser, then please don't hesitate to get in touch.                           

Find out more about fundraising in aid of Sportability »

Prize Giving

A Hoover, a bottle of scotch, a spa treatment. Some tickets for a match, or a round of golf.

Could you or your company provide any such items?  No matter how small (a collection of company pens make a generous giveaway), or how large (we did receive a monster television one year).  It could be that you have some spare tickets for a show?  Or a couple of seats at your football club?  Maybe you could get a complimentary round of golf from your golf club?  It could be prosaic as a glass of wine, or exotic as a foreign holiday.

What you can be sure of, is that this item would have added value, and again could raise much needed funds, to support the valuable work that we do.

Find out more about prize giving »

Sponsorship

We’ve mentioned the Sportability Golf Tournaments and we are always looking for hole sponsors.  We’re delighted that the Alan Boswell Insurance Group in Norwich was sponsored each of our tournaments last year, and the signage that we provided as part of that package was available at the first tee on every course. 

It isn’t hugely expensive - £100 for a single hole, or £50 per hole for a package of four, and of course it is an allowable expense and therefore wholly deductable. 

Or how about sponsoring a tournament?  You get your company name in the event title, signage at the site, publicity in local press and complementary entry for your team.

So in effect you can get your company name in front of some new and different people, the exchequer will pay for it and you support Sportability. We’d consider that a win win

Payroll Giving

Another tax-efficient way to give is via a Give As You Earn (GAYE) scheme.  If it’s offered by your employer, you make regular gifts from your pre-tax pay and benefit from full income tax relief. This means that a £10 donation will cost £8, or £6 for higher-rate taxpayers. Some employers match employee contributions, boosting an £8 gift to as much as £20.
For many the idea of a small regular contribution is very appealing, and this payroll giving can be a most effective means of delivery.

For us, this makes a very welcome contribution, in that it is consistent and dependable, and provides an even cash flow. 

Again this is another way that the exchequer helps to contribute to the charity cause.

Find out more about Payroll Giving »

Gifts & Bequests

It is also possible to make a gift to Sportability that will allow you to claim tax relief.  You can claim tax relief on gifts of listed shares, unit trusts and open-ended investment companies (Oeics). For example: A gift of £1,000 of unwanted stock could cut your tax bill by £220; or £500 if you are a higher rate taxpayer.
Please also note that charity bequest can help your inheritance planning.  Gifts to charity, made within your will, are exempt from inheritance tax (IHT).  Moreover, they are deducted from the calculation of your estate and can help to bring your estate below the IHT threshold of (at time of writing) £325,000. And it doesn’t have to be cash - you can bequest items of value, such as jewellery, pieces of art or even vehicles, as well as or instead of any cash sums.
For more information on tax efficient giving please log on to:  http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/ManagingMoney/GivingMoneyToCharity