Has anyone organised a charity horse show?

[Mary Poppins]

I have been thinking for a while about organising some kind of charity horse show and donating the proceeds towards the play workers at Great Ormond Street hospital. The play workers are entirely funded by charitable donations and I cannot describe just how important their jobs are. They are always bright and cheerful and turn very stressful situations into positive ones. They give parents a well needed 5 minutes to gather their thoughts and adapt to being in hospital, and they make everything for the children fun. I am so very grateful for what they have done for me and now my child is (touch wood) healthier with no further appointments planned, I think that it is time for me to give something back and let other families benefit from this service.

So what can I do? Organising a horse show is the most obvious choice. Has anyone done this? Where do I start? I know that I will need public liability insurance? Where do I get this?

What kind of show would be best? Dressage (I know judges who would help), jumping (clear round or competition) or showing? I don't want to make it too big and will obviously need volunteers to help me, but I hope that I have enough horsey friends who will come forward. I don't know where I would do the show somewhere that wouldn't charge me I hope!

Is this a good idea? Would it make much money? How else can I raise money at the show? Refreshments? A raffle? Any more ideas?

If anyone is interested in what I want to raise money for, have a look at the following link: http://www.gosh.nhs.uk/parents-and-...ervices/play-information-parents-and-visitors

 

[KP nut]

What a wonderful idea! I have not organised a horse show but I have organised several kids aquathlons with the proceeds going to the local tri club. Some ideas of what I do each time:

1) Find a venue and get permission - I used council pools and parks so needed council permission but you may be using somewhere private so ring round and see who is willing to lend you a venue for a day!
2) Do a risk assessment and event safety plan - there are templates online
3) Get insurance. You may need to attach proof of insurance to the event safety plan - google event insurance and get quotes.

All of that costs - I managed to persuade the council to give us the facilities for free, and you may be able to do the same with private venues as it is for charity.

4) As horse riding is risky you may need St Johns Ambulance cover. Or a couple of trained first aiders would do. I found volunteer first aiders so that was free. I got a quote from St Johns of about £150 for a day.
5) Depending on how many entries you are expecting, I'd use an online entry system. The first year I did paper entries and it did my head in. It was SOOOOO time consuming, On-line was far easier and they tend to charge a fee per entry so you don't have to pay upfront. Or people could pay on the day but that makes it hard to know how many to expect.
6) Get volunteers! Start NOW!!!! Estimate how many you need and double it then try and get that number but be prepared for half the people to drop out!!!!!

Your risk assessment will identify risks that you then need to mitigate against in your event safety plan - eg risk of falls - hats to a standard. But that means needing tack checkers etc. Plus judges, poo pickers, cake sellers, people to set the place up and take it all down an d clean up etc etc etc.

I think a fun, low key show gives you the best scope to get a lot of entries

- In hand classes
- Ridden classes various sizes and ages (veterans, under 6, rescues etc)
- Bonny pony, nicest tail etc
- Clear round classes
- Fancy dress
- Mounted games?
- Dog show?

I'd consider hiring a bouncy castle and charging £2 a go, getting stalls for raffles - ask local business for prizes- a tombola, a favours auction (eg meal for 2 cooked for you in your home, equine massage; mucking out for a week if you are within 10 miles of x, etc etc)

Get local press interested. We are not raising money for anything as worthy as GOSH and we still manage to get local radio and paper down there! You need to write a press release and follow it up. PM me if you want any more info.

Have fun!!!!

 

[KP nut]

Actually on 2nd thoughts as there are lots of different events I don't think on-line entry would work..... Unless you charge a flat fee to oarticipate and then all the classes are free. Like a day pass with everyone paying £30 for unlimited class entries which can then be entered on the day.

 

[Trewsers]

No idea but good on you for thinking about organising one. I hope it's a success and you raise lots for a great cause.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

@Flipo's Mum has been involved with the EGS charity show up in Perthshire, I think?

 

[Flipo's Mum]

Yep, I've helped my mate with the egs show, been running for the last eight years now in memory of her horse she lost to egs.
My mate really does the wealth of it and it's a year round process to get it ready for one day!
If you're interested in knowing more I can pm you. We raise about £2.5k per show after all bills have been paid, have around 150 competitors on the day and about 50-60 classes including some dressage classes. There's a raffle, sponsorship of classes. We have had handy pony classes aswell, and sometimes there are stalls which donate for their pitch although it's not the most successful draw.
She chooses not to do jumping as it's a lot of trouble with getting jumps to the field and set up etc. Would also have to borrow them. It's also higher risk.
We had three ambulance visits in one day I seem to recall one year, would have been worse if jumping involved!
She speaks to her local insurance broker for event insurance including employers liability for volunteers. St. John's ambulance for first aid.
Biggest issue is getting judges year on year not same ones repeatedly from what I can tell.
She has a website which is in my link and there's a Facebook page as well, have a look. I think when she's looking for ideas for classes and running times she goes and has a look at other show schedules for ideas! Everyone plagerises!! If you give her a pm she'd probably give some advice aswell via the fb page - she's laid up with a broken leg just now so probably more than willing to chat!

 

[Jessey]

Not for charity but I've run a few shows, from small day shows I ran alone to full weekend rodeos that I had an army of helpers for, it can be lots of work but I enjoy it the hardest thing is normally securing the venue and the rosettes are a surprisingly big expense, but I bet you'd get lots of support. I spent time at GOS as a kid, my family used to run (races, fun runs etc) to fund raise for them

 

[Skib]

Brilliant idea Mary P. Our RI does a charity show every summer - but it isnt for people to bring their own horses., She and her staff and friends (and liveries) do a riding display in her own arena and people gather to watch - including people passing by on the nearby public footpath.
I have never actually been as it clashes with a family event or our being away. If you run a horse show, your money has to come from people who own their own horses. Whereas if it is something to watch, lots of people come and whole families.
Our hacking yard similarly puts on events for cancer research - a Christmas panto show (mounted children and staff dressed up) and a summer display of student riding and jumping comps after which there is a barbecue and refreshments - burgers and sausages etc for supper and drinks so people socialise. Everyone who has lessons at the RS comes with their kids and sibblings and grannies. In your place I would discuss with your fellow liveries and people on your yard and see what response you get. The only word of wartning is that once our RS social was completely rained off - it rained relentlessly and had to be cancelled.

 

[Mary Poppins]

Thanks for your replies on this. It is something that I have been thinking about for ages and last week I was all set to make a start. But..... it seems that I still can't talk about my son being ill without feeling very emotional and upset, and I can't avoid the fact that if I am going to organise a charity show for GOSH, then I am going to have to talk about it. It's one thing writing about it on here, but very few people in 'real life' know the details of his illness and I'm not sure that I am strong enough for the inevitable 'what is wrong with him' questions that will arise. It is very hard being the parent of a child who is seriously ill, and I want to raise money for the play workers at this hospital because they help the parents a great deal. But I can't really do it without talking about my personal experience.

I have a very supportive horsey following on my facebook page and I thought that I would put a post there about it, but I just can't write it. I then thought about talking it over with friends at my yard and I can't do that either. I don't want to talk about it with parents at the school and the only person I can really talk to about it is my husband. So if I can't talk to anyone about the hospital or my experiences, how am I supposed to put on a show to raise money?

 

[eventerbabe]

Have helped organise shows being part of my RC committee. To be honest it's a pain in the butt. As part of my day job, I was fund raising liaison teacher for our schools Rock Challenge team. We made FAR more money than the RC shows ever make by bag packing, race nights, quiz nights and raffles. Much, much easier to organise too. Would it be possible to get your sons school/class involved? Or other parents you've met at GOSH?

 

[Mary Poppins]

Have helped organise shows being part of my RC committee. To be honest it's a pain in the butt. As part of my day job, I was fund raising liaison teacher for our schools Rock Challenge team. We made FAR more money than the RC shows ever make by bag packing, race nights, quiz nights and raffles. Much, much easier to organise too. Would it be possible to get your sons school/class involved? Or other parents you've met at GOSH?

Well I joined the PTA with the aim of raising money for GOSH, but they are fixated to raising money for the school only so that door has been closed. As part of the PTA I ran a raffle and raised £1,700 and a quiz night which raised over £450. Both were really easy to organise, but no-one wanted to donate money to the hospital, everyone wanted it to go to the school instead. I probably wasn't very forceful in my opinion that the money HAD to go to GOSH because I find it hard to talk to the other school mums about my son's illness. They all love a bit of gossip and I don't want my son's medical condition to be discussed in the playground. That is why I thought that I would raise money away from school and among my horsey friends instead.

 

[Jessey]

Do you need to tell people about your personal experience, or could you just stick to telling the facts about the play workers and GOSH and the wonderful work they do there? Whilst your personal experience would add 'weight' to your fund raising I don't know that it would be essential to it

People often want to donate to things that they feel they are getting something back from, perhaps that's why they chose to donate to the school rather than your GOSH fund.

I am sure GOSH have fund raising managers or the like, it might be worth asking them which events they see making the most money and what merchandise they have available, things like official collection tins, banners etc. that you might be able to be loaned for an event they may also be able to help you to know how to do the fund raising without getting too emotional about your son xx

 

[Mary Poppins]

Do you need to tell people about your personal experience, or could you just stick to telling the facts about the play workers and GOSH and the wonderful work they do there? Whilst your personal experience would add 'weight' to your fund raising I don't know that it would be essential to it

People often want to donate to things that they feel they are getting something back from, perhaps that's why they chose to donate to the school rather than your GOSH fund.

I am sure GOSH have fund raising managers or the like, it might be worth asking them which events they see making the most money and what merchandise they have available, things like official collection tins, banners etc. that you might be able to be loaned for an event they may also be able to help you to know how to do the fund raising without getting too emotional about your son xx

Yes they do have fundraising packs and I have requested one of these. It must be quite a common theme with parents finding it hard to talk about their children, but some have said that it is actually helped them by opening up about it. I don't know how I could fundraise for GOSH without talking about it really. I think that you need to show that you are passionate about the organisation you are fundraising for and to find a way for people to part with cash they need to feel that it is a cause worthwhile. I really want to raise the fact that parents need support as well as children.

At our last visit in June half term, there was a mother there with a child in a wheelchair. The child obviously had severe learning difficulties and the pain and stress in her mothers eyes and face was evident. I wanted to go the give the mother a hug, but for whatever reason I didn't go and speak to her. I wish I had. There wasn't a play worker in the waiting room, but if there had been then our children would have been entertained and that mother would have been able to take a few minutes to compose herself, get a cup of coffee and prepare for the appointment. I would have felt it easier to go and speak to her knowing that someone else was watching the children, and we could have offered each other support. This is what playworkers do, apart from making hospital a happy place for the child, they give the parents a well needed break. But unless you have been in that situation, you have no idea how much they help. And to raise money for them, it really would help to tell my stories like this (I have lots of examples) to make people understand.

It is so much easier to type on the internet to people who don't know me than discuss in real life with people who do.

 

[eventerbabe]

I can see why you'd want your horsey friends involved instead now. What horrible human beings!! We've often done fundraising for specific charities, in fact any fund raising done in school goes to charity and NOT the school. Our local children's hospital does an annual abseil down the building that people can get sponsored to do. Does GOSH have anything similar?

I may be a little jaded but people always whine at shows. They don't like the judge, you haven't laid on the classes they want, you don't have a tannoy system, they don't like the catering...! You could do a panel evening combing with a raffle? Get in some local vets, saddle fitters, nutritionists etc nominal ticket fee then top up with raffle, home bakes, bottle stall etc.

 

[Jessey]

You could do a panel evening combing with a raffle? Get in some local vets, saddle fitters, nutritionists etc nominal ticket fee then top up with raffle, home bakes, bottle stall etc.

I think this is a really fantastic idea, I love going to the talks our vets(and others) put on, personally I would happily pay 'over the odds' for one of these events knowing it was going to charity ETA you could avoid having to 'sell' the charity doing something like this, as people are willing to pay for stuff like this anyway, also demo's, if you can get the panel/demo person to donate their time

 

[eventerbabe]

We had a great evening with a local saddler looking at advances in saddlery, fairfax bridles etc. It's something we'd like to run again. We also had Oliver Townend up for training and he did an evening talk. We had special rosettes made up and got Oliver to auction them off. Some went for nearly £100! There may be a local "celebrity" rider willing to give their time for free?

 

[Mary Poppins]

I like this idea! I could do an evening with..... (insert somebody people want to listen to). Or an evening with a theme (e.g. saddles, feet), or an evening focussing on anything horsey really. I do know lots of local horsey people, and know people who have connections with some well known riders. I could run it in my local village hall (who might give it to me for free), and have a refreshment stand selling cakes and drinks by donation (I learnt during my time on the PTA that people give more money if you ask for a donation rather than a fixed selling price). Plus I could organise a raffle for the evening. If it went well it could be the start of a series of such evenings.

I will see a couple of friends this evening at the yard so will run it by then and see what they think. Thank you. x

 

[eml]

Get in touch wth local riding club . I used to chair one and we often ran charity shows Benefits are they have equipment, field, contacts insurance and experience. Almost mpossible to do profitably as a stand alone one off.

 

[Spot the wonder horse]

Yes, its a lot of work and organising but it can be done . I started in January this year with schedules, judges, venue, Sponsors etc .Advertising on social media is crucial if you want to get the entries. We had a spring show in April and another one the Sunday just gone. If you want to msg me your email I can perhaps give you some tips or find me on FB
. Our expenses alone were £2,500 for both shows but we raised over £7,000 and made donations to the Willberry Wonder pony and Red Cross Grenfell Towers relief fund.

 

[KP nut]

Yes, its a lot of work and organising but it can be done . I started in January this year with schedules, judges, venue, Sponsors etc .Advertising on social media is crucial if you want to get the entries. We had a spring show in April and another one the Sunday just gone. If you want to msg me your email I can perhaps give you some tips or find me on FB
. Our expenses alone were £2,500 for both shows but we raised over £7,000 and made donations to the Willberry Wonder pony and Red Cross Grenfell Towers relief fund.

Wow well done!

Event organising is possible and can be profitable, but it is hard work and there is financial risk involved too as you need to pay up front. I think the other ideas sound pretty good without the cost or stress.