Charities depend very much on people who volunteer to help raise money to support their favourite charity. There are all kinds of different ways this can be done such as getting people to sponsor a walk or a run which not only raises money but is also good fun for the people taking part. Another way is to hold a raffle where people can buy tickets to win a good prize. Prizes vary from cars, holidays, televisions, coffee machines, cutlery, crockery, chocolates, cakes and bottles of wine. Any appliance that can be used around the house can be raffled such as a vacuum cleaner, ironing board, cooking utensils, gardening tools and lawn mower.
Big charities such as Oxfam, PDSA and Help the Aged usually have a really good top prize but tickets might be dearer. Smaller charities might hold a raffle where the top prize is a food hamper or cuddly toys. It doesn’t really matter so long as the money it brings in helps the charity concerned. Volunteers not only raise money but often help out in the shops for a few hours. Some volunteers might hold a coffee morning using coffee pods in a machine which certainly have a different taste to the instant coffee that can be bought from the supermarket. On sale might be small home made buns and cakes, plants, flowers and small knitted items. As well as raising money volunteers often make new friends with similar interests. Getting together and joining in different activities all done on behalf of a certain charity certainly attracts the crowds which are so important when trying to raise money for charity.

There are so many different charities trying to think up ideas to raise money that it can be difficult to think up something different. Red Nose Day and Children in need get a huge amount of media support and television celebrities can be a big attraction. Celebrities often sell off their unwanted clothes, shoes, handbags and other articles at auctions to raise money for these big events. Signed photographs and books are auctioned off with many people willing to pay big amounts of money to help a charity. Wealthy guests might be invited to a meal or a show which costs a huge amount of money, but it is all done for a good cause. Of course, not all raffles are done for a charity. Raffles take place everywhere like schools, nurseries, shops, hospitals and Churches all to raise money for some much needed equipment.