Child Safety a Priority

Kids just love to help out, don’t they? And sometimes their ‘help’ can actually be helpful.

This is especially the case in fundraising, where their natural enthusiasm for the cause can be harnessed and put to good use. It can be a lot of fun for the whole family to spend time together on something that is important to them.

But of course there is a serious side to having kids help out with fundraising – their safety must be the paramount consideration. As coordinator, it is your responsibility to get the message about child safety out to your volunteers.

Work with your committee to agree on an appropriate set of child safety rules for your fundraiser, then consider some of the following suggestions for getting that message out. Verbally review the key messages at school assemblies, club meetings, sports days, and any other opportunities you can find to address a large number of your volunteers in one place. Post reminders on newsletters and bulletin boards.

Provide your volunteers with simple, clear advice:

• All fundraising should be supervised by parents or adults, particularly if door-to-door selling is involved *Focus fundraising efforts on family and friends.
• Parents can help by selling at the office and to friends.
• With parent’s permission, student volunteers may telephone friends, relatives and neighbors that they know.

Your community will recognise that you are prioritising the safety of children, and more important the children themselves – often the beneficiaries of fundraising activity – will be safer.

Mandy Stevens
Fundraising Directory
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