FAQ

FAQs
Hopefully I can answer questions as they crop up, but I thought I’d stick all the questions that are relevant to everyone, in one spot!  If you think of something else….just post it!

Who exactly are we raising funds for and how does the money we raise get to them?
Money raised will go to the Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal.  There will be 2 ways to make your donation – you can deposit the money you raise directly with the Appeal under the name of Shimmy In The Sun.  If you then send me a copy of the deposit I can add the amount to our total.  The other way is to deposit the funds into a central bank account (still in the process of being set up) and send me an email with the amount deposited.  I can reconcile that with the bank statement and add the amount to our total. Once all the registered events have made their deposit and we have a final total, we can send that amount to the Appeal.
How do I know that the money will be handled responsibly?
I am currently licenced with the Office of Fair Trading to handle other people’s money in the 3 holiday resorts I own the management rights to.  This means I undergo 3 audits every year for each of the resorts – yes that’s 9 audits each year! (6 of these are ‘surprises’ where the auditor just turns up out of the blue) and also have annual police checks.  I have tried to contact the OFT but at the time of writing this they were closed to all but emergencies due to the flooding.  A Collections Licence is only needed by charitable organizations, and we don’t fall into that category.  I may need to have the fund raising Sanctioned by the OFT and I already have the paperwork to get that done.  However, as this is a one-off with everybody working as individuals to raise funds, and I won’t physically be handling any money, it is possible that I don’t even need the Sanction.  Once this matter is cleared up I’ll let you know.
In the meantime, please be assured that all recording of funds will be fully available to all registered event holders.  That means that from the time of the first deposit onwards, you can ask to see the financial records and I will email them to you.  I won’t include contact details of the event holders.
I have been in touch with my banker to arrange the central bank account and have asked that this account be enabled to accept deposits from anyone, but there will be no withdrawals other than the final collected amount being withdrawn and sent to the Appeal and the account closed at that time.  If it is possible for the bank to arrange the transfer of the funds to the Appeal I will arrange this.  This also gives another degree of separation from the funds.
Do you have any prior experience of fund raising?
Yes, but it was many years ago.  I was a fitness instructor in the UK working at local, national and international level.  I was heavily involved in getting the public to seek qualified instructors and making both the public and other instructors aware of the need for qualifications.  Locally I raised money for items such as a kidney dialysis machine, humidicribs, heart monitors and even a flying-squad ambulance!
With this event I hoped that a few friends would rally around and we could do something locally to raise funds for the Appeal.  I am quite amazed at how many people want to take part and I thank each and every one of you for your efforts!
So, How do I go about it?
First of all decide what you want to do to help.  Get together with friends, other teachers, class members if you don’t have any ideas of your own.  It’s amazing what a bit of brain-storming can come up with.  Try to think outside the box!  Once you have decided that you are definitely going to take part, fill in a registration form and send it to me at suelovesbellydancing@gmail.com or fax to (07)4194 9555.  It doesn’t matter if you haven’t hashed everything out yet.  I just need your name and contact details and any ideas you may have.  Once you know exactly what you want to do and have settled on a date and arranged your venue, send a 2nd form in with the final details.
Then it’s up to you to get your event rolling.  If you need help with advertising, promotion etc – get in touch with Black Thorn Corrosie she is looking after this area and has heaps of experience.  Make sure that any sign-in forms or other documentation you use in your event has the Shimmy In The Sun logo very clearly included.
Keep records.  This is very important.  Make sure that you know how much money you have collected; keep receipts and other records of how much the event has cost.  Do your best keep this to a minimum.  Try to get your venue for free or at least at a reduced cost.  Local newspapers, radio etc are often eager to promote fund raising events for free.  Corrosie can help with press releases if you need it.  Make sure that Shimmy In The Sun (and your own logo) is included in any advertising.
Once you have collected your funds and know how much you have raised, let me know and then deposit those funds directly to the Appeal or into our bank account.