Up for Reading - for Down syndrome support groups
Up for Reading is an easy way for Down syndrome
support groups in the UK and worldwide to raise money for a great cause
- whilst keeping up to 50% of the money raised for their own funds.
Order your Up for Reading fundraising
pack now:
order online |
contact us
Raise money for your own work
New for Up for Reading 2009 is the opportunity
for Down syndrome support groups in the UK and worldwide to use Up for Reading
as a fundraising activity to raise funds for their own work, alongside
the work of Down Syndrome Education International.
Any local Down syndrome support groups and charities taking part in
Up for Reading
can opt to keep 50% of the money they raise to support their own vital
work.
Local Down syndrome support groups can also raise money by encouraging schools and nurseries in their local area to take
part in
Up for Reading. Each school/nursery can opt to keep 25%, and
so can the local support group. The remaining 50% goes to support
Down Syndrome Education International's work for children with Down
syndrome everywhere.
10 easy steps to success
with Up for Reading
Contact us if your support group would like to work
with schools and nurseries in your local area to
encourage them to raise money for
us and for you by being Up for Reading.
Your support group can also run its own
Up for Reading
week and opt to keep 50% of the amount raised. To
run your own Up for Reading
week, simply
follow our 10 easy steps:
- Set a week, between now and 31st July 2009 to be your
Up for
Reading week.
- You can pick any week you like, although many
support groups choose to coincide their Up for
Reading week with
World Down Syndrome Day
on 21 March or the
World Book Day
celebrations in March.
- There are
many other reading events
you could mark using
Up for
Reading.
- Or you could simply choose whichever week works
best for your nursery.
- Order your
Up for
Reading fundraising
materials -
order online |
contact us
- Decide how long you would like children in your group to spend on Up for Reading
each day (this can be anything between 5-15 minutes or more).
How you decide to do this will depend on the children's ages and
reading abilities:
- For younger children, this can be as
simple as reading to them for 5 or 10 minutes each day.
- Children do not have to be able to read to take part in
Up for Reading,
they can take part simply by listening to books being read to them.
- You could read to them as a group, or alternatively ask them
to listen to stories with their parents / carers at home.
- Older and more able readers could read by themselves (with or without
assistance).
- Publicise your Up for Reading week in your
group's
newsletter or website, to let parents and carers of children know about
the event. You may want to put up some Up for Reading
posters - there are copies in the fundraising pack, or you can
download and print extra copies.
- At the start of your Up for Reading week:
- Explain to the children and parents in your group about the Up
for Reading event, and that you will be asking them to read
or listen to books for a few minutes
each day.
- Hand out the sponsorship forms to each child and tell them how many minutes per
day you would like them to read during the Up for Reading
week - you will need to ask each child's parents to help them fill in their name and
daily time on the sponsorship
form so that it is clear.
- Please explain to the children and parents that they should only approach family
and friends for sponsorship - they must never approach strangers for money or go
knocking from door to door to collect sponsorship.
- Encourage the children in your group to read or listen
to books each day during
Up for Reading week. You may like to inform
your local TV and newspapers about your fundraising activities.
- Ask your children and parents to return the sponsorship forms at the end of
Up for Reading week along with any money collected.
- Collect the sponsorship forms at the end of the week and give each child one of
the Up for Reading stickers you will find in your Up for Reading fundraising pack.
- Count up and bank the money received. Your support group can opt to keep
up to 50% of the total raised for your own funds.
Pass the remaining 50% directly to us by either:
- paying the amount direct into our bank account - if you'd
like to do this, please ask us for a paying-in slip
- writing a cheque for the amount
and sending it to us with the Up for Reading sponsorship forms.
- Return the Up for Reading sponsorship forms by post to Down Syndrome Education International
so we can enter each child's name into the prize draw.
After the event
When we receive the money raised by children at your support group, we will
send you a 'thank you' letter confirming the amount you raised, along with
a special Up for Reading certificate recognising your achievements.
Anyone raising money also has a chance
to win one of the fabulous Up for Reading
prizes