Mercury Theatre. Community. pack

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1 Mercury Theatre Community Fu ndraisi ng pack

2 It s good to know If you care about community theatre in our region, supporting Mercury Rising is a great way to show it. you re not out We ve already raised an incredible 7m through grants from Arts Council England, Colchester Borough Council and Essex County Council. We re really grateful for that, but as always, it s not quite enough. that even when front, you re right behind us. Thank you for taking an interest in Mercury Rising, the campaign to redevelop and secure the Mercury Theatre s future. It s a big project that will bring new opportunities for the region as well as improvement to existing facilities for artists and visitors. We ve come so close to realising our dreams, especially at a time when funding for such projects is limited. What money remains to be found we hope will come from the generosity of friends and supporters like you, using your energy to help raise money for the campaign. The campaign needs a 1.7m further to reach its target a big ask. That s why it s crucial that the theatre s friends and supporters get involved, spread the word, and help us find the money. Whatever you do to help, we hope you ll enjoy playing your part for Mercury Rising. Thank you again, Daniel Buckroyd, Artistic Director

3 Every penny counts Once you ve entertained or otherwise eased money out of your friends and family, the next question is where is it all going? Mercury Rising s plan adds substantially to the facilities and the ongoing success of the theatre, making it more accessible and benefitting the whole community. The combination of front of house and backstage improvements will enhance the experience for visitors and upgrade the resources for artists and the production team. These new facilities will offer exciting opportunities for the community and improve our environmental performance, also reducing energy costs. It is a big investment, but it will mean we can save money and attract new income. BUILDING A NEW PRODUCTION BLOCK REDEVELOPING THE ENTRANCE, FOYER AND CAFÉ A completely new rehearsal space available for community use is a key part of the development. IMPROVING ACCESS AND THE AUDITORIUM Long overdue, we will be making every part of our facilities accessible to people with disabilities, increasing the seating in the main auditorium and providing level access to all of our backstage facilities. Perhaps the most striking feature of the project is that it will open the building up to everyone... BACKSTAGE UPGRADE Our backstage facilities will be completely remodelled, with bespoke storage for props and costumes and greatly improved accommodation for performers.

4 Try these simple ideas for raising money No doubt you ll have ideas of your own for fun and fabulous things to do, but here are a few to get you thinking. Whatever you decide, it s easier to get more people involved if it s fun and easy for them to take part. Fundraising with the emphasis on the raisin Make cakes and scones to sell to the hungry hordes. yum! Host a quiz in your village hall or local pub with rounds for plays, shows, actors and theatre history. Anyone for tennis? Get a crowd together, dress up as you favourite theatrical character and bike from A to B. Get friends together and hold a sponsored rally, or tournament if you re feeling fit! And of course, fancy dress makes any event even more fun.

5 SIMPLY DYIN TO HELP G? Vintage costume picnic Hurrah for ham sandwiches and tea cakes! Invite friends to dress up and bring a dish. Host an Agatha Christie murder Dames for a d ay Photo Pamela Raith TA DA! mystery night. It s a book, it s a play... Host a charades party for friends and throw in a few titles from our current season. Dress up in p anto costume and make the office pay for the privile ge. Brunch or Lunch Throw a fundraising breakfast or lunch for a few or a crew. Keep it basic and it s easy to scale up. Turf out all your unwanted stuff and put it on Ebay, or run your own stall.

6 Now you re all fired up with ideas for fundraising in aid of Mercury Rising, it s a good time to consider how you ll tap into your friends and family s enthusiasm too. To make your event as big a success as can be you ll need to do some promotion. Posters Social media At work, notice board posters are the easiest way to advertise your event. Use the templates in this pack to promote your ideas and be as creative as you like, but remember to say what, why, where and when. Where: What: poster template When: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn are great ways to broaden the audience for your event both for people to take part, and people to sponsor them. Mercury Rising is a campaign to complete an extension and refurbishment of the Mercury Theatre - transforming and safeguarding the building for future generations. Press and broadcast media Advertising is expensive, even for charities, but PR isn t. If you feel your event is likely to interest journalists locally, it s well worth letting them know. Try to make it easy for them by supplying the story with all relevant details. If your event is visually exciting, ask them to send a photographer along, or take your own pics and send them. Merchandise No doubt your event will be memorable for many reasons, but you can t beat a permanent memento! If you are planning a large event or one that will require promotion, do let us know as we may be able to support you. Otherwise, we have a range of merchandise available to purchase get in touch to find out more!

7 It s supposed to be fun Break a leg? We d rather you didn t. Running fundraising events inevitably involves a degree of uncertainty on your part, but if you follow some simple guidelines you can handle any issues, maximise the potential of your event and ensure all goes smoothly. Health and safety Most health and safety issues are easily identified with a bit of forethought prior to running an event. It s a good idea to draw up a list of potential risks for your event and consider what steps you might need to take to avoid them. If you re doing a sponsored cycle ride, for example, it would be wise to check that bikes are in good order particularly the brakes that appropriate clothing is worn, and you have signs on busy roads to warn other traffic of your event. If you re manning a cake stall, you ll want to take care that food safety guidelines are followed for preparation. It s a good idea to label items and ingredients clearly (especially those containing allergens like nuts) and display and store food safely. It s well worth the time just to think through the event, consider the issues, and take action to minimise risks. Gift Aid Not so much a risk, more a reward. Through the Gift Aid scheme charities can recover the tax people have paid on the cash they hand over. It means they pay no more, but we recover 1.25 for every pound they give. When you re receiving donations from people make sure they give a name and address and agree to a declaration that they are tax payers and happy for their contribution to be considered as Gift Aid. To make life easier for you, we ve enclosed example donation collecting forms for you to use including the relevant wording and space to collect the necessary details. Data protection Individuals rights to privacy extend to how their personal information is collected, stored and processed. If you store any personal data in the course of running your event or collecting donations, it is important that you consider how you will protect that information. On the whole you should not retain any information longer than is necessary, nor use it for any purpose other than is needed, for example to comply with Gift Aid. If you re planning a larger event, contact us Larger scale public fundraising events can create considerable liability, so if you re organising a big do, it is good practice to think about all the risks, consider insurance, obtain appropriate permissions and plan things thoroughly. If you lack experience of larger, particularly outdoor events and you feel that you need advice on the legal issues, please contact the Mercury Theatre fundraising team.

8 Thanks for your support and if you need to get in touch: Call