When considering what type of First Aid you may need for your event, it is worth asking yourself these questions:

• Who is this event aimed at, including their ages?
• How many people am I expecting?
• What risks may be involved with the event and activities I have planned?
• How long will my event last?
• What is the weather likely to do?
• Is the venue located close to medical facilities?
• What facilities are available there?

But don’t be daunted, as a medical organisation like St John’s Ambulance will be able to give you advice about what type of First Aid you should have at your event.

If your event is open to members of the public, you will need public liability insurance. This type of insurance will help cover costs if a member of the public claims again you for things like personal injury or damage to their property. Check with the venue you're working with; they may already have insurance covering your event.

Some activities require a licence, such as:

• Collecting money in a public space
• Raffles, lotteries or auctions
• Serving alcohol
• Entertainment, including playing recorded music
• Displaying banners in public areas.

This list doesn’t include everything, so contact your local authority who will be able to advise you which licences you require.

The Food Standards Agency provides guidelines for preparing, handling and cooking if you're preparing food. And if you are using a caterer, you must ensure they have a food hygiene certificate and public liability insurance.

Here we have provided some advice for keeping money safe at fundraising events:

• Wherever possible, have two people present when you're counting money
• Cash should be collected in a secure container or secure collection box
• When carrying money around, remain vigilant; choose a safe route and try to ensure you have someone with you
• If someone does demand the cash, do not put up a fight; hand over the money and report the matter to the police at the earliest opportunity
• Bank money as soon as possible.

Here’s how to keep a collection legal:

• To collect money, you must get permission from whoever is responsible for the site where you want to hold your collection
• Street and door-to-door collections are illegal without a license; if you want to collect this way, speak to your local authority about obtaining a license
• You will need permission to collect on private property, such as a shopping centre or train station.

If children will be present at your event, ensure they have permission to take part from a parent or guardian and that they are correctly looked after. Adults looking after children should have carried out appropriate checks. For guidance, see the Government’s Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) information.

If you use external suppliers to provide equipment and services at your event, ensure that you use a reputable company. Ask to see a copy of their public liability insurance and risk assessment in advance. If anything looks unsafe on the day, stop the activity immediately.

Following the professional advice of equipment manufacturers and staff supervising facilities is essential. It's also best practice to do a risk assessment before any fundraising event. This will demonstrate that you have considered any risks around your event and have taken the necessary actions to avoid them. Help and guidance can be found on the Health and Safety Executive website.

Place2Be cannot accept liability for any loss, damage or injury to yourself or anyone else due to participating in a fundraising event organised in aid of Place2Be.

Please ensure that all materials promoting your fundraiser specify that it is ‘in aid of’ Place2Be (and any other charities you may be supporting).

There are strict legal requirements around organising raffles, lotteries and prize draws. More information about these can be found at the Gambling Commission.

As a rule, if you're planning a raffle (or any other game of chance) as part of your event and are only going to sell tickets at the event, you shouldn't require a licence.

However, you will require a license if you wish to sell raffle tickets in advance or to people not attending the event. 

Ensure that any electronic or paper records you keep about people involved in an event comply with data protection law. As a general rule, don’t keep information about people any longer than you need to, and don’t share information or data about someone without their permission. Full information can be found at the Information Commissioner’s Office.