So how do I start?

Setting the budget

The first important step is to identify how much it is going to cost and set yourself a target. Work out exactly how much you need to raise and set yourself monthly objectives.

See the section on <<what’s included>> to see what extras you need to account for.

Beg, borrow and steal - Reducing your fundraising target

Well don’t steal - one way you can reduce the money you need to raise is to see where you can beg or borrow equipment from friends or relatives. Has a friend, older sibling or relative been travelling overseas before? Have you or your friends been on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition?

If the answer is yes, the chances are they probably have loads of kit lying around that they are never going to use again. You don’t really need to buy a new rucksack, torch or mosquito net and do friends have surplus expedition strength mosquito repellent left over from their trip? If so beg and borrow!

Christmas and Birthday lists

Couples do it when they are getting married and there’s no shame in you doing it when planning your project. Compose a wish list of things that you haven’t been able to beg, borrow or steal and ask that relatives buy you things from this rather than buying you a pair of socks for Christmas that you are never going to wear. For the things they can’t buy draw up vouchers for £5 or £10 to go towards the costs of flights, visas, insurance etc. Sell them to your relatives directly or ask a friend or relative to sell them on your behalf.

Get a job!

Perhaps the most common ways of hitting the target is to simply get a job and earn your way to reaching your funding target. Don’t forget that the projects are flexible and you can choose your dates. Many students who join us as part of a year out, work up to the Christmas period, have this time at home and then join us overseas in the New Year. This gives you almost 6/7 months to earn the money (if you break up around June/July).

This is by far the most successful way to raise the funds. I personally worked for six months as a security guard earning £3.80 per hour (probably illegal now!) and managed to save £3,500 to pay for my time teaching in Ghana. So it’s certainly achievable.

Let’s look at if you can do it. Let’s say you are a student earning the national minimum wage of £4.45 per hour and you work 40 hours a week.

£4.45 x 40 hours per week is about £712 per month or £4,272 for 6 months.

You need to allow for tax but it goes to show that even on a minimum wage, working minimum hours you can easily raise enough for the cost of the project, flights and all the extras and spending money. Take in a little extra over time and a job that pays more than the minimum wage (as most supermarkets and fast food operations do) and you’re home and dry.

Of course not all of us have the luxury of being students or can take a six month break, some of us are already have jobs or are looking to join in the summer holidays.

Of course there’s always a second job, maybe in the evening and / or weekends but we are the group that needs to plan a little bit further ahead and maybe consider reaching our funding target through fundraising.

Fundrasing click here>>