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Section 11

Events

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Please provide any comments you have on the redrafted code rules below. You can comment on as many rules as are relevant to you. You can also save your responses and return to them later.

You can see how rules in the current code relate to the redrafted code in the Table of Changes.

The supporting documents include Code Compliance Guides which will help you understand how to meet the requirements of the redrafted code, and a Glossary with definitions of specific terms in the redrafted rules.

11. Events

Event fundraising is a way to bring communities together to fundraise for a particular cause. This section contains standards for planning and carrying out events (including challenge and virtual events) in the UK or overseas, including getting any permission that is needed to use a site, making sure the event is safe and managing the risks responsibly.

11.1 Planning the Event

In this section, ‘you’ means a charitable institution or third-party fundraiser. 

11.1.1

You must carry out an appropriate risk assessment before holding an event. This includes:

  • Being clear who is insuring against which risk (e.g. you or a building owner);

  • Setting out specific responsibilities and risk when working with a third party.


If you are an employer, under The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 or the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 you are legally required to carry out a risk assessment.

11.1.2

You must ensure health and safety arrangements are suitable for the event you are holding.


11.1.3

You must have a plan to cover all situations you could reasonably anticipate at the event and ensure people involved understand what you expect of them.

11.1.4

You must ensure you have relevant permissions or licenses for the event and meet any relevant local guidance that applies to the event or the site.

Governments across the UK set expectations for behaviour in the countryside:

In addition, if you plan to use open access land in England and Wales, you should ensure your events follow the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Natural England also provides guidance on Open access land: management, rights and responsibilities.

More information on legal requirements for events can be found here.

11.2 Promoting an Event

In this section, ‘you’ means a charitable institution or third-party fundraiser. 

11.2.1

You must ensure materials encouraging people to take part in an event and sent to those who have signed up provide clear information about the nature of the event and how donations will be used. This includes:

  • Whether any part of the money a participant raises will be used to directly benefit the participant, for example by covering expenses.

  • Whether a participant must pay a personal registration fee.

  • Clear information about the commitments from participants.


All marketing materials relating to your event must be clear and accurate in line with the Advertising Standards Authority's rules, in particular about how the money raised by the event will be used.

11.3 Recruiting Participants and Collecting Funds

In this section, ‘you’ means a charitable institution or third-party fundraiser. 

11.3.1

You must ensure participants are aware of the following before taking part in a fundraising event:

  • Any fundraising targets they are expected to meet; and

  • Any age, level of fitness, preparation or training required to take part safely.


Legal Requirements for Recruiting Participants

In England, Wales, and Scotland, under the Equality Act 2010 you are legally required to ensure your fundraising events do not discriminate against people with characteristics protected under the law.

In Northern Ireland, you are legally required to ensure your fundraising events do not discriminate against people with characteristics protected under the law.

You can find more information about this from:

You should also consider The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 when determining whether to refuse permission for a person to participate in an event. You must ensure you have all relevant legal permissions from participants before the event.

You should also consider whether the participants should be treated as professional fundraisers. They may fall within the legal definition of professional fundraisers if they use some of the sponsorship money they raise to pay the costs of the trip/event. See section 7 for details on professional fundraisers.

11.3.2

You must ensure sponsorship forms are clear about any conditions participants need to meet to receive the sponsorship money (for example completing a marathon). If the event is then cancelled or the participant cannot meet these conditions for some reason, the person who collected the donations must:

  • Contact all donors and ask if they are happy for the money to still go to the charitable institution.

  • If they are not happy with this, you must refund the donation.

If sponsorship money is given without conditions, it automatically belongs to your charitable institution, whether or not an activity is completed.


11.3.3

Charitable institutions must have procedures or a policy to cover:

  • How you will follow up on participants who have not met any minimum sponsorship requirements; and

  • How the person collecting donations should follow up donors who have not paid.


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