Frequently Asked Questions about the...
Q: We’re too busy to stop working for 4 hours, but still want to help – what can we do?
A: Don’t worry if you haven’t got a full 4 hours to spare, because you can still get involved, perhaps by organising a dress-down day, or allowing employees to ‘buy’ the opportunity to leave work at 4pm in return for a donation?
Q: Are we limited to only doing this during April?
A: April will be the month when most companies will be taking part in the 4 Hour Challenge day, but the principle behind the 4 Hour Challenge can be applied at anytime of year so please don't worry if another time would be more convenient. Every bit of support counts!
Q: How can we make as much money as possible?
A: Sponsorship and cash collections are a great way to make money quickly, and auctions are also a real money spinner when time is tight. Why not have a look at our ideas page for other money-making hints and tips.
Q: How much money are you expecting companies to raise?
A: There are no pre-set expectations as your fundraising total will depend on a huge number of factors, such as the size of your company, how many people take part and where you are based. Every penny really does count though, so whether you raise £40 or £4,000 it will still make a significant contribution towards our search 4 a life-saving vaccine. To give you a guideline, it costs £270 to run a typical Meningitis UK research project for a day.
Q: How much support will we get from Meningitis UK?
A: Meningitis UK’s team of fundraisers will be on call to answer any questions you might have and advise on fundraising, and when you register we will also provide you with a full fundraising pack to help kick-start your plans and provide you with essential resources like sponsorship forms, posters and email templates. If you think they’ll be useful, we can also send you t-shirts, balloons and banners to help you publicise your challenge.
Q: What will our money be spent on?
A: Meningitis UK’s sole focus is to find a vaccine to eradicate meningitis. Meningitis can kill in under 4 hours, and every week six families have to face the devastation of such a sudden and tragic loss. Vaccines already exist to protect against some strains of the disease, but there us still no vaccine to protect against all strains including the most common in the UK – Meningitis B – which causes almost 90% of all cases. We believe that with enough support a vaccine for Meningitis B can be developed within the next few years. Your money will help us raise the £7million which is needed by our Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign in order to find this life-saving vaccine.
If you have any other queries, please feel free to email Kate on katerowland@meningitisUK.org or call 0117 373 73 73.
MeningitisUK · Registered Charity No.1076774