Setting up your online fundraising page

To set up your Virgin Money Giving click on start fundraising and then follow the instructions.

Set a fundraising target – Aim high! If your minimum fundraising target is £600, why not set it to £850? Cyclists who set a target raise a third more, on average, than those who don't. Make sure your first donation is a big one; it will encourage others to match it.

Add a fundraising summary – having a short and snappy summary will make it easier for supporters to spread the word on your behalf.

Tell your story – this is your chance to let everyone know why you’re taking on this challenge, what you’re fundraising for and why it’s important to you. It’s your story that will make you stand out.

We have drafted some suggested wording for you, please feel free to personalise it.

Add a photo – those who add a picture tend to raise 33% more. Stumped for ideas? A fetching photo of you in your cycling gear with your bike should do it!

How to promote your page

Facebook, Twitter - we want to hear all about it

Tweet and chat

Use Facebook and Twitter to spread the word. Link your online fundraising page to your Facebook page, create an event and invite all your friends. Make sure you tweet about your training or preparation.

Remember to follow us and mention @FarmAfrica in your tweets. We can retweet you and spread the word even further.

Regular text and video updates – going for an early morning cycle in adverse weather conditions, why not share your dedication - you’ll be your social network's weatherperson in no time! Last year, fundraisers who added regular updates on how their training was going raised 22% more than those who didn’t.

Share your page and updates – just made a witty update on your Virgin Money Giving page? Share it with your social network, as more awareness = more donations.

Encourage others to share your page – get your fans and followers to share your fundraising page with their friends. Those who share your page are four times more likely to donate than those who don’t.

Tag your friends that donate - when someone makes a donation, tag them in a Facebook post or tweet thanking them for their donation, and include the link to your page. This makes the person feel special and spreads the word without you having to ask people directly.

Include offline donations – have you received an abundance of offline donations? Why not include them on your Virgin Money page so everyone can see your true total?

Spread the word at work

Put a flyer about your event on the staff notice board, or write a story for the company newsletter. Even better, recruit some of your workmates to help out with fundraising in the lead up. It’s a great team builder.

Post-race fundraising

You’ve pushed yourself across the finish line - why not give your fundraising one last push and let everyone know of your momentous accomplishment? Your supporters will love to see a photo of you with your medal and hear about your aching legs!

We’re always looking for new and exciting fundraising stories, so if you want to tell more people why you’re taking part and what’s keeping you motivated, get in touch, Tweet us, or find us on Facebook.

Other fundraising ideas

We’ve handpicked the best fundraising ideas, from the tried and tested bake sale to the illustrious fancy dress party. Whatever jumps out at you, make the most of your fundraising potential.

• Fancy dress party - need an excuse to hold a party? Why not with a famous sports-person or African theme? You could even wear your Farm Africa running vest!
• Movie marathon - by selling tickets to your home cinema, you’ll soon be giving the local cinema a run for their money. Why not show The Lion King?
• Come dine with Farm Africa - host a dinner party and get your friends to bring an African dish. Charge an entry fee and score everyone at the end of the night. Why not try some of our delicious African recipes?
• Quiz night - feel your hard training means your general knowledge is being neglected? We reckon it’s prime time to gather one and all and show that you have both brains and brawn. Charge an entry fee for each team, and run a raffle.
• Bake sale - enjoy baking? Why not whip up a batch of sweet treats and sell them at work as well as to friends and family for £1 each? Sweet Potato, Honey or Peanut cookies anyone?
• Car wash - noticed an abundance of dirty cars on your cycling route? Why not provide your own car washing service?

We've also created some useful downloadable resources to help you with your fundraising.  If you would like any other materials to support your fundraising (t-shirts, stickers, balloons, collection tins) please contact the events team.