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Organizing events for children and young people involve specific planning aspects, particularly health and safety issues. If you are a teacher or other professional, much of the following will be obvious, but there could still be suggestions that you might find useful.
Fundraising events
Ask the charity, shelter, etc, well in advance if you can hold a fundraising event for them. Involve them as much as possible in your planning. They may well have fundraising expertise that could prove invaluable to you. They might also be able to supply you with badges, stickers, etc, that you could sell at the event.
If possible, stimulate the children’s interest in advance of the event with a visit to the shelter or a talk and slide show from a representative of the charity. This will enthuse them and give them an understanding of the purpose of the event.
Planning
You cannot begin planning early enough when
organizing a fund-raiser. Once you have decided what you want to do, you will need to think about:
- Informing parents: parents may be keen to get
involved in the event, so let them know your plans
as early as possible. You may also need their
written consent for some activities. For example,
on the generic sponsorship form provided in the Teachers'
Resources section, there is a space for the
parent or guardian's signature.
- The venue: will it be suitable for your event? Are there sufficient power points, toilets, kitchen, seating, etc? What about parking facilities? If it is an outdoor venue, do you have contingency plans for poor weather? Will the owners allow you sufficient time for setting up and clearing away?
- The costs: what initial outlay will you have? Can you be sure that you will cover your costs? Will there be an entrance fee? If so, will this cover refreshments? Are there any hidden extras?
- Insurance and health and safety: check that your event is fully insured, and that all health and safety requirements are met (your local council or LEA should be able to advise you on this). Make sure that you will have a qualified first-aider present and that all fire exits are clearly marked.
- Publicity: tell the local press well in advance about your event and invite them to send along a photographer. It is a good idea to phone them again the day before, just to check that they will be able to send someone. The charity might well have its own publicity officer who could also promote the event. Don’t forget about advertising it on the World Animal Day website. Get the children to make posters and ask local shops to display them.
The WAD logo can be downloaded here
for use on posters, stickers, t-shirts, etc. Ask parents to promote the event at their own places of work. In short, tell everyone!
- Organizational support: don’t try to do too much! Make sure you have plenty of support from colleagues and parents, both in the planning stages and at the event itself. Involve the children in this as much as possible.
Print off and adapt the Big
Day Checklist to help with your planning.
- Marking the opening: will you have something special at the opening of your event? Could you prepare a special song with the children? Will someone perform an opening ceremony (for example, someone from the charity, a local council dignitary, etc)? If so, remember to book them well in advance as diaries fill up quickly.
- At the event: appoint older or more responsible children as stewards for the event, but brief them well in advance so they know exactly what is expected of them. Give them badges so that visitors know who they are. It might be a good idea to have your stewards working in shifts so that they also have the opportunity to join in the fun. Make sure that you have several adults at hand to deal with any crises that might occur.
After the event
- Make sure that you have adequate volunteers to help with the clearing away process. The venue owners will expect it to be left as you found it. Make sure that any equipment borrowed is returned to its rightful owner.
- Nominate one of the children to send in
a report about the event to the World Animal Day website. As far as possible,
include the children’s own photographs, drawings, written work,
etc, which we can then use to inspire other
teachers!
- Work out your profits and pass them on the recipient charity as soon as possible after the event. You could ask the local press to cover
this with a photograph of the children handing over the cheque.
- Make sure the charity tells you how they spend the money, and pass this information on to the children.
- Congratulate yourself and the children on a job well done. And remember, it’s never too early to begin planning for next year’s event!
Celebration party
You might just wish to hold a World Animal Day celebration party. This could be a fancy dress party with refreshments, or just an animal-themed version of your usual games, quizzes, etc. Whatever you choose, planning in advance is advisable. Here are a few points to bear in mind.
- Let parents know in advance what you are planning, and accept any offers of help. Anything out of the ordinary is bound to cause
excitement among the children, which is bound to cause
over-exuberance.
- If you are planning an event with refreshments, check for food allergies and monitor this carefully at the event. In the excitement it could be just too much of a temptation to try forbidden foods!
- You might like to organize music for dancing, which could be as simple as some favourite CDs or as elaborate as a mobile disco. Make sure you have all the necessary power points and that equipment is fully functioning to avoid disappointment. Also, check out the musical tastes of the party-goers – teenagers can be especially disparaging about older people’s musical tastes.
- If you are working with teenagers, some of them will almost certainly be in a band, so why not let them use the event to show off their skills? However, it is wise to check out quality and content well in advance and to monitor the sound levels closely.
- Your party will be a bit more special if you can you can give small prizes for the best costume, the winners of quizzes and games, etc. Have a good supply of these relevant to the age and sex of your group. You could make these animal-themed, perhaps bought from an animal charity.
- Remember to take photographs and send them in to the
website to act as an inspiration for others in
years to come.
Visits and visitors
If you are celebrating World Animal Day with a visit to a zoo, wildlife park, or similar, book your group in well in advance. Most of these venues have an education officer who would be delighted to put together a special programme if given enough warning. Other points for consideration are:
- Transport – book this well in advance and ring a day or two
beforehand to make sure that everything is all right.
- Insurance – will you need special cover for the day?
- Parents – it is advisable to tell parents about the trip well in advance and ask them to sign a consent form.
- Additional adult support – make sure you have plenty of adult help. Parents could be invited to help out here.
- Don’t forget to send a thank-you letter to the venue after the visit. They will also appreciate notes written by the children.
If you wish someone from an animal charity or similar to talk to the children about their work, brief them well in advance about
the age and expectations of your group. Make sure you have any necessary AV equipment and have refreshments available. Don’t forget to get the children to write a letter of thanks afterwards.
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