News

Credit crunch takes its toll on fundraising events 1

Fundraising | Lucy Harvey | 8 Oct 2008

Several black tie fundraising events have been cancelled by charities across the UK, proving that the credit crunch is already affecting the third sector.

The Breast Cancer Campaign’s second Pink Tartan Ball, which was due to be held in Edinburgh in October, has been cancelled because of poor ticket sales, and the inaugural RSABI’s Edinburgh Fashion Show Dinner in aid of landworkers has been postponed until late next year.

In the south of England the Brighton Ball, in aid of breast cancer services in Sussex, has been postponed because of a lack of support, and two separate black tie events in aid of a ward at the Royal Cornwall Hospital and the Chesil Trust charity, which enables young and disabled people to take part in water sports, have both been shelved.

Organisers from each event blame the country’s economic woes for a lack of support.

Elizabeth Gould, of Gavi de Gavi event management, who was organising the Chesil Trust dinner, originally postponed it from July until September because of poor sales but was forced to cancel it completely when ticket sales didn’t pick up.

She said: “I found it really difficult to sell the tickets even though I approached all different companies in Weymouth. It’s a real shame that the charity missed out because I had secured sponsorship from Barclays which was going to match sponsorship.”

Sluggish ticket sales

A note on the Brighton Ball website reads: “Unfortunately after much consideration and due to the current economic climate the Brighton Ball has been postponed until 2009.
This has been a very difficult decision to make, but in the interest of the charity and those guests who had planned to attend it was felt that because of pressure on individuals and companies the monies raised would not achieve that of the previous years and thus not be beneficial for this event.”

Sarah Davis, media relations manager at Breast Cancer Care Campaign, said: “It is disappointing that the Pink Tartan Ball has been cancelled - the credit crunch has been the influencing factor. Sales of tickets were a lot slower than last year and the reasons we were given were that businesses are being more careful with their budgets and tightening their belts.”

However the charity’s Pink Ribbon event in London (pictured, last year) is still going ahead on October 11.

Davis said: “The London event is well established so we have a lot of returning guests. I don’t think tickets for it have sold as quickly but it is almost sold out now.”

She added: “We have not seen an effect on individual participation or donations. At a pink aerobics event we held in Regents Park last week we had 100 more participants than last year, and we aim to raise £3.5m from our Wear It Pink event on October 31 - £200,000 more than last year.

“Often it is corporate entertaining budgets are the first to go but individuals continue to give.”

Children’s Heart event saved

And it is individual donors who saved a threatened black tie event in aid of the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, based at the Leeds General Infirmary.

The evening at the Oulton Hall hotel – which marks the charity’s 20th anniversary – was in doubt after businesses that originally pledged support in the summer were forced to withdraw because of cutbacks and redundancies.

But some businesses have now offered sponsorship money instead of buying tickets to the event on October 18, and parents of the children the charity helps have boosted ticket sales.

The Fund, which covers Yorkshire, Humberside and the North Midlands, and needs to raise £250,000 each year to pay for equipment, resources and research for the treatment of children with heart defects, has also been offered a number of auction prizes including a meal for eight at Gordon Ramsay’s Claridge’s restaurant and a football shirt signed by David Beckham.

‘Can’t be seen enjoying themselves’

Charity director Sharon Cheng said: “In the current climate business people are scared of looking like they are having a good time because they do not think it’s appropriate so they no longer wanted to buy tickets.

“They told me that because they are making redundancies it wouldn’t be appropriate to spend money on an event like this. They are willing to offer donations but do not want to be seen to be enjoying themselves.

“Fortunately we have now covered the costs of the event through sponsorship and our parent donors have saved the day by buying tables of tickets.

“It has been touch and go but it is all going ahead now and we will still make a profit for the charity which is what matters.”

Tweet