Childrens Charity, India
Participating in a fundraising challenge for The OSCAR Foundation is a powerful way to make a positive impact on society, to create a sense of community and shared purpose. When people come together to take on challenges, whether it’s running, cycling, a charity walk, or participating in a fundraising event, they build a collective spirit that fosters collaboration and support. A challenge raises awareness of OSCAR’s work generating financial support, which enables OSCAR to make a tangible difference in the lives of underprivileged children, their families and the wider community.
“Charity challenges bring people together, raise awareness, provide crucial financial support and offer participants a fulfilling way to contribute to positive societal change.” Ashok Rathod, Founder of OSCAR Foundation
We talk to experts, Perry Sugarman from PJS Challenges and Ian Tate, Charity Fundraising Consultant for inspiration and top tips.
Perry Sugarman – PJS Challenges
What inspired you to set up a company organising physical challenges for clients?
I’ve always been a bit of an adventure enthusiast and I love to empower everyday people to discover their extraordinary potential, whether by pushing their limits, setting new goals, or embracing life-changing experiences. Most people underestimate their capabilities. Through adventure, they often discover hidden talents and newfound confidence. Over the years, I’ve witnessed incredible transformations in our clients after completing one of our adventure expeditions.
I established PJS Challenges to craft tailor-made adventures for individuals and groups. PJS takes pride in supporting local communities by collaborating exclusively with certified local guides and crews worldwide, ensuring your journey is not only memorable but also positively impacts the local economies.
Over the past 20 years, we have taken clients on countless international adventures, from conquering mountains to scenic treks and thrilling bike rides and have led numerous trips to iconic destinations like Mt. Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp, Mt. Aconcagua, Mont Blanc, Mt. Elbrus and many more. Our adventures span the Himalayas, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.
What types of challenges resonate most with clients and contribute most to the fundraising outcome?
When fundraising, a word that is often used is ‘goals’. Whether it be pertaining to fundraising targets or improving support and services.
The same is true of a great fundraising event. Donors are generally much more motivated to give if the fundraiser’s intention is reaching a goal, both physically and mentally, such as the goal of a mountain summit, a challenging bike ride or even a marathon.
For some fundraisers the goal can be less extreme but equally challenging, for example spending 5 or 6 nights under canvas or not showering for a week, it could be the harsh dry conditions of crossing the Sahara Desert or the damp conditions trekking in the Amazon Rainforest.
The best challenges are those that place the fundraiser outside of their own personal Comfort Zone, in order to inspire other to donate.
How do you ensure the safety of your clients, especially when there must be a different level of ability and fitness?
Client safety is always the number 1 priority on all our challenges. This starts with the quality and knowledge of our PJS Leaders and local Guides. All our Leaders are First Aid trained and reach our minimum levels of experience and leadership skills. We only work with the very best local guides and ground staff. All our guides are licensed and insured professionals with many years of experience and knowledge.
All our trips have health and safety assessments that are backed up by our own emergency procedures. All clients are required to have appropriate insurance cover that includes emergency evacuation. We partner with World Nomads, a worldwide insurance provider that offers suitable cover for most of our trips, for the more extreme challenges we recommend Global Rescue.
When clients sign up to our challenges, they are asked to complete our online Registration Form and Medical Assessment. During this process we obtain initial assessments of client’s health and fitness, and if needed we have medical professionals including a Mountain Trained Doctor and a Cardiologist on hand. Our team is always available to help clients with questions regarding their preparation for the challenge they are undertaking. Our website contains information and tips about training for a challenge, including a generic 16-week training plan.
For those that require a little more help, we also offer consultation and online coaching, suitable for any of our challenges.
Can you share a success story of a fundraising challenge which made a significant contribution to charity?
We have worked with many charities in the UK, USA, Europe and the Middle East. Groups of fundraisers from the young to old and experienced to beginners. Here are a couple that stand out:
A few years ago we took a group of 30 fundraisers on a 9 Day climb to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. This group contained fundraisers ranging in ages from 18 years old to 72 years old from the UK, USA, France, Switzerland and South Africa. With a PJS Challenges crew of over 125 members of staff.
This amazing group sang and danced their way to Uhuru Peak at 5,895m whilst raising over £250,000 for their chosen charity.
We also had the pleasure of leading a group from a large UK charity that supports children and families facing challenges, and adults with learning disabilities or autism. This was a 5-day trek over challenging terrain, spending nights under canvas and singing around a camp-fire at night.
With the team members raising over £35,000 for the charity.
The highlight of the trip was the unbelievable resolve of the charity’s two service users, Michael and Kaila, who trekked every step of the way with massive smiles on their faces every day.
Helping Michael by holding his hand for 5 days, over massive boulders and up and down rocky hills, listening to his jokes and experiencing his zest for life was a true inspiration for me and reaffirmed my belief that we can all take on amazing challenges in life, if we all have a positive attitude, just like Michael.
Ian Tate- Charity Fundraising Consultant – Benefact Group
Ian takes on Madagascar on 2 wheels.
What inspired you to take on physical challenges as a means to raise money for charity?
Way back in 1995, I was asked to take part in a 7-day fundraising charity cycle in Israel and ride a tandem with a gentleman with learning disabilities, who was supported by the charity. Neither of us had ever done anything like this before but after several months of getting to know each other, training, and fundraising, off we went, and had, what remains to this day, one of the greatest weeks of our lives. My tandem buddy talked about it for years to come. I have since taken part in over 50 charity challenge events in the UK and all around the world! I feel very lucky to have had so many wonderful, life-changing experiences.
How do you prepare mentally and physically for the challenges you take on?
Cycling a tandem in locations all around the world, in often very tough conditions – heat, humidity, terrain – is often as much a mental challenge as a physical one. I try to follow a good training programme, cycling solo, on the tandem and indoors at spin and watt bike sessions – the more miles the better, but it is often very difficult training in the UK for events in Asia, Africa, or South America. I always feel supported wherever I go, with some exceptional ground teams looking after us, so that all I have to focus on is getting through each day’s ride.
Can you share a memorable experience from one of your challenges?
So many to choose from but cycling the tandem all the way around Mount Kilimanjaro in 2018 was one that comes to mind, and makes me smile, very often! A spectacular challenge, taking in so many sights and sounds, including all the wildlife on view and meeting so many wonderful people from local communities.
What advice to you have for others planning to combine a physical and mental challenge?
Just do it! Especially if you haven’t done anything like this before. It’s fine to be nervous, apprehensive, unsure, but if you take the plunge and step out of your day-to-day comfort zone, you will have an experience you will remember forever, and wonder why you never did it before! And know that by raising funds, you are making a difference to the lives of so many people that need all the support they can get.
Individuals and charities wishing to learn more about charity challenges can learn from the expert, Ian Tate’s webinar How to deliver successful fundraising challenge events – Benefact Group
For more information: lucinda@oscar-foundation.org
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