Hinckley AlterNativity Does your Churches Together, or Community Group want to hold an Alternative Christmas Gift market in your area?
If so you can download a starter pack including samples of an order form, poster, card, flyer, and the card inserts by clicking here:
Or you can read the following tips to help you get started.
1. Organising committee –
· Co-ordinator, people with finance, ICT skills etc.
· Plan ahead. (Up to a year ahead is best, next time will be easier.)
· Set up a bank account.
2. Date, venue, timing –
· Think of possible clashes with other church events.
· A central venue, with easy access, parking etc. will be best.
· Decide on a name for your event.
3. Range of charities –
· Mixture of local, national and international.
· Must all be properly registered, and known to at least one committee member.
· Keep it small for the first year, 14 – 18, you can always increase the number next year.
4. Contact charities –
· Each charity will need to provide a table display and a representative for the event.
· Need to provide a small “virtual gift” to be sold at the event, value between £1 and around £25.
· Medical supplies, small animals, school equipmentetc.
5. Card to sell with gifts-
· School competition, Sunday School project, with a small prize for the winner ?
· Allow plenty of time for printing.
6. Information on gifts –
· Charities provide this to be printed on a paper insert inside each card.
· Producing and cutting these is time consuming. Working party?
7. Local celebrity to open the event-
· Mayor and Mayoress? Local editor?
8. Publicity is vital-
· Plan a press release, send out to local press, radio stations.
· Diocesan newsletters, everyone you can think of.
· Follow it up, talk to editors, invite them to the event.
· Arrange for photos on the day.
· Design posters to go in churches, supermarkets, libraries etc. Banners in strategic places?
9. Design a Website –
· Include website address in all publicity.
10. Order Forms -
· Prepare order forms, to include gift aid facility .(See our website for samples.)
· Mail order is particularly successful, start before the event, then carry on to deadline.
· Each church/charity could have a supply to give out.
11. Plan for the actual event-
· Design simple instruction sheet for visitors.
· Badges for committee members.
· Catering – tea, coffee, cold drinks, mince pies, sandwiches for stallholders ?
· Are there enough tables?
· Plan for easy access, so that people can look at each charity stall.
· Will a table with activities for children be useful?
· Consider setting up the evening before, to prevent last minute panics.
12. Table Planning –
· 3 x separate tables, 1x gift aid (computers faster) 1x cards and inserts, 1x taking payment.
· Each table needs at least 2 x people to avoid queues.
13. Enjoy the day –
· Start with prayers, ask your celebrity to officially open the event, wait for the public to flock in.
· Have someone to greet visitors, and explain how it all works.
· Give out instruction sheet.
14. After the Event
· Wait until mail order deadline, bank all monies.
· Send cheques and forms to each charity. Stress that names and addresses may not be used or placed on the charity’s database.
15. Follow- up meeting to review/celebrate.
· Follow it up, talk to editors, invite them to the event.
· Arrange for photos on the day.
· Design posters to go in churches, supermarkets, libraries etc. Banners in strategic places?
· Make it a party! Have fun! Start planning for next year!
Contact Hinckley AlterNativity admin@hinckley-alternativity.org.uk