As the festive season approaches, there’s no better way to spread some joy than to give back to your local community with Christmas fundraising. From themed events to workplace initiatives and school activities, there are loads of ways to raise funds and help us bring smiles to children’s faces this festive season. Below are some creative Christmas fundraising ideas to help you get started.
Christmas charity ideas UK
Give fundraising a go this year with these Christmas charity ideas, suitable for the whole family to enjoy. Charity fundraising at Christmas is the perfect way to get together with loved ones and give back to your local community.
1. Christmas fair
Christmas fairs are a well-loved British institution. If you’re part of a local organisation, club, or community group, why not challenge yourself to host one? You could invite local people to sell Christmas-themed crafts, gifts, and homemade goodies.
Games, raffles, and entertainment such as carol singing also go down a treat. You can charge an entry fee and donate the proceeds to the charity. It’s a fantastic way to bring the community together while raising money for a good cause.
2. Santa-themed fun run
Organise a local fun run where participants can dress up as Santa, elves, or reindeer and run (or walk) a route. Entry fees and sponsorships can be donated, with bucket collections to raise awareness. Fun runs are a great family-friendly challenge.
3. Christmas raffle or auction
With people feeling generous around Christmas, it’s the perfect time to take part in a raffle or auction. Festive items such as hampers, decorations, and local business vouchers for prizes make ideal gifts. Why not run your own festive raffle or auction on behalf of Leeds Children’s Charity at Lineham Farm or take part in ours?
4. Donate to a Christmas campaign
Want to give back this Christmas, but feeling strapped for time? Sending donations is just as worthwhile as fundraising. And there’s no better time than December.
Here at Leeds Children’s Charity at Lineham Farm, we’re excited to be participating in the Big Give Campaign! From December 3rd to December 10th, every donation made will be doubled, giving you the chance to make an even bigger difference.
5. Attend a festive event
Christmas is a time for having fun with family and friends. What’s more fun than a festive family day out, complete with meeting Santa! Our Christmas giving event takes place on the 7th December and we are collecting gifts for local children.
Why not come and visit Lineham Farm to drop off a gift under our tree? There’s chance to meet our animals, explore, and enjoy a stroll through our woodlands. We’ll also have some Christmas crafts, hot chocolates and mince pies!
Christmas fundraising ideas for work
Get stuck into these Christmas work fundraiser ideas and ignite your team around a common cause. Raising Christmas donations for charity all together is the ideal festive team building activity.
6. Christmas bake-off
Relish in a bit of friendly competition by bringing a Christmas bake-off to your office. Employees can bake their favourite festive treats, and colleagues can donate to taste the delicious entries. You could even hold a vote for the best baker, with the winner receiving a small prize, and all the funds raised going to charity.
7. Festive dress-down day
If your office has a formal dress code, why not give staff the option to donate to wear casual or festive clothes for the day? You could go all the way and ask staff to wear their favourite Christmas pyjamas! Place collection buckets around the entrance to your building and set up an online fundraising page to collect donations.
8. Christmas jumper day
One of the simplest and most enjoyed fundraising ideas for work is a charity Christmas jumper day. Ask people to wear their best (or worst!) Christmas jumpers and donate to charity. This simple yet effective idea always puts smiles on people’s faces.
9. Office gift wrapping service
Set up an in-office gift wrapping service in exchange for donations to Leeds Children’s Charity at Lineham Farm. Gather your most effective present wrappers and create a wrapping station. Employees can bring in their Christmas presents to be beautifully parcelled up, for a small fee that goes directly to the charity.
10. Christmas raffle or secret Santa
A raffle is a foolproof Christmas fundraising idea, where employees can donate gifts or vouchers as prizes. Alternatively, put a charitable twist on Secret Santa by asking those taking part to make a donation to Leeds Children’s Charity as part of their gift.
11. Christmas quiz night
Bring everyone together with a festive quiz night at the office. Teams can pay an entry fee to participate, with questions ranging from Christmas trivia to general knowledge. It’s a great way to have a few drinks together, while raising funds for charity.
Christmas fundraising ideas for schools
School Christmas fundraising ideas to bring your students, staff and parents together around a common cause. Be inspired by these simple but effective ways to raise Christmas donations for charity for schools and nurseries.
12. Festive bake sale
Everyone loves a sweet treat at Christmas. A Christmas-themed bake sale is a fun and delicious way to raise money. Host it at school during break time and get kids, parents and staff involved in baking treats like mince pies, gingerbread men, and yule logs.
13. Festive film club
Run a festive film club, where students can pay a small fee to watch a classic Christmas film after school or during lunch. You could play the film on a projector screen, with cosy beanbags and blankets, serving popcorn and drinks. Sell tickets with the proceeds going to the charity.
14. Christmas card competition
A card design competition is the classic Christmas fundraising idea for schools. Pupils can have fun creating their own festive cards, and parents and teachers can buy the winning designs, with all profits going to charity. As a bonus, every child gets to keep their original card design and give it to a loved one.
15. Christmas fair
Does your school host a Christmas fair? If not, now might be the time to try one! Fairs are fantastic for bringing students, teachers, and parents together to sell festive crafts, baked goods, and homemade gifts. Include games, carols, and a visit from Santa to make it an exciting family event, with all proceeds supporting the charity.
16. Christmas dress day
There’s nothing cosier than a Christmas dress down day, where students and staff can wear their favourite festive jumpers, outfits, pyjamas or onesies. It’s a fun and simple way to raise funds, and it brings some extra festive spirit to the school.
17. School choir carol singing
Do you have a school choir? Whether you do or not, Christmas is the perfect time to get children together to put on a carol singing performance for the local community or at a school event. Donations collected during the performances can be donated to the charity, and it’s a wonderful way to spread festive cheer.
Have you been inspired by these Christmas fundraising ideas for schools, workplaces and individuals?
There are so many ways to get involved with the charity this Christmas, we hope you feel excited by some of the fun Christmas fundraising ideas we’ve shared. Every pound raised helps Leeds Children’s Charity at Lineham Farm continue its vital work supporting children from backgrounds of challenge and disadvantage.
Whether you’re having a go at your own Christmas fundraising challenge, or you want to get involved with our festive fundraising campaigns and activities, we massively appreciate your support. Together, we can make sure that every child in Leeds experiences the magic of Christmas!
Can you support us?
Your donations keep Lineham Farm a special place for the children in Leeds who need it most. If you can donate monthly or as a one-time gift, please click here to find out more.
Perhaps you are part of a business that could support us? Find out about our business supporter packages and how your organisation can get involved in brightening children’s lives.
If you want to find out more about the work we do here at Lineham Farm, read about our impact. We’re on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and X. Please also keep an eye on our events page where we’ll add more upcoming experiences you could get involved in.