Each year, since 2020, we have hosted a weekend of fundraising activities called “Do Your Bit for BUILD”  (DYB4B) when we ask our staff, volunteers, trustees, members, carers and their families to host activities that can raise much needed funds to support our continued work with people with disabilities in Norfolk.  The money raised over this weekend helps us keep down the costs that we have to pass on to our members through Membership or Booking Fees.

Now in its 4^th year, the Charity sets itself a target of raising £5,000 through events and activities organised by its members and supporters showing that it can help itself, before asking other charitable, corporate funders to help it. Would you give money to someone unwilling to help themselves?

The 2024 DYB4B weekend will begin on Friday 19^th April and run through to Sunday 21^st April.

• To make a general donation - click the DONATE button on this page
• To support a specific person or their challenge activity - click through the link next to their stories below
• To find out how you can "Do Your Bit for BUILD" - read on.......

This year’s events include:

Bake Your Bit for BUILD 

a bake sale (Saturday 20^th April 11am until 2pm) hosted at the charity’s offices in central Norwich (12 Bank Street NR2 4SE) selling donated cakes, biscuits and savouries to supporters and the general public. The sale will also feature a sale of used CDs and DVDs and a prize draw raffle and other games of chance. We need people to bake and donate cakes, biscuits and tray-bakes to sell on the day.

The BUILD Charity online Prize Draw 

the chance to win some great prizes by purchasing tickets to enter into a  prize draw. You could win one, or more of the 20 prizes on offer including a meal for 2 people at the Last Wine Bar and Restaurant in Norwich, a Luxury Food Hamper or an hours Ten Pin Bowling at Strikes of Dereham. Tickets are on sale until 7th May.  BUILD Charity Spring Prize Draw 2024  (Free single entry option available but donations encouraged).

Do Your Bit for BUILD Personal activities – these are for individual staff, members, volunteers and supporters to host themselves to raise our profile and funds. In the past they have included:

• Jam and chutney sales.
• Sponsored silences, runs, walks and bike rides.
• DIY job services and car washes.
• Work or home-based bake sales.
• Personal gym challenges.
• 5 Friends do 5 things for £5 challenge (You decide the activity and just ask each person for a £5 donation. It could be a garden party, walk, beer or wine tasting, a hosted dinner or afternoon tea party – you decide.)
• Alternatively, you could offer your skill in something like gardening, flower arranging, DIY, decorating, dog walking, pet grooming, cooking or singing and ask the person receiving the benefit to make a donation to the BUILD Charity.
• Here is a list of other ideas that you might want to do A-Z of fundraising ideas
• Or check out our new BUILD Fundraising Guide 2024

Here are some of things people have already committed to doing this year.

BUILD Member, Dean hasn't stopped since last year's fundraising activities and has been doing 57 jobs for friends and family who have donated nearly £250 in lieu of paying him. Jobs included: emptying a pond, carrying buckets of earth, helping take items to the recycling centre four times, helping to move a freezer from one address to another, pressure washed a fence, weeded and swept a drive, 'Hoovered' a fake grass lawn, loaded and unloaded heavy DIY garden shopping and drilled and plugged a wall for hanging ornament. 

BUILD Member Hayley will be doing a sponsored walk around Eaton Park on 21st April with her dog Marley. 

BUILD Members Steph and Hannah, are again making Chutney and their supporters Rachel and Janet will be making cushions, art kits and fresh scones for sale on the day of our Big BUILD Bake Sale on Saturday 20th April.

BUILD Member Fynley will follow up her Gym challenge from 2022, and her TV Challenge from 2023 with taking on extra housework duties and making a video to help other people with disabilities learn about living more independently. You can find out more and support her Fynley's Housework

Co-Chair of Trustees, Tim Taylor will be hosting a Facebook Quiz, on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st April online with sets of questions appearing throughout the day on Saturday with the answers appearing on Sunday. To join in please donate £5 (through the link below) and try your luck at answering 57 questions (one for every year we have provided services in Norfolk) during the course of the weekend. Link to it here The Big BUILD Facebook Quiz.

Trustee Chloe, and husband Xander, love playing Mario Kart and decided to tie this into the 57 years of BUILD Charity theme by doing 57 online races in a row! Mario Kart is a very fun and accessible game and they hope people enjoy watching them lose many times to some fierce competition! You can support their efforts HERE 

Trustee Helen Tully, and her husband James will be cycling 57km around Norwich and will be looking for sponsorship. Please support them and Donate HERE

Horse racing enthusiast and Chief Executive, James Kearns, will be running a Grand National Sweepstake competition, providing the first prize so that all stake money can go to our fundraising target. James' Grand National Competition

Dudley the Dog, supported by our Administration Officer Alison and husband Mark, is walking 57 miles during April providing Facebook updates of the adventures he is having along the way. You can support Dudley the Dog here HERE

BUILD Finance Officer, May Taylor has encouraged daughter Tigerlily to make crochet hair scrunchies and Gummy Bear keyrings.  

So What will be YOUR Bit for BUILD?

We recently calculated that if every individual BUILD Member, BUILD Volunteer and BUILD Member of staff each raised, or donated £40 then we would hit our target of £5,000 so now it’s up to you!

Think about what activity you can do to raise money for the BUILD Charity – have a look through our Fundraising Guide for some ideas.

1. Register your planned activity with [email protected] , so that we can set up a personal online donations page for you to share with friends and family or design a paper-based pledge sheet for you.
2. Plan your activity and make sure that it is safe to do and explain honestly to those donating what The BUILD Charity does and direct them to our website.
3. Collect cash or online donations and make sure that they are passed to the BUILD office or via The Wednesday Club no later than 10^th May.

Each person setting up a challenge can have their own personal online donations page linked via the BUILD Charity website, or a paper-based pledge form, and will have their activities promoted through general and social media to maximise their opportunity.

Good luck with your planning and we look forward to hearing what you will be doing – and thank you for making a difference.

Last year many of us took part in the Whitlingham Walkabout, paying an entry fee and collecting sponsorship from friends and family.

That included people like BUILD Members Hayley and Tina – both who have significant challenges in walking but did their “Bit” by completing a 2.25m circuit of the course, going more than the extra mile to support our services.

Volunteers Mark and Theresa roped in family and friends to take part.