Charity fundraising is regulated by law. You as a fundraiser and steps can be fined for non-compliance with legal regulations. To make sure your fundraising is legal, check these points which outline the procedures you should follow.

If you are planning to raise £1,000 or more, you must tell us in advance about how you plan to raise it. That way we can also help you with promoting your event

_{Street and door to door collections}

If you want to collect money in a public place, you must first obtain permission to do so. To collect in the street, you will need a licence from the local council who will also give you a set of rules to follow during your collection. Street collections are a popular means of fundraising so you need to apply for the licence well in advance. To collect on private property, for example in a shopping centre, you must ask for permission from whoever is responsible for it. Door-to-door collections are illegal without a licence.

_Bingo

If you organise a bingo night in aid of steps you will be exempt from the licensing requirements which usually apply to bingo games. However, the stakes and fee must be no more than £3 and the total value of prizes must not exceed £300.

_Alcohol

A licence is needed if you have alcohol at your event. The only exception to the rule is when it is not being sold and no indirect charge is being made for it (ie the ticket price cannot be increased to cover the cost of alcohol). You can obtain a temporary licence ("occasional permission") from the licensing justice at your local magistrate's court if you give notice of a month or more. You can avoid this issue by either holding your event on licensed premises or by asking a local pub to organise a bar at your venue.

_Food

Food safety laws apply when you sell food at an event. You need to be aware of these and follow food hygiene procedures. Further information can be obtained from the local authority environmental health department.

_{steps branding}

By law, steps charity registration number (1094343) must appear on all posters and advertisements that invite people to participate or help. The use of the steps logo needs to have prior approval. Please ask us for guidelines on how to use the steps logo.

_Insurance

If you organise an event that involves the public in any way, you will need to ensure you have public liability insurance. Check if your company policy covers you for such activities.

_{Lotteries and raffles}

A lottery is a game of chance in which tickets are sold, enabling the holder to qualify for a prize or money. When an element of skill is introduced then it becomes a competition and has fewer restrictions. A raffle is just another word for lottery. There are three types of lottery:

Private lotteries

• Every ticket has to be the same price, you cannot, for instance, offer five tickets for the price of four.
• When you order tickets from a supplier please ensure that you request an invoice showing the quantity and serial numbers of the tickets supplied.
• We would recommend detailing the date the lottery is to be drawn and a list of prizes on the tickets.

Because lotteries are governed by many rules we would recommend you speak to steps if you have any queries at all about the legal issues regarding an event or raffle before you organize one.