Fundraising ideas for schools and young people

Fundraising ideas to try at school

Whether you're after easy fundraising ideas for your school, here are some ideas to get you started:

Non-uniform day

Ask students to donate £1 to wear their own clothes. For a Red Cross twist, you could encourage everyone to wear red.

Top Tip: Add a red-themed photo booth or 'best dressed in red' competition for extra fun.

Talent show

Host an evening or lunchtime event where students showcase their talents like singing, dancing, comedy, poetry, or even magic.

Here’s how to run it:

• Sell tickets to family and friends.
• Ask for student or staff volunteers to MC or judge.
• Include short info spots about the work of the Red Cross between acts to remind people why they’re giving.

Sponsored silence

A surprisingly fun, simple and effective challenge, especially for younger pupils. They raise money by staying silent for a set time. It could an hour, half a day, or even the whole school day. It could be a silent quiz about the history of the Red Cross, including important people such as Florence Nightingale.

Walking or running relay

Pledge to walk a distance together for Miles for Refugees. Choose from six distances to cover and complete it over 30 days by running, cycling or walking. Miles for refugees sheds light on the plight of refugees around the world, and raises money to help refugees find safety and rebuild their lives.

Teacher vs student games

Whether it's football, netball, tug-of-war or a quiz competition, students love challenging their teachers. Teachers could wear red, while students wear white, to reflect the Red Cross colours.

How to make it work:

• Sell tickets for spectators.
• Offer small prizes or a trophy.
• Have a donation box at the entrance.

Dress-up day

Firstly, pick a theme. It could be superheroes, historical figures, such as Florence Nightingale, book characters, or even ‘everyday heroes’.

For a Red Cross twist encourage students to dress up as real-life heroes, like medics, aid workers, or first aid volunteers and talk about the work they do.

Bonus idea: Hold a parade or catwalk in the assembly hall and ask for small donations to enter or vote for best costume with the theme of ‘being there for humanity’.

Art fair

Get creative. Students can design and make items like greeting cards, friendship bracelets, bookmarks or festive decorations to sell.

Top tips:

• Set up stalls by class or year group.
• Students create artwork around the theme of “kindness in crisis”
• Include an info table about where the funds are going, such as emergency relief or first aid training.

Guess the teacher baby photo

Ask staff to submit a baby photo, number each one, and have students guess who’s who.

How to run it:

• Charge per entry (e.g. £1).
• Offer a small prize for the winner.
• Reveal the answers in a fun assembly or on a poster display.

For more ideas and inspiration, download the Big Red Pack. It includes resources you can use for your fundraising event, as well as sponsorship forms and paying in forms.

Big Red Pack

Have an idea? Register your event and we’ll support you with everything you need.

Learn, give, change lives

Fundraising at school is a chance to teach students about compassion and humanitarian values. By supporting the Red Cross, your school helps people in crisis while learning about real-world issues like conflict, migration, and climate emergencies.

Fundraising for the Red Cross helps young people to:

• build empathy and social awareness
• develop communication and teamwork skills
• encourage creativity and problem-solving
• boost confidence and leadership
• have a sense of community
• develop compassion and humanitarian values
• learn about emergency preparedness

We offer free resources for teachers to help bring these topics into the classroom.