We know that this winter will be more difficult to a lot of people in our community. The Bridge (East Midlands) has been supporting vulnerably housed people since 1993 and our journey started from Christmas Shelter in 1993. Currently we support approximately 6,000 people a year. Last year 88% of our clients have been prevented from or overcame homelessness. The remaining 12% represents the complexity of the cases we have been seeing with more clients reaching crisis point faster than ever. Therefore, the work we do is even more impactful than ever!

We can only continue to do what we do with the support of our local community, including businesses. As such we ask you to take part in our CEO Sue Langleys Give a Dame Fundraising Competition, which is part of our A Place for Good Winter Campaign.

Despite darkness of the cost-of-living crisis affecting our clients in such a significant way and being challenging for so many people in the community in general, we want to spread some cheer this Winter. We focus on whats kind, positive, impactful, and fun!

Sue reaches out to fellow CEOs and MDs to join us for some fun, unapologetically do something spectacular this Winter and raise crucial funds to support our Services.

Give a Dame Challenge:

On Friday 9th December dress as a Pantomime Dame and commit to complete your duties in a fancy dress. If the date doesnt work for you pick up any suitable time in November or December.

Set up your Just Giving page to track the progress of your fundraising on the day. Please use the link below to open your page under the Give a Dame campaign.

Set up your fundraising target. Please consider £1k mark - equivalent to the cost of a week's worth of groundwork for one of our Outreach Team colleagues to identify clients who are rough sleeping.

On the chosen day reach out to your network to help you complete the challenge as soon as possible by sponsoring you.

Rules:

1. You need to dress as a Pantomime Dame on the chosen day and post the updates on your social media channels without shame! Please tag us @TheBridgeEM and use hashtag #giveadame #aplaceforgood

2. The challenge day is Friday 9th December 2022 but if that doesnt work for you, please pick up any day in November or December which is suitable for you.

3. The sooner you hit your fundraising target the quicker you will be able to escape the challenge and change to your professional clothes, but we encourage you to stay in your costume all day to raise awareness.

4. Make it clear to your network that by donating a minimum of £250 they have a power to give you additional tasks to complete: e.g. prank someone on the street with Its behind you trick. They need to clearly state on your Just Giving page that their generous contribution is the Task donation.

5. Please make sure that all donations and pledges are completed through your Just Giving page at the end of your challenge day and no later than 14th December.

Competition:

We aim to invite minimum 4 local business leaders to join the Give a Dame Winter Fundraising Challenge for The Bridge (East Midlands). By entering you agree to be in competition with them for a title of The Bridges Dame 2022.