Following last year’s fantastic success, Little Hearts Matter will be again holding their 5 or 10k On Your Marks for Little Hearts run in sunny Worthing. The run takes place on Sunday 13 May 2012 and is the 9th On Your Marks for Little Hearts event.

It truly is a great day out for the whole family and you can run, walk or even crawl the 5 or 10k race or the children’s fun run, which this year is on the flat course right by the sea.

The event will take place on Worthing Parade from Marine Crescent to the Beach Hotel and registration will open from 9am. Further details and times will be added closer to the event.

All On Your Marks for Little Hearts events offer you the chance to not only look after your own health whilst raising funds to help Little Hearts Matter continue its vital work, crucial to so many children and their families.

All participants to the run will be asked to pay a registration fee and are all being urged to raise around £100 in sponsorship from family, friends and colleagues. All of the money raised will go directly to support the children who are born with half a heart and their families who are coping with caring for their children. If you can’t raise the whole £100 then do not worry, this is just a suggested sponsorship target and any funds raised will be gratefully welcomed.

It isn’t just the adults that can have fun racing, there will also be stalls and fun races for the children. So take the whole family to Worthing and cheer on all the runners, whilst enjoying yourself wandering around the stalls and soaking up the sun.

Head on over to the Little Hearts Matter official website – www.lhm.org.uk – for details on how to register for the race. Due to rising costs the charity are unable to include a free t-shirt with entry this year, but they are encouraging any entrants who have entered before, to wear one from a previous year.

For more events in your area head on over to Friday Ad’s ‘What’s On’ section, or to advertise your events why not place an ad now?

Picture: Martin Robson 

So Children in need is just around the corner, as is Remembrance day, and we were thinking about the many ways that people will be raising money for their chosen charities.

Over the years people have raised money with amazing feats of endurance; self sacrifice; brilliant acts of human kindness and by doing some of the most bizarre things known to man.

So how can you raise money for a worthy cause? There are hundreds of easy ways that ‘average Joe’ can fundraise and that is why I am here today with a few suggestions.

Jumble Sale
This is the most simple way that you can raise some much needed funds for Children in Need or Remembrance Day. All you have to do is gather everything in your house that you simply do not need anymore and put it up for sale. Then, once you have sold everything you can just put all of the money you have raised together and give it to your chosen charity.

You could sell your objects in a car-boot sale; however, it would be much easier if you just sell everything online. This is easy to do as you can sell everything from the comfort of your own living room. Rather than taking a thermos flask to a windy car-boot sale, you can sit on your sofa with your computer and a lovely cup of tea on the go.

This is also a great way to de-clutter your house. It is the chance you have been waiting for to get rid of all of your old clothes and unwanted belongings that are collecting dust on your shelves.

Sponsored activities
You don’t have to swim the Channel or jump out of a plane to raise money for charity. You could be sponsored to do anything. Why not do a sponsored bake off? People could sponsor you to spend 24 hours baking a massive array of cakes and savoury treats. Then you could sell your culinary delights at a local market, or at work, with all of your profits going to charity.

But you don’t have to bake, I know people that have done sponsored walks, dance-marathons, bike rides, and I even know someone who took a vow of silence for charity.

Offer your time
Now, if you have no ideas of how you can personally raise money for your chosen cause, then you could always volunteer your time. Charitable organisations are always looking for volunteers to help collect money in the street. This Remembrance Day you could offer to sell poppies at your local church or supermarket. As long as you are raising some much needed funds for your chosen charity, you will be greatly appreciated. I know it is a cliché, but every little helps.