Yes. There are many ways you can fundraise for your tea party group if you absolutely need money for an activity. You could put on fundraising activities in your local area, such as sponsored events, cake sales, bike rides, walks, or runs. For inspiration take a look at the support us section of our website.

You may wish to approach a local company for use of their office space, the donation of a raffle prize, or a small donation, for example. As a volunteer, you’re a fantastic ambassador for Re-engage. If you know of a national company that wants to support our core work, please do get in touch with our fundraising team so that our dedicated corporate partnerships manager can approach them directly. You can email the team at corporates@reengage.org.uk.

Many supermarkets run local community appeals. Re-engage approaches these local supermarkets for donations towards the cost of running tea party and activity groups in specific geographic areas. Please don’t make applications to them, or to the national schemes which are already approached by Re-engage for nationwide charity support.

No, please don’t make applications to trusts or foundations. Grant management requirements mean that we must be able to show that funds have been used for the purpose they were given with specific guidance laid down by the Fundraising Regulator. If you know of a trust that may be interested in funding our work, either nationally or locally, please contact our fundraising team at knowledge@reengage.org.uk.

Yes, if the funds have been raised in accordance with the guidelines, all of the money will go into your group funds for use by your tea party group. You’ll need to provide us with paperwork such as receipts so that we can show that all donations are used to further the charity’s objectives.

Between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2024, 90% of the money raised was allocated to your tea party group and administered in line with charity finance rules and best practice guidelines. The other 10% was set aside to cover costs incurred by the charity. This is no longer the case with 100% of money raised now going to the group.

If it’s a donation from an individual or a local company the donation will be allocated to your group funds. However, please do bear in mind that the charity has a policy regarding the acceptance of donations and if we’ve a concern about the purpose or size of a donation we’ll get in touch with you.

Our finance team administers all donations in accordance with Charity Commission regulations and best practice. Our auditors must be confident that we’re fully in control of funds and funding applications.

Funds raised for your tea party group must be used within our charitable objectives. Examples might include a summer outing to a local tearoom, a Christmas lunch at a garden centre, or small gifts for older guests, such as birthday presents or cakes. Please do not give older people money or spend group funds on gift vouchers.

Our charitable objectives

• To encourage older people who are lonely, isolated or in need of companionship to develop social interests by bringing companionship into their lives.
• To help older people to establish contact with their peers.
• To encourage younger people to devote some of their time to helping older people find companionship and new friendship groups.

Seasonal small gifts for older guests such as:

• Christmas gifts and cards – this could include small hampers or gift bags, advent calendars or more personalised gifts such as books.
• Easter eggs, cards, and flowers.
• Valentines’ gifts and cards.
• Spring plants and pots.

Cards, flowers, and gifts for older guests for various occasions such as:  

• Birthdays.
• Weddings.
• Greetings cards and stamps for all occasions.

Cakes and biscuits for older guests who miss a tea party.

Items for special occasions organised outside of a host’s home such as:  

• Table wear, food, presents and prizes.

Occasional treats for older guests such as trips to pantomime, theatre, restaurants, pubs, garden centres.

Please remember volunteers cannot claim for vouchers or draw out cash to give to older guests in their tea party group.

Please complete our group funds claim form, so that we can process your claims.

Please remember that you’re not able to claim for gift vouchers or cash.

People and companies give to charity so that good things can happen so it’s best practice to spend funds, rather than keep them in a bank account. We’d like to see tea party group funds spent within one year.

No. Re-engage has a duty to track all donations made to the charity, and to administer them according to company and charity law and in line with regulations set out by the Charity Commission and HMRC.

Any bank accounts related to our work need to be linked to these financial controls and would need to be administered by our trustees.