How to... organise an event

Fresh produce stall at the Harvest Cream Tea [CAFOD]

Whether you want your event to raise money for CAFOD or raise awareness of injustice, this guide will get you started

CAFOD supporters and volunteers often organise their own events in support of the vital work being done overseas.

This is a list of top tips for setting up an event - but please remember to contact your local CAFOD office for more support in the run-up to the day itself. The staff and volunteers there will be only too happy to help out.

Before the event

Speakers. Are you hoping for a speaker at your event? If so, book your speaker as soon as you decide to hold the event.

Choose a venue and obtain permission to use it. Make sure it will fit the number of people that you anticipate will come. (Remember, there’s nothing worse than a half empty hall – be realistic in choosing the size of your room).

Publicise your event. Send out invitations or publicise it using posters or flyers. Give people plenty of time to put it in their diaries. Events that are publicised with good notice are more likely to get good attendance. If you want to make sure you are fully prepared, ask people to register or put RSVPs on the invitations.

Safety. Your venue may ask you for a "risk assessment". This sounds very official, but all you need to do is write down what you perceive to be the risks of the event, and detail how you will address them.

Catering. Make sure that you can serve appropriate refreshments for the time of day. You can ask for donations to cover your costs.

Making your venue feel welcoming. Decorate the walls with CAFOD posters, put chairs out, have CAFOD resources – action cards, information or factsheets – available for people to read while they are waiting for the event to start. Have someone by the door to greet people as they arrive.

Recording your event. Do you want a record of your event? You could photograph or video your event. Ask someone to write a short report for your parish newsletter and the CAFOD website.

On the day itself

Fun runners for CAFOD [CAFOD]

Phone numbers. Have a list of phone numbers of everyone involved in the event, in case something goes wrong. Make sure that you take it with you.

Catering. Make sure you allow plenty of time to get food ready and greet people with something to drink as they arrive.

Clearing up. If you leave the venue as you found it, it’s likely that you will be able to use it again!

Thank yous. Make sure to thank everyone involved in making your event a success.

Checklist of useful items for an event

• CAFOD resources (campaign cards, collecting tin, information leaflets etc)
• Sticky things (glue, staplers, sellotape, blu-tack, velcro)
• Tying things (string, rope)
• Writing things (pens, pencils, marker pens)
• Paper
• Coffee, tea, milk, sugar, biscuits, water!

take action

Advent Appeal 2008 CAFOD Advent Appeal: Please send a message of support to kids this Advent at a special school run by a CAFOD partner

Shine a light in the darkness Please sign our petition calling on the world's largest mining company to listen to communities in the Philippines worried about the effect mining will have on their land - plus send a personal message of solidarity to the people of Macambol

Buy a World Gift Browse our new range of alternative gifts that act as two presents in one – something for you to give to friends or a relative, while the real gift changes the life of someone living in poverty