FAQs

What is Crusaid’s Walk for Life?
It’s a 10km sponsored walk through central London, to raise money for people living in poverty and affected by HIV & AIDS in the UK and Africa. It’s a great day out too, and a fantastic opportunity to take in the sights, keep fit and raise money for a good cause. Oh, and it’s also Europe’s largest fundraising walk for HIV & AIDS.

When is it?
Sunday 1st June, 2008. Put the date in your diary.

Where is it?
Potters Fields Park (that big bit of park between Tower Bridge and City Hall. You can’t miss it.) Find out more about how to get there here.

Who can take part?
Everyone can. And when we say everyone, we mean EVERYONE. The walk is wheelchair, pushchair and even pet friendly. Age is no barrier, so you can bring your whole family. Or you can come on your own and make friends on the day.

How many people take part?
Last year, it was 2,300. This year, we want more!

What’s the deadline for registering?
We’ll close online and telephone registrations on Tuesday 27th May – but don’t worry, you can come along and register on the day of the walk. Arrive early though – when we’re full, we’re full!

Please note that there is a £10 on-the-day registration fee that will be charged to walkers who register at the event village on the day of the event.

How much does it cost to take part?
Like many of the best things in life, it’s free – as long as you register by Tuesday 27th May. You are very welcome to come along and register at the event village on the day of the walk, but there will be an on-the-day registration fee of £10.

But provided you do it in advance, it won’t cost you a penny to register, or to set up an online fundraising page. We’ll even throw in a free t-shirt, medal and goodie bag to say thank you.

How can I find out my Walker ID number?
We will include your Walker ID number on any letters we send to you in the post. But if you don’t have these to hand and need to know your Walker ID urgently, just give us a call and we’ll let you have it.

How do I collect my free t-shirt and goodie bag?
You’ll get your t-shirt when you check in on the day of the walk, and we’ll give you a goodie bag as you cross the finish line. Please wear your t-shirt as you walk the 10km, to help raise awareness of both Crusaid and our Walk for Life. There will be a range of sizes to choose from – first come, first served!

Can I organise a team?
Absolutely. If you're the leadership type, just create a team as part of the registration process. If you've already registered as an individual but decide you want to join or create a team, just log in and follow the instructions to set up a team. Then let your family, friends and colleagues know that your team is ready for them to join. Once your team is set up, you can motivate each other to get the fundraising rolling in.

Find out more about how teams work in general here.

Find out about organising a charity team, which means 75% of your fundraising will go to that charity, here.

What happens on the day of the Walk?
We’ve kept it nice and simple. The walk starts and finishes in Potters Fields Park (nearest tube stations are London Bridge and Tower Hill) and you can check in from 10am. We cut the ribbon at 12pm, and then you’re off. The route will be well marshalled, so you’ll be free to concentrate on taking in the sights, enjoying the atmosphere and making the most of the day.

Whether you’re striding, toddling, ambling, rolling or strolling, the walk should take you around two or three hours. We do however suggest that you aim to cross the line by 3.00pm, as that’s when the afternoon’s live entertainment begins – and you don’t want to miss it.

Isn’t 10km quite a long way?
For someone like you? Never! It probably sounds like a bit of a hike, but once you’re on your way, you’ll realise that it’s anything but. Think of it as a hearty weekend stroll, rather than a physical challenge. Most people find that two or three hours is plenty of time for the walk.

What happens when I’ve finished?
The walk goes in a big circle, so you’ll end up back at Potters Fields Park. When you cross the line, you’ll be showered with refreshments, gratitude, a goody bag and even a medal. You’re then free to sit back, cool down, enjoy the after-walk entertainment and relax in the knowledge that you’ve just done a very, very good thing.

Should I bring the money I’ve raised offline with me on the day of the walk?
No – please send it to us afterwards. We don’t have the facilities to store or process it on the day of the walk.

How do I send Crusaid the sponsorship money I’ve raised?
If you’ve raised money online, then you don’t have to do a thing – it will come through to us automatically. One of the reasons we encourage people to fundraise online is that it’s just so easy.

If you’ve raised money offline, then please don’t bring it with you on the day of the walk – send it to us afterwards instead. Just count your cash and cheques, then write a cheque (payable to Walk for Life) for the equivalent amount and send it together with your completed sponsorship forms to:

‘Crusaid, FREEPOST SW5453, London, EC2B 2BR’

When you send us your sponsorship money:

• Make sure that all cheques are made payable to ‘Walk for Life’

• Write your walker ID on the back of every cheque you’ve received from family and friends

• Write a cheque for the total amount of cash you’ve collected (and write your walker ID on the back of this too)

• Don’t forget to enclose a copy of your sponsorship forms, including the address details of your sponsors, so that we can claim back the Gift Aid, making your donation worth even more.

What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid doesn’t cost you or your sponsors a penny, but it will add almost a third to the amount of money Crusaid receives.

If your sponsors are UK taxpayers, the Government will pay Crusaid an additional 28p for every £1 they give if they tick the Gift Aid box when sponsoring you and fill in their name, residential address and postcode. Their residential address is a requirement for a valid Gift Aid claim, so please encourage your sponsors to provide this.

Sponsors must be paying income tax, capital gains tax or tax on interest from savings in this tax year of an amount at least equal to the tax that we will reclaim on their donation.

Will I have to raise a minimum amount?
No you won’t. Every contribution we receive is hugely appreciated, so just try to raise as much as you can. But if you want to give yourself something to work towards, the average amount each walker raised last year was £140. And if you feel like really going for it, you can aim for one of our top fundraising prizes. You’ll get rewards for reaching £200, £500 and £1,000.

Can I count Gift Aid towards my fundraising total?
We don’t include Gift Aid when calculating fundraising totals. So in order to claim a fundraising prize, you will have to have raised £200, £500 or £1,000 before Gift Aid is added.

Do the prizes for raising £200, £500 and £1,000 apply to teams as well as individual walkers?
Individual walkers will receive a prize if they raise £200, another prize for reaching £500 and yet another prize for reaching £1,000. We do like to show our appreciation for all your hard work.

Please note that prizes are not given to teams as a whole. So, for example, if a team of four people raises £200 in total, made up of each team member raising £50 each, we won’t send out a prize. Sorry to be strict, but there is a limited number of prizes to share round.

When will I get my fundraising prizes?
Walkers who've managed to raise £200 or £500 will be able to collect their prizes on the day of the walk, from Potters Fields Park. Please bring along proof of your fundraising total - so a print-out of your fundraising page (if you have been using an online fundraising page), and/or a copy of your sponsorship form(s).

If you reach any of these fundraising targets after the day of the walk, contact us and we'll send you your prize, subject to availability.

'Star fundraiser' prizes, which will be given to those amazing people who manage to raise £1,000 or more, will be sent out after the walk. We close online fundraising pages on 1st September 2008, after which we'll finalise the list of star fundraisers and send you your prizes. Any money you send in after 1st September will be gratefully received, but unfortunately we won't be able to count it towards your fundraising total.

What if it’s the day of the walk and I haven’t raised any money yet?
Please still come along. You can always make a personal donation – whatever you can afford – on the day or after the event, and we’ll be delighted to have you walking with us to show your support for Crusaid. And don’t forget you can keep fundraising after the walk has taken place. You’ve got plenty of time!

Who organises Crusaid’s Walk for Life?
Crusaid does, working in close partnership with a number of experienced organisations who know how to put on an event of this size.

Is this the first Walk for Life?
No, it’s our 19th! And, with your help, this year’s will be the biggest and best yet.

Will my online fundraising page get listed on search engines?
Search engines sweep all the information, including fundraising pages, on Crusaid’s Walk for Life website, so your page could be listed.

We hope this has answered your questions. If not, just give Crusaid’s ever-eager Walk for Life Team a call on 0845 367 0180 or walk@walkforlife.co.uk They’ll be happy to help.