Gemma Smith, Digital Communications Officer at the RSPCA, is taking on the challenge of trekking the Himalayas to the home of the Dalai Lama. She has already smashed her fundraising target of £2900 and reached over £4000, here’s how she did it...

• Two cake sales at work.  Gemma baked sets of themed cupcakes (animals and Christmas trees) priced at £1.50 each = £360
• Selling homemade Christmas cards (prices ranged from £1.50 to £2 for 5) to her guests at a curry night, where everyone paid a donation to enjoy a delicious Indian meal = £195
• Gemma’s sister hosted a tea party to boost her fundraising = £360
• Her niece did a sponsored silence and raised £120.  She also asked people to guess the number of sweets in a jar, adding another £50 = £170
• Some of Gemma’s musically-talented colleagues performed in a band night = £205
• Gemma obtained a permit from her local council so she could collect donations in shopping centres.  You will need to apply for one in advance through your local authority (or if you are in London or Essex, through the Branches department at the RSPCA HQ), and there are a number of rules you must follow.  Gemma did five shopping centre collections, raising £40-50 each time = around £250
• A clothes swap at work and a raffle of items donated by local shops = £155
• Three car boot sales = £360
• Gemma set up a Facebook page to raise awareness of her trek and an online donation page on the website JustGiving.  This is a quick and easy way to get people to sponsor you, and there’s no chasing up on your part
• Finally, Gemma employed the traditional method of collecting sponsors on paper forms and making sure to remind people to pay up!

Gemma says: "I found that holding a few large events with smaller events in between, was an effective way to raise a lot of money in a relatively short space of time."

Challenge yourself! Find out about RSPCA treks

Need inspiration? Even more fundraising ideas