Date: Whenever you choose
Location: Wherever you choose
Calling all animal lovers and cake connoisseurs. Show your support for the dogs and cats who need us by hosting your own Canine Cuppa Club tea party. Register today to get your free tea party pack!
Whether you're a proud dog owner or just like a sweet treat (or several), Battersea's Canine Cuppa Club is open to all. So gather your friends, family or colleagues for a feel-good time. And make sure to leave plenty of room at the head of the table for your furry friend too.
Whoever you choose to invite, every cuppa makes a difference as you raise vital funds to help the animals in our care. Sign up for free today, and we'll send you everything you need to make your tea party a success.
HOW IT WORKS
- Sign up – Sign up today and get your free tea party pack.
- Plan your Canine Cuppa Club – You’ll need to decide where, when and who you’re going to invite. Your pack includes fundraising tips, games and activities for your event, as well as decorations.
- Spread the word – Use the poster in your pack, or our digital resources to share an invite via WhatsApp or social media.
- Set up your JustGiving page – This is a great way to collect donations digitally at your event. You’ll also receive a collection box for anyone that would like to donate by cash.
- Host your event – Enjoy some treats while doing something good!
HOW YOUR CANINE CUPPA CLUB COULD HELP
Battersea treats all donations as unrestricted and will spend these where the need is greatest.
- £50 could help provide a session of specialist hydrotherapy to get a Battersea dog back on their feet after surgery and improve their quality of life while they wait to find their new home.
- £100 could help nervous cats settle in when they first come to Battersea, by providing them with a cat tree, scratching post and treats to make the place their own.
- £300 could help provide specialist bedding to keep animals comfortable and warm after surgery.
Your Support
By taking part in Canine Cuppa Club, you'll help us continue to be here for every dog and cat, however they need us and wherever they are.
Your fundraising could help animals like Pearl, a four-month-old kitten who was brought into Battersea after being found limping around a park. As her back leg was bent at an unusual angle, Battersea’s Clinic team determined it would need to be removed as it was causing her discomfort. However, despite her challenges, it didn’t take her long to find a new home where she now loves to leap around and has even developed a talent for catching flies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Canine Cuppa Club is all about bringing people together by hosting a tea party to raise money for Battersea, so we can be here for every dog and cat. It could be with friends and family at home, with colleagues at work, or with your local community in a village hall.
You can host your event whenever suits you, and your guests!
Planning your Canine Cuppa Club tea party is nice and simple. Sign up for free and we’ll send you a tea party pack in the post. The pack contains resources and materials to help you organise and decorate your event. We ask that you only use these materials for your Canine Cuppa Club in aid of Battersea.
We’ll also send you emails with information and tips. You can email us at any time at doyourownthing@battersea.org.uk if you need further support or have any questions.
We recommend setting up a JustGiving page, as this is a great way to collect donations online at your event. You can set up a QR code to make it super easy for your guests to donate too. You’ll also receive a cardboard collection box in your pack, for anyone who would like donate in cash. You could ask for a donation to attend your tea party, or ask for a donation per sweet treat, or both. Your pack will also include different fundraising games you can play at your event.
We ask that you use the expression "in aid of” to describe how you are raising funds at your Canine Cuppa Club – this distinguishes your fundraising activities from our own and signifies that all aspects of the event are organised by you.
Digital versions of all the resources found in your tea party pack can be found online here, which you can print at home. Please email doyourownthing@battersea.org.uk if you’d like to order more pre-printed materials.
When you sign up to host your Canine Cuppa Club, we ask that you try your best to raise money for Battersea and not do anything that could negatively impact the reputation of the organisation. Here are a few things you might need to think about, depending on the nature of your event:
- Public Liability Insurance - Any person organising their own fundraising activity for the benefit of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is not covered by our insurance. This means that Battersea cannot accept responsibility for losses, costs, damage or injury to you or anyone who participates in your Canine Cuppa Club. We advise that you obtain your own cover as necessary.
- Food and Drink - Food safety laws apply when food is available at an event whether it is for sale or not. For information on food hygiene and safety legislation contact your local authority environmental health department. If you want to sell alcoholic drinks at your event you will need Temporary Event Notice licence unless you use a venue that is already licensed, such as a pub or restaurant.
- Safeguarding and Risk Assessments – It is your responsibility to ensure that you have appropriate plans for public safety, if you are hosting a public Canine Cuppa Club. This includes steps like obtaining a copy of a venue’s risk assessment. Visit the HSE website for further guidance and template risk assessments forms.
- Gambling Licenses – Some fundraising activities, including prize draws, raffles and lotteries, require a registration or licence to run. Check the Gambling Commission website to see if you need to apply for a licence.
- Marketing – We are not resourced to promote fundraising events in aid of Battersea, this is your responsibility as the fundraiser. However, we are happy to advise you on how to spread the word about your fundraising!
- Money handling – When handling money raised at your Canine Cuppa Club remember to never leave cash unattended and to count it in a secure place, ideally with a second person present.
There are a few different options for paying in cash donations from your Canine Cuppa Club once they have been banked. Please try to pay in your fundraising to Battersea as soon as possible after your tea party, ideally within a month.
You can make a single donation here on our website. Please make the donation type ‘Event Sponsorship’ and enter ‘Canine Cuppa Club’ as your event name.
You can send us a cheque by post, using our money return form. Please address this to Do Your Own Thing Team, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, 4 Battersea Park Road, London, SW8 4AA.
Alternatively, you can give our Supporter Services Team a ring on 0300 3231 216 and pay over the phone.
