The British Judo Trust is a charitable organisation which aims to support the development of the sport across the UK in more targeted areas and for more targeted people. One of the first fundraising activities for the charity is a ‘Judo in July’ themed fundraising month.

Thanks to this initiative, organising a fundraising event at your Club has never been easier! By getting involved you will be provided free of charge with everything you need to have lots of fun whilst also raising some extra funds for your Club!

Any Club that organises a fundraising day or activity as part of the month of judo will keep 50% of the total amount of money raised by their club. The other half of the money raised will go to the British Judo Trust, to the benefit of the sport across the UK as a whole.

The fundraising month will be an annual initiative, and we’re encouraging as many clubs as possible to get involved. We recognise that lots of Clubs will run their own fundraising events throughout the year, but hope that the national fundraising month will prove to be a unique opportunity for clubs to be provided with specially developed resources which will help them to raise some extra money for their own purposes.

Getting involved is really straightforward – the process is as follows:

•  Contact your local Club Development Officer or send an email to info@britishjudotrust.org.uk to register your interest and to request a free fundraising pack

•  Once you receive your pack, use the information enclosed to help you decide on a fundraising activity, a date and a location

•  Use the templates provided in the pack to promote your fundraising activity within your Club, in your local area and on the British Judo Trust website

•  Have fun whilst raising money for your Club and for judo in the UK!

As an incentive for clubs to get involved, we are offering a VIP box at the 2007 Fighting Films GB Judo World Cup for Men to the club that raises the most money, £200 worth of BJA merchandising vouchers to the club that raises the second highest amount, and £100 worth of BJA merchandising vouchers and a visit from a British Judo Trust Ambassador to the club with the most innovative fundraising idea.

Some frequently asked questions about the Trust are answered below. For further information on the fundraising month, or any other aspect of the British Judo Trust please see the website www.britishjudotrust.org.uk or contact Jo Duff on info@britishjudotrust.org.uk or 01509 631670.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is a charitable trust?

To become a charitable trust an an organisation must have purposes which are all exclusively charitable, and it must be set up for public benefit. A ‘purpose’ is the overall goal of a charity, and is what a charity aims to achieve from the work that it does. This will be clearly set out in the charity’s governing document.

Why was the British Judo Trust created?

The Trust was created to complement and enhance the existing development work of the British Judo Association, and to enable the sport of judo to be made more accessible in more areas of the UK and to more people. The scope of current development work is dependent on the level of funding received from the sports councils, and therefore is only able to do so much. The creation of the Trust will make extra funds available in more areas and to more people, therefore helping to accelerate the development of the sport within the UK.

What causes will the Trust support?

The Trust has set charitable objectives that govern what causes it can and cannot support. The primary aim of the Trust is to generate additional income that can directly support the development of the sport of judo within the UK. This will be done by providing extra funding within the three key programmes of widening participation, developing people and facility development.

Why doesn’t the BJA support those causes already?

The BJA does support these causes already, but only has a limited amount of resources and funding, and therefore can only do so much. Most of the funding that is currently received is ring-fenced and has to be used for very specific projects in certain areas. The extra funds generated by the Trust will extend the development of the sport into more areas and help to reach more people.

Who can apply for grants from the Trust and how do they go about it?

Applications will be welcome from any individual member of the BJA, or any judo club that is registered with the BJA. A set application form will have to be fully completed, and applications can be submitted at any time throughout the year. The Board of Directors of the Trust will meet twice a year to decide which applications should receive grants. Full details of the application process will be available on the website www.britishjudotrust.org.uk

How can I get involved in fundraising for the Trust?

There are various ways in which you can get involved. Individually you can sign up to become a bronze, silver or gold member and supporter of the Trust, you can also encourage your Club to get involved by joining in the National Fundraising month! Further information on all the Trust’s fundraising initiatives and how you can get involved can be found on the website www.britishjudotrust.org.uk