A European banger rally is great fun but it is also an excellent way to raise money for charity.

Some banger rallies already have a designated charity such as the Benidorm Bangers which raises cash for Yorkshire Air Ambulance. If you want to raise cash for your personal favourite good cause you will have to check this out before you sign up.

  • After you have picked your charity it’s a good idea to set up a blog or dedicated social media page so you can publicly thank all the lovely people and companies that are going to donate.
  • Post your fundraising on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr which will help you reach out to friends and family, who can then pass on your fundraiser to their friends too.
  • Don’t forget to include why you’re fundraising for that particular charity and remember to make your posts public so they can be shared by your friends.
  • Keep the posts coming. It’s not enough to post about it once and forget it. You need to keep in contact with the people who can help you raise money.
  • You can also set up a JustGiving or Virgin Money Giving page which makes it easier to receive pledges and track donations. They are the best-known charity page providers, but they are not necessarily the best for you. Here’s some advice on charity pages.
  • Don’t be shy when it comes to asking local traders and businesses for support. Many of them make very generous donations to worthy causes but they don’t make a song and dance about it because they don’t really want to be inundated with requests!
  • Think a little outside the box when it comes to people you approach. Your local garage or body shop may love to have their name on a panel of your banger as it will feature in a huge number of the pictures you will post.
  • And what about having your local butcher’s name on the bumper? Roadkill is rather popular in many of the more remote parts of Europe you may be visiting.
  • Let the local press know you are taking part in a banger rally and that you are raising money for charity – they will publish your contact details and a link to your donations page.
  • It’s also a good way to entice other potential sponsors if you suggest you may be able to get their name in the local paper.
  • Your blog and social media will also publicise your fundraising and, once you are out on the road, keep your donors up to speed on how the rally is going (even if your banger is struggling to get up to speed!)