Charity Fund Raising - How it Works

About the Players

Founded 1978, the Thurton and Bergh Apton Players have been performing musicals and running race nights to raise money for local charities and societies. Last year, we raised in excess of £12,000 for these good causes. Our race nights are especially well received and our experience ensures a professionally presented evening of entertainment and fun.

What does a "Race Night" consist of?

It is a fun way in which to raise funds. A well attended race night can raise in excess of £1200 for your club or society.

No licence for gambling is required for these evenings.

How does it work?

Throughout the evening, there will be 10 races screened. To win money, racegoers can either purchase a horse to run in the race (usually purchased prior to the evening) or they can visit the tote and bet on horses on the night.

The winning racehorse owner will be invited onto the stage and can win up to £40 (on Play Your Cards Right). The tote will be calculated and winning ticket holders can collect their winnings.

The horses in race six will be raffled off on the evening and the race run as a sweepstake. The horses in race ten will be auctioned on the night.

How much will you receive?

25% of all monies bet
25% of the sweepstake money (race 6)
25% of the proceeds from the auction race (race 10)
Money from the sale of horses
Sponsorship money
Admission charge (where applicable)
Bar (where applicable)

What we will supply

Staff:
· Compére
· Bookmaker
· Race commentator
· Tote operators
· Cashier
· Host and Hostess
· Judge

Equipment:
· 10 Films (8 horses in each race)
· Projector with Large screen
· Betting slips
· Full size game board with outsize game cards
· Sound Equipment
· Results board and Winning Post
· Signage (Tote, Honest Joe Bookmaker, Forecast, Bar)

What you will need to do/supply

Print race cards (see attached sample for an idea)
Find sponsors for the ten races (approx. £25 per race)
Sell 64 horses for 8 races (leave race 6 and 10 to us – sweepstake and auction races)
Advertise the event and sell tickets! For a successful night, we recommend around 100 race-goers.
Any food you wish to serve during the evening.
Drinks/Run a Bar.
Float (see below)
10 bottles of wine as runner up prizes

Horse Prices - We recommend that you sell the horses at £5 each.

Recommended Admission Charge - £5 (£6 if you choose to have cabaret)

Times - We will require 1 hour to set up our equipment prior to the event start. The evening will last around 3 hours plus interval.

Recommended Float
£200 x £5
£200 x 100p coins
£50 x 50p coins
This will be sufficient for 100 people.

How Much Does it Cost? - Our expenses are £300.

We recommend that you book a cabaret for the interval. This acts as a pleasant natural break for your guests whilst they enjoy their food and helps the evening go with a swing. We can supply cabaret on your behalf. For further details and prices (between £30 and £50), please contact myself.