Bring Me Sunshine party Your step-by-step party planner & fundraising guide
2 This year, t he summer fun starts in February
Summer s starting early his year with Bring Me Sunshine parties like yours happening all over the UK this February. This step-by-step guide is full of bright ideas for every part of planning your party and raising as much as you can to bring sunshine into the lives of stroke survivors across the UK. 3
How your Bring Me Sunshine party will brighten up he lives of stroke survivors Every penny you raise will help make a life-changing difference to stroke survivors like Megan, who you can read about on page 15 of this guide. 20 could pay for the Stroke Helpline to give personalised, life-changing advice and support to callers who are struggling with the trauma of stroke. 50 can pay for training for a carer to help them understand how to better support their loved ones and other stroke survivors. 150 can provide a life-changing Life After Stroke grant to a stroke survivor. It could help pay for a ramp to access their home more easily and live more independently. Why not pick a donation target and see if you and your party guests can beat it? 4
Step 1 Choose your sunshine heme How you let the sunshine out and help stroke survivors is up to you. If you want some inspiration, we have four fabulous and fun Bring Me Sunshine party themes overleaf. 5
Sunshine party hemes British beach party Bring a day at the beach inside where the weather (and seagulls) can t spoil it. Choose seaside favourites like ice cream or candy floss and, for a truly authentic seaside treat, fish and chips. If you re feeling theatrical, end of the pier entertainment such as songs, jokes or games will go down a treat. Picnic in the indoor park Spread a blanket across the carpet or turn your kitchen table into a picnic table. Serve finger food such as sandwiches, pies and dips and play indoor lawn games such as boules or skittles. Don t forget strawberries and cream for a traditional British summer treat. Sunny afternoon tea Make your favourite cakes and teatime treats for a traditional tea party. Our sunshine drizzle cupcake recipe on Page 12 adds the perfect touch of sun to the fun. For a twist on the traditional teas and coffees, try serving summer coolers and cheeky cocktails or mocktails from teapots. 6
Bring the barbecue inside Have all the fun of a back garden barbecue indoors set out picnic plates and paper cups, make jugs of refreshing drinks and get the burgers and kebabs under the grill. 7
Step 2 Invite everyone for summer fun in winter 8
Friends, family, neighbours and workmates everyone could do with a li le burst of sunshine his February Tell everyone about your Bring Me Sunshine party! Don t be afraid to ask for volunteers to help with the organisation and if someone can t come, they can still show their support by giving a donation. Make sure everyone enjoys the sunshine: Use the invitations in this pack fill in your party details and hand them out so everyone knows about your Bring Me Sunshine party and how to dress up in sunny style. If you need more invitations, simply photocopy the sheet or request more from bringmesunshine@stroke.org.uk. Set up a Facebook group for your party it s a great way to keep your guests updated. A few days before your Bring Me Sunshine party, remind all your guests of the details the time, place and summery theme for your party. 9
Step 3 Add some sunny touches order our free party extras With these decorations, props and party essentials, your Bring Me Sunshine party will be the brightest event of the winter. Order these free extras online at www.stroke.org.uk/sunshine/order Coasters Stickers Balloons You can also download extra invitations and donation forms at www.stroke.org.uk/sunshine/download Bunting Invitations Donation Form 10
Step 4 Try our delicious recipes with a li le added sunshine Cocktails & Mocktails Swee Sunrise Orange juice Grenadine Orange slices to serve Tequila (optional) This delicious drink looks as good as it tastes. Fill a tall glass with ice. Add orange juice and a shot of tequila if desired. Carefully pour a tablespoon of grenadine down the side of the glass so it sinks to the bottom. Serve with a slice of orange sunshine and let the fun begin. Dark & Stormy Ginger beer Pineapple juice or dark rum Slice of lime to serve Feel warm on the inside no matter what the weather. Fill a tall glass with crushed ice and ginger beer. Carefully pour a shot of dark rum over the top so it floats, or top up with pineapple juice instead. Stir briefly to create storm clouds. Serve with a squeeze of lime and enjoy. 11
Sunshine Drizzle Cupcakes Ingredients 150g butter 150g caster sugar 150g selfraising flour 3 x medium eggs ½ tsp baking powder 2 x lemons 225g icing sugar Preheat the oven to 170 C or Gas Mark 3. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases. Cream the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sieve the flour and baking power and fold this into your sunshine mixture. Add the zest of one lemon. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases and bake for 10-15 minutes until risen. Allow to cool in the tin. For the icing, add the zest and juice from the other lemon to the icing sugar until it forms a thick glaze. Drizzle this over the cupcakes and add thin strips of lemon to create rays of sunshine on top of each cupcake. Sit back and taste the sun! 12
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Step 5 Enjoy your day of fun in he sun and raise as much as you can Step 6 Your Bring Me Sunshine party is all about having fun, brightening up February and raising as much as you can for stroke survivors. There are plenty of fun ways to raise money on the day here are just a few to get you started: Ask for an entry fee Don t be afraid to ask for as much as you can, it s all for a good cause. Host a quiz and charge your guests to enter Simply set some summery questions (such as naming summer songs) and award prizes or stickers for the winners. Price up your mocktails, cocktails and cakes to sell Make the most of your cocktailmaking, cake-baking skills by charging for refreshments. Create a sounds of the summer jukebox and set a fee for each song requested From Summer Holiday to Walking On Sunshine, ask for a donation for every summer hit your guests want to hear. Spread he word hat summer s here early Tell the world about Bring Me Sunshine parties and how you re helping stroke survivors across the UK. Share pictures from your party: On Facebook at TheStrokeAssociation On Twitter @TheStrokeAssoc Use the hashtags #sunshine #conquerstroke By emailing them to bringmesunshine @stroke.org.uk 14
Step 7 Send in your sunny money and you ll help more people like Megan There are three easy ways to pay in your Bring Me Sunshine money: 1 Call us on 0300 330 07 40 and have your credit or debit card to hand. 2 Send your cheque and Sunny Money Donation Form using the FREEPOST envelope provided. 3 Pay online at www.stroke.org.uk/ sunshine/donate However you pay, don t forget to post back your Sunny Money Donation Form so we can claim Gift Aid and make your money worth 25% more at no extra cost. How Megan found a new lease of life after stroke In 2013, Megan Giglia was working as a sports coach. Then, a stroke changed everything. It left her paralysed down her right side. Megan could no longer do the job she loved. She tried to cycle to help her rehabilitation, but she kept falling off.. Thanks to a grant from the Stroke Association, she was able to buy turbo trainers and rollers to use her outdoor bike indoors. By October, Megan had joined a six-month para-cycling selection camp. She s now on the Great Britain cycling team and hopes to compete at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. 15
Bring the sunshine back into the lives of people touched by stroke We believe in life after stroke. Our aim is to brighten up the lives of people affected by stroke and reduce the numbers of people whose lives are dramatically changed by this devastating condition. The Stroke Association is a charity so it s only thanks to the support of people like you that we can continue our work. Your Bring Me Sunshine party will help stroke survivors to make the best recovery they can. It will help us campaign for better stroke care, and it will help fund research to find new treatments and ways of preventing stroke. Together we can conquer stroke Item Code: A07M72 Stroke Association is a Company Limited by Guarantee, registered in England and Wales (No 61274). Registered office: Stroke Association House, 240 City Road, London EC1V 2PR. Registered as a Charity in England and Wales (No 211015) and in Scotland (SC037789). Also registered in Northern Ireland (XT33805) Isle of Man (No 945) and Jersey (NPO 369).