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Warmer Winter Challenge 2023/24
Save a child from sleeping in the cold tonight. Take up the challenge to raise just £3.33 a day this winter to keep the hearth alight in the home of a HHUGS family.
For less than the cost of a meal deal lunch, you could be saving a life this winter. Not in a far off developing country, but right here, in a broken home, a few doors down from your own.
As we face a cost of living crisis in the UK, fuel poverty is blighting 7 million households in the UK. Among them are HHUGS families: single mothers, children without fathers, and elderly parents of sons in detention. These families have been isolated from their communities when they are most vulnerable and desperate. Most have minimal income, and have often had their assets confiscated. Burdened by debts and harassed by bailiffs, they struggle to survive on the bare minimum throughout the year. Now with the onset of winter colds, they will be fighting hypothermia, exposure and sickness, on top of everything else.
This winter, we can’t rest easy turning up our thermostats in the knowledge that a home without a father or son is stone cold. Can you?
Just £3.33 a day for 90 days is £300. That’s all we need to get one HHUGS family through the winter. Please help us to give them a warmer winter.
Help us Revive the Tradition of ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab
Did you know that when the Levant was conquered during his Caliphate, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) worried that the Companions of the Prophet (saw) and others who’d never previously experienced such cold as the winters of that region, would be harmed by it? He sent word to its inhabitants, advising them to protect themselves:
‘Indeed winter has appeared, and it is an enemy, so prepare for it with wool, khuffs and socks; and take wool as your outer and inner garment, because the cold is a fast-moving enemy and slow to leave the body.’ [‘Umar ibn al-Khattab]
As the cold sets in, join us to revive the tradition of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and other great leaders of our Islamic tradition; leaders who fretted for the wellbeing of the Ummah in the farthest reaches of Muslim lands. Leaders who removed their garments upon hearing of the plight of widows and orphans in destitution, and refused to clothe themselves until the needy had been fed and clothed first.
Safwan bin Salim went out on a cold night in Madinah near the mosque, and he saw a man with little clothing on. So, he took off his coat and covered him up with it. Someone living in the Levant saw in a dream that Safwan bin Salim had entered Paradise with a shirt he had made. So he went to Madinah and said: “Show me where Safwan is.” When he found him, he told him of the dream. [Lataa’if al-Ma’aarif]
The spiritual opportunities of this season are manifold: Its long nights are ideal for supererogatory worship, and its short days make nafl fasts easy. With all this comes the added opportunity for charity –the chance to relieve another from the hardships of surviving the cold. Will you join us as we reap the booty of winter to the fullest?
What’s the challenge?
We need £3.33 a day for 90 days to get one HHUGS family through the winter.
As temperatures dip with the harsh onset of Winter, uncertainty remains. Vulnerable families with little hope of relief as their challenges intensify.
These families are barely able to pay bills and afford food, even at the best of times. Come winter, their situation becomes direr, as their limited budget failing to cover the high cost of heating a home. By contributing £300 towards their gas and electric bill, we can help them stave off the winter colds. With £300, they can get through the cold months without having to cut back on food or other essential needs.
The challenge, if you choose to accept, is to commit to raising £300 within 90 days. This could be through collecting donations worth £3.33 a day; or by collecting larger donations to complete the target within a shorter time. That’s all. No mountains to climb. No hard-core physical training, or personal fitness target to achieve. No need to run a marathon or bike across the country. This is a challenge you can complete from the comfort of your own home, without having to worry about taking time off work or arranging childcare. It’s as simple as sharing a post or message via email or over social media –something all of us do several times a day, every day.
I’m game, what’s next?
The easiest way to raise funds is by setting up a page on our leaderboard here, which you will be able to share with your contacts over social media and via email. If you need help with this, we can set it up for you, and even create your very own text giving code that will enable your friends and family to donate effortlessly via SMS.
The HHUGS team are on hand every (reasonable) hour of the day, to support you through every stage of your challenge. We can even provide you with message and post templates that will help you raise awareness of the plight of vulnerable HHUGS families in winter, and bring in the big bucks. All you’ll need to do is be sure to use every medium at your disposal to get the word out: Email, Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, SMS, Snapchat, YouTube and even Instagram.
Whether you’re a fundraising pro or a complete beginner, we’re confident you’ll smash your target in record time. We’ve seen it again and again with past challengers.
How can I raise the money?
Committing to raise £300 may seem daunting at first but it really is simple. Just getting 30 people you know to donate £10 would help you reach your target in no time. Alternatively, you might prefer the slow-burn method, where you could get 13 friends to commit to sparing £3.33 out of the cost of their lunch for one week.
To spice things up a bit and give friends and family a bigger incentive to donate, you may wish to set yourself an additional challenge. These could involve making lifestyle changes that will help you get a better understanding of what a HHUGS family is facing this winter. Some popular options include:
- Committing to live on cold food for a week
- Committing to live without central heating for three days
- Committing to live by candle light for a week
- Camping outdoors in your garden for one night
The options are numerous and the Ummah generous. With the correct intentions and the grace of Allah (swt), we have no doubt that you will complete the challenge in good time and perhaps even exceed your target! Do make sure to check with your GP if you have any medical conditions that might be an obstacle to taking part in any of the above challenges.
What if I’m not Social Media Savvy?
Not being active on social media doesn’t mean you can’t take part. Those traditional methods of direct fundraising served us well for many years and still work wonders. We will set you up with everything you need from the get go and even provide a penny box upon request (just call 0207 733 2104 or email [email protected]). Download our Fundraising Toolkit for a complete A-Z of fundraising idea and simple steps that will help you achieve fundraising success.
What if I can’t reach my target?
At HHUGS we’ve seen many challengers, supporters and volunteers achieve great feats despite their initial self-doubt. That’s why we’re confident that with a bit of effort and the help of Allah (swt) you will surpass your own expectations.
However, if you try your best but can’t reach your target (and we doubt this will be the case) then all is far from lost. You still walk away with the rewards of your intentions, your efforts and whatever amount you do manage to raise. We all know the hadith that goes:
“Whoever intends to perform a good deed but does not do it, Allah will record it as a complete good deed.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
So aim high with pure intentions, say ‘Bismillah’ and tie your camel by giving it your best effort, then leave the rest to Allah (swt). You’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to gain, in sha’ Allah!
“Winter is booty for the devout worshipers.” [Umar ibn Al-Khattab]
I’ve never fundraised before. How do I get started?
Easy. Your fundraising page will be set up automatically when you register and will be added to our very own leaderboard system, the first gaming leaderboard to be created by any charity! To make it that much easier, we can even do that for you!
Once you’ve set your target, share the page with your friends, family and colleagues. It’ll have all the details of the challenge you’re taking on – and allows people to sponsor you and donate straight to HHUGS, quickly and easily online.
£300 may seem daunting at first, but it’s really as simple as getting 10 friends to donate £3 for 10 days.
If that’s a breeze, you can set your heights on a higher target – keep two families warm by raising £600, getting 10 friends to give £6 for 10 days.
Many novice fundraisers have doubted they could raise £300 but with sincere intentions, du’a and the help of Allah they went to raise £1000 in the space of a few days. Some went on to smash the target by raising £5000 or £10000!! So never underestimate what you can achieve!
We’re on hand to support and encourage you at every stage, and if you’re not a confident wordsmith, we can even provide template messages for you to share if you’re short of ideas. Remember to use all means at your disposal to share your page – WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and SMS. Some even made videos to encourage people, and got their parents and children to compete with them in the process! Whether you’re a novice or an experienced fundraiser, this method is tried and tested.
Here are a few tips:
Fundraising pages are just like paper sponsorship forms, except they’re online, so you don’t have to worry about dealing with cash, cheques and chasing sponsors after the event is finished. You could even create your own fundraising team to help you spread the word!
Level up your profile – Add an image, complete your story and set your event date.
Kick-start your fundraising by donating to yourself. It’s a great way to begin your fundraising!
Set a target: Aim high and keep your friends and family updated on how close you are to reach your goal!
Spread the word. Once your page has been created you can share it with your contacts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. You can also share it via a SMS message, e-mailing your contacts, or sending a WhatsApp and Telegram broadcast to your friends and family. Don’t forget to share it on any groups that you’re on.
You can also share it on your story on WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram.
Change your profile picture on all your social media platforms to our very own fundraiser avatar. You can even add it to your email signature! And of course don’t forget the old fashioned way of speaking to friends and family on the phone too!
Let everyone know when the countdown to your challenge has begun by using our social media badges and sharing your page on your social media channels.
Use social media to promote your walk through status updates, posting photos as your train, or undertake your walk, making videos, sending messages. Encourage others to join you if it’s safe to do so and you’re in a group of six!
Think of fun ways to help donations roll in and the hours will fly by.
Ask for help! Don’t be afraid to ask for tips from other fundraisers on our WhatsApp groups or asking staff for ways to energise donors if you find you’re getting stuck.
Here are some other ways to help:
Get your fundraising matched by a colleague, workplace or friend·
Contact your local press and radio stations with your fundraising·
Contact local businesses for their support by asking them to sponsor you·
We can send you a Charity Collection Penny Box which you can place at home or work if you’re back in the office, and even at the till of your local take away (with permission!). Order yours now at hhugs.org.uk/pennybox.
Even if a lot of events have ceased, you can still contact your ISOC, School, Scouts groups and others to get involved to support your fundraising.
Remember, HHUGS are here to help so you can kick start your fundraising!
How do I send you the money from my fundraising page?
Can I fundraise offline?
Of course you can. If people have given you your sponsor money in cash, or made a bank transfer to you, and you want us to add this to your page, simply pay it in yourself. Alternatively, you can simply click “Add cash donation” and we’ll be in touch to verify your offline donation before it is added to your page. You can send a cheque (with the reference Warmer Winter + Your name) with your completed sponsorship form to:
HHUGS
4th floor
43 Berkeley Square,
London,
W1J 5FJ
What if I don’t reach my target?
What is Gift Aid and does it really matter?
Make every £1 worth 25p more at no extra cost to you. It’s just a little box to tick but Gift Aid makes a huge difference when it comes to how much money we can raise to support families in the need right here in the UK.
To be eligible to add Gift Aid to your donation, you must be a UK taxpayer and understand that if you pay less income tax and/or capital gains tax then the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all donations made in that tax year it’s your responsibility to pay any difference. The government will give a further 25% of your donation to the charity, and it doesn’t cost you or your sponsors a thing.
This option will be there on your fundraising page, but if you could mention it to your sponsors, you could help raise much more money to support families torn apart by national security measures. Find out more about Gift Aid here.
What happens to the money I raise?
Your Steps Can Change Lives
Every 7 minutes one person will die this Winter. Many HHUGS families affected by detention and counter-terror measures, are amongst the 7 million in the UK experiencing ‘fuel poverty’.
With living costs and unemployment rising, families face the hard choice to make the decision whether to ‘heat or eat’. Burdened by debts and threatened with eviction, single mothers, with their husbands behind bars, struggle to provide adequate clothing and blankets for their children to protect them from its chill.
Winter hits the most vulnerable hardest. The UK has the second worst rate of excess winter deaths in Europe, with over 175,000 recorded in the past five years, with many succumbing to preventable illnesses. But Winter doesn’t just impair the mobility of the elderly and exacerbate physical illness. With the looming threat of another lockdown, ‘invisible’ conditions like depression, anxiety and loneliness make the long dark nights and grey freezing days even harder to contend with.
That’s why we’re here, to give families a helping hand. Your steps can clothe children growing up without fathers, and warm the hearts and hearths of elderly parents isolated from their communities this winter. You can be that light of mercy, radiating hope for a family to survive a merciless season.
You might have struggled with the lockdown this year but it’s easy to forget that many families in our midst live like this all year round. You can make a difference to families for whom social distancing and isolation is a norm.
Your fundraising can transform lives
Your sacrifices this season can ward off the chill for families who need it most. By raising £300 you can heat a home this winter.
Your donations can also:
- For £10 you can provide a draught excluder to ward off the child from doors and windows.
- For £20 you can insulate a home more efficiently with Radiator Reflectors, retaining and reflecting the heat within each room.
- For £40 you can provide warm bedding to protect them from the night’s chill
- For £100 you can clothe children to keep them warm this Winter
- For £400 you can heat a home this Winter.
- For £250 you can feed a family for a month so they aren’t forced to choose between heating and eating.
- For £500 you can shelter a family by paying their rent and saving them from eviction
- For £1000 you can alleviate the burden of debt for a family.
You can give Warm HHUGS to the most ostracised families in our midst.
What should I do if I’ve forgotten my username and password?
Click here https://www.hhugs.org.uk/my-account/lost-password/ if you’ve forgotten your password on our sign up page. Follow the instructions on the email you receive to reset your password.
Still having trouble? Please contact us at [email protected] for help logging into your account.
I no longer want to take part?
Get in touch by emailing [email protected] or calling us on 0207 733 2104 if you can no longer take part. We regret that we will not be able to refund anyone who has already donated to support you.
Together, we can ward off the chill and embrace the broken hearted in their broken homes this Winter.
Together, we can give Warm HHUGS to those who need it most.