Toby's Fundraising Story: Putting the fun into fundraising

Summer of 2022 and Toby is off to Borneo! Focusing on his passion for swimming and baking, Toby has kept having fun while baking his way to his fundraising target.

Raising over two thirds of the funds for his expedition through his fundraising activities since May 2021, you are sure to find your own inspiration and top tips through his story.

Off the starting blocks…

Toby’s fundraising journey started out with him signing up to take part in a 1 mile open water swim at Salford Quays.

The challenge? Toby had been living in the Middle East for 12 years and only returned to the UK 6 months before the swim, which meant it was definitely going to be a truly chilly challenge.

Toby’s fundraising got off to a good start and he raised £180. Even though Toby could only complete half the circuit due to the extreme cold, this did not deter him from reaching his fundraising goal, which ultimately sparked him to focus on his second passion, baking (Yum!).

…To baking up a storm

Toby’s love of baking led him to set up his own micro-business – Toby’s Tasty Bakes. Planning ahead before he started his business, he contacted the local council to apply for a food licence so that he could be legally registered with the right food safety management procedures in place. As his business started growing he also completed his Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety for Catering.

Top Tip: Obtaining a food licence from your local council is straight forward. All you have to do is register directly with your local authority. Not all websites are easy to navigate so Toby suggests visiting: Food business registration – GOV.UK. first. After you have entered your postcode, you will receive advice on where to apply together with a link to registration.

From his start up in May 2021, Toby has not looked back and has been delivering tasty treats to lots of very happy supporters including a local tea shop who he bakes for twice a week. He has also baked for many occasions such as milestone birthdays, baby showers, garden parties and a wedding AND to be completely honest we are not surprised he has been so successful, just look at these mouth-watering treats.

Top Tip: Maximise your fundraising activities through multiple channels.

Toby advertised his baking through many different channels: Facebook, Marketplace, Instagram, posters on community notice boards, word of mouth and his friend network.

A little extra

In addition to baking, Toby spent most of last summer organising a Raffle in association with many local small businesses who donated some amazing prizes. He was invited to draw the raffle at a local event from his cake stall and raised just under £400. His cake stall raised another £150.

AND the cherry on the cake – giving back!

We love how Toby used his fundraising activities to give back to other charitable causes, so that he wasn’t just helping raise funds for his own expedition but was helping others along the way too! Toby donated 25% of his summer raffle to a local Children’s Cancer Charity – The Joshua Tree and continues to give 10% of his Tasty Bakes’ orders to his local swimming club to help them raise money for new swimming blocks.

From the words of a budding entrepreneur

We are so impressed with the entrepreneur Toby has become that we had to ask him how he balanced his schoolwork with his fundraising activities.

“When I first started to fundraise, I knew that in order to succeed I would need to ensure that my schoolwork was not affected. My swimming gives me the discipline I need, to stay on top and focus on my goals. Baking helps me to relax, so I would suggest that you find something you love or are good at and grow your fundraising from there. If you have homework, get it completed as soon as you get it. Structure your week to give you enough time to be productive. Keep the fundraising simple, focus on what you know.”

We have loved hearing all about Toby’s story and his remarkable business that he has built and wish him an amazing trip of a lifetime in Borneo.  We hear that he is a little nervous about being away from home for 4 weeks but in equal measure really excited about being able to bring support to children and others, in ways that we often take for granted.