Don’t be an April Fool; Be a Local Hero! Localgiving’s Local Hero campaign launches on April 1st

Localgiving, the UK's leading online giving and support network for local charities and community groups, is putting the spotlight on individual fundraisers in its Local Hero campaign this spring.

Set to launch on 1st April and run until 30th April, Local Hero recognises the incredible work put in by fundraisers, from the arty; to the athletic; to the absurd. All participants need to do is think up a challenge, set up a fundraising page and persuade as many people as possible to donate.

Local Hero 2016 is kindly funded by Making a Difference Locally, a registered charity that has donated over £4m to local causes since it began in 2008.

The campaign is also being supported by Lord David Puttnam - acclaimed British film producer of 1983's cult classic, Local Hero - and intu - the UK's leading owner and manager of prime regional shopping centres.

Throughout April, all participants will be ranked on the Local Hero leaderboard according to the number of unique online donors who sponsor their page. At the end of the campaign £5,000 in prizes will be awarded to the causes supported by the top 20 fundraisers, with a top prize of £1,000 going to the cause of the fundraiser who has secured the most donors.

Local Hero 2015 saw 268 fundraisers secure sponsorship from more than 2,500 individuals to raise over £80,000.

At present only 7% of charitable donations in the UK go to small charities, often the causes most in need of financial support. Through Local Hero, Localgiving aims to change this, raising awareness of the work carried out by local groups and in turn increasing donations into the sector.

Stephen Mallinson, Chief Executive of Localgiving said:

“Localgiving is always looking for innovative ways to encourage people to fundraise and get involved with local charities. Through Local Hero, we hope fundraisers will come up with a range of fantastic challenges to engage family and friends in their chosen cause. We're excited to watch as these inspiring individuals battle it out over the course of the month to win the top prize of £1,000 for their charity."

Kate Carroll, head of Making a Difference Locally, said:

“We are delighted to be working with Localgiving on their Local Hero campaign. We're looking forward to seeing how creative fundraisers are in competing for the prize money for their charities, whilst raising lots of money for well-deserving causes. Making a Difference Locally is passionate about building stronger local communities and funding this campaign was a great opportunity to connect with fundraisers and local charities."

For more information about Local Hero or any other Localgiving campaigns, please visit Localgiving.org, email help@localgiving.org or call 0300 111 2340.

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