FAQ

The majority of UK visas allow people to volunteer, although there may be restrictions to the number of hours you can volunteer. If you are unsure if your visa allows you to volunteer we recommend you contact the UK Border Agency. We may request verification of this.  Please note that Tourist/ Visitor visas and Student Visitor visas (usually students visiting for six months or less) do not allow people to volunteer.

Winners must verify their details and claim their prize within 6 months of the draw date, after which CHSW will treat the prize as a donation.

Once you've signed up, you'll be sent a confirmation email.  Following your registration, you'll receive your welcome pack by email with the links and information you need about the event.  

In the coming weeks, we'll post your memory pack which will also contain your walker number and everything else you'll need for the evening (except your T-shirt which you'll collect on the night).  

If you are organising a fundraising event for Children’s Hospice South West we will include details of your event in our supporters calendar.  Email details of your event to website@chsw.org.uk.

Please read our Santas on the Run participant safety brief to ensure you are fit to take part in this event.

Absolutely! Whatever event you are taking part in we would love you to join Team CHSW. Phone your local hospice or email event@chsw.org.uk and we'll send you a fundraising pack and CHSW running top.

You can download a sponsor form from our fundraising tools page.

When signing up to Incredible Hike, we will keep in touch via email and invite you to Zoom meetings to support your training, fundraising and answer questions about the weekend. Your local Area Fundraiser and Event lead will be on hand to support you, as required. You will also be invited to join the Incredible Hike Facebook Group – this group is great to chat with your fellow Incredible Hikers. 

Absolutely!  Please email Hollie and we can send these out to you. Just let us know how many you require. 

Yes, as the races hold a RunEvents licence they will be added to Power of 10.

Rainbow Run is not a race and therefore everyone gets a medal as they cross the finish line!

Yes. We can put you in touch with the tour operator directly who may be able to reschedule your flight home and help you plan a holiday if required. Please note that there will be extra costs for extending your stay and you will need to plan this well in advance.

Our hospice teams have engaging and challenging activities for corporate teams. If you're interested in volunteering in a group as part of your company's corporate social responsibility programme, please contact your local corporate fundraiser or complete our enquiry form.

Yes, there are three types:

A Residuary Legacy is a percentage or share of the balance of your estate once all other payments and gifts have been made. A lot people prefer to give a residuary gift because it keeps in line with inflation and does not lose value over time.

A Pecuniary Legacy is a fixed amount of money.

A Specific Legacy can include specific items like personal possessions, land or shares.

Read The Raise a smile Lottery full terms and conditions. The purpose of these rules is to ensure you are informed about terms of playing our lottery, and to promote social responsibility gambling.

Please read our Moonlight Memory Walk participant safety brief to ensure you are fit to take part in this event and conditions of walking on the evening.

You can make a donation online, either as a single donation or a regular direct debit. 

If you don’t wish to give online, you can give a credit/debit card donation over the telephone by 01271 325 270 (Monday-Thursday 9.00am-5.00pm and Friday 9.00am-4.30pm) or please send us a cheque, made payable to Children's Hospice South West, Little Bridge House, Redlands Road, Fremington, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 2PZ.

We no longer provide Santa suits as a part of the registration fee to reduce the impact of single-use Santa suits on the environment, with many suits ending up in landfill each year. We have reduced the entry fee to reflect this change.

We also want to give our participants the opportunity to choose whether they want to dress as Santa, a reindeer, penguin, snowman, Christmas tree, elf or create your own!

Alternatively why not wear your Christmas Pyjamas or jumpers? There will be on the day competitions for the best dressed!

There will be on the day competitions for the best dressed!

You can flag a comment by clicking the flag link to the far right of a comment. This will flag a moderator and let them know that it needs attention. Flagging a comment is only counted once per person; you won't need to do it multiple times. Generally, comments should be flagged for: spamming or attacking other commenters personally. Generally, comments should not be flagged for disagreeing with the content or disputing with other commenters.

We deliver to mainland UK and BPFO only.

If you require accommodation on Thursday night you will need to book this yourself as it is not included in the registration fee or as part of the event. 

 We prefer you not to wear headphones, this is for your safety and for other people using the route. If you choose to wear headphones, please do not wear them on any of the road sections of the races. 

Once you have registered, you will receive an email on the next working day. This will include links to set up your Just Giving pages and information about the event. You will also receive other emails from us to support you with your fundraising along with a call from one of our fundraisers. Your runner numbers & Fundraising pack will be sent via post.  

We have 8 specially adapted bedrooms at both Little Bridge House in Devon, and Charlton Farm in Bristol. At Little Harbour in Cornwall there are 6, which are used for hospice stays.

At each hospice we keep 1 of these bedrooms free for emergency or end of life care.

Once you’ve applied we’ll contact you with the next steps as quickly as we can and keep you updated throughout the application and selection process.  

If you’re selected, we'll want to get you started as quickly as possible but this will depend entirely on the role and what checks we need to do beforehand. If the role requires a DBS check (we’ll flag this in details about the opportunity) the process can take longer.

Payroll Giving is taken straight from your gross (pre-tax) pay so there is no need for us to choose to claim the tax back through Gift Aid – saving us admin costs.

If you are a 40% or 45% taxpayer, Payroll Giving is the only way we can automatically receive all your tax on a donation.

Winners will be notified within 1 week of the draw date by phone first, followed by email, where their details will be verified. Once verified a cheque is sent by post. Winning ticket numbers are also published on the CHSW website.

Moonlight Memory Walk Cornwall

If attending the event at Heligan, you'll be required to follow the guided 2k route that has been marshalled. You can choose to complete this route one or twice to complete 4k.  

Moonlight Memory Walk Clevedon and Bath

The walk is a 5k circular route, that you will need to walk to get back to the event village. However, if you do find that you are struggling with the distance, then please do talk to one of our volunteer marshals on the route, and we can sort out a shorter way back for you. 

Yes you can! There are two ways to do this, either by donating all of the money raised to us, or by donating proceeds or a percentage. Either way, please contact your local community fundraising team.

The British weather is notoriously unpredictable so keep an eye on the forecast and bring waterproofs. If the weather is deemed too dangerous for the event to go ahead, we'll contact you via phone and email, and will update our Santas Facebook event pages to communicate with you. 

Santas on the Run, Plym Valley Railway

Santas on the Run, North Somerset 

Santas on the Run, The Eden Project 

If you are concerned that this might happen, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can offer help and guidance. Give your local community fundraiser a call and we'll try and help you avoid this. Our fundraising ideas page and your fundraising pack will give you lots of great ideas on how to reach your target.

Yes – if you pay UK income tax and/or capital gains tax at least equal to the amount we can claim back from HMRC.  Find out more about Gift Aid.

CHSW work in partnership with third party providers to ensure the ride route will be marked, with an experienced support crew who will provide first aid and mechanical assistance across the 3 days. We would expect that you would be able to do simple bike repairs/maintenance in the event of a puncture during the event. CHSW staff will also be on hand to offer emotional support, encouragement along the way and huge cheers as you reach each hospice. 

Yes!

You will leave Rainbow Run looking very colourful, and we recommend a few showers to rinse off the paint. If you have stubborn colours in your hair washing up liquid works a treat to rid the colours. If your hair is very light, or colour treated, you may wish to wear a hat or headscarf to minimise the paint contact.

• Return flights
• All travel arrangements on the event
• Accommodation as stated on the challenge itinerary
• All food and refreshments on the event
• Camping equipment (where applicable) excluding sleeping bags
• Guiding team and medical provision
• Transport of your luggage between camps/accommodation

We are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

If you die without a Will in England or Wales the law will decide who gets what. If you have no living family members, all your property and possessions will go to the Crown.

Unfortunately we cannot claim Gift Aid on funds raised through the lottery.

Yes, of course! The route takes place on paths, which are in places narrow and uphill so you may require assistance. One named carer will be welcomed to join you to provide assistance on the night.

Moonlight Memory Walk Cornwall

Please call Little Harbour fundraising office on 01726 871 800 to discuss further. 

Moonlight Memory Walk Clevedon and Bath

Please call the Charlton Farm fundraising office on 01275 866 600 to discuss further. 

Yes! Please see our fundraising tools page for downloadable logos, fundraising materials and the official CHSW brand guidelines.

We ask that you do not change the logo in any way and follow our brand guidelines. 

Commercial organisations are not permitted to use the CHSW name or logo without our prior written consent.  

Please contact your local community fundraiser in the first instance. 

Unfortunately, there are no facilities, and we cannot accept liability for anything you leave behind. Please bring only what you need. 

You can set up a team fundraising page on JustGiving following the steps on their website. We recommend that you set up an individual page which links to this team page so we can clearly identify any funds that have been raised on your behalf. 

If you set up an online fundraising page, your donors will be prompted to fill in the Gift Aid details on their individual donation.

Please encourage your sponsors to complete their last name, initial and full address on your sponsorship form if they would like their donation to be Gift Aided.

Yes, have a look at our training guides provided for advice and information on getting ready for Incredible Hike. By training hard you will be sure you’re ready for the challenge ahead!

Of course! Please call your local hospice and your local area fundraiser will support you.  

Little Bridge House - 01271 325 270  

Little Harbour - 01726 871 800  

Charlton Farm -  01275 866 600  

Rainbow Run is a fundraising event for Children's Hospice South West and your registration fee helps cover the cost of the event. We are therefore asking all participants to pledge to raise as an individual a suggested £25 or to raise £70 if taking part as a family which would fund vital care at our hospices. Visit the fundraising tab for colourful ideas to raise as much as possible and set up a Just Giving Page. 

Injuries and illnesses happen - they're part of life. If you are unable to take part in your challenge, the most important thing for you to do is to let us know as soon as possible. Depending on when you pull out, we might be able to give your place to somebody else, so that Children’s Hospice South West does not lose out. We will also be able to advise you on who to alert to the fact that you will have to pull out - you may need to tell the challenge tour operator, and you may need to refer to the terms and conditions of your booking - especially for overseas adventures. 

If you are unable to take part in your chosen challenge, and you have already raised sponsorship for your challenge, you will need to get in touch with everyone who has supported you to let them know that you are not actually doing the challenge they have sponsored you for. You should give them the right to request a refund on their donation. If you do not take part in your challenge, then we will not still ask you to pay in the minimum sponsorship requirement. Any registration fees you have paid are, however, non-refundable. 

Volunteering with Children's Hospice South West is a great way to:

• boost your CV
• learn new skills and put existing talents to use
• get involved in your local community
• make a difference to someone's quality of life
• increase your confidence and self-esteem
• meet new people

We’ll do our best to let you get involved as much as you'd like, and hope you have fun along the way!

In the UK, inheritance tax is currently paid to the government at a rate of 40% if your estate is worth more than £325,000. However, the rate might be reduced to 36% if 10% or more of your estate is left to charity.

Most gifts left to Children's Hospice South West are exempt from inheritance tax because we are a charity. You can find out more by contacting HMRC or a solicitor.

Yes, the Raise a smile Lottery and CHSW Raffle is licensed and regulated in Great Britain by the Gambling Commission under account number 4991. View the full Terms and Conditions.

Moonlight Memory Walk Cornwall

You need to arrive between 5:00pm and 6:15pm at the latest to give you enough time to sign in, hand in your candle bag and collect your T-shirt. There will be music and entertainment throughout the evening. The memory ceremony will begin promptly at 6:30pm and the walk will begin with staggered starts between 7:00pm and 7:15pm.

Moonlight Memory Walk Clevedon abd Bath

You need to arrive between 6.00pm and 6.45pm at the latest to give you enough time to sign in, collect your tealight and beanie/T-shirt, and be ready for the safety briefing. There will be musical entertainment on the evening. The walk will leave at 7.30pm, after a short Memory Ceremony. 

We're sorry you're not happy with the level of service you've received. 

As a member of the Fundraising Regulator, we always aim to provide the highest level of customer service to all of our supporters. 

Please contact us thorugh our comments and complaints form.

The following wave times are available for each of our Santa Runs : 

Santas on the Run, Plym Valley Railway

The departure train times will be:

• 10.30am
• 12 noon
• 1.30pm
• 3pm 

Santas on the Run, The Eden Project  

• 11am
• 2.30pm  

Santas on the Run North Somerset, Charlton Farm  

• 1.00pm 

You'll need to arrive at least one hour before your start time to sign in, hand in your sponsorship, enjoy the event village and warm up! 

No. In most instances your comments should appear on the site shortly after you submit the comment. As part of the moderation process certain words are prohibited and will result in a comment being flagged for review prior to appearing on the site. The use of hyperlinks will also result in a comment being flagged for review prior to appearing on the site. In addition, if a comment is flagged by the community it may be removed from the site. CHSW reserves the right to remove any comment at anytime.

If you receive an error message that your credit or debit card has been declined - but you are sure your details are all correct - then please contact the bank that issued the card to you to find out why.

It is worth checking if any of the following apply, as these can prevent payments going through:

• The billing address for your bank may differ to the one that you are entering on the billing address page.
• Your card may not have enough credit available to cover the payment.
• Your card may have a block on internet/phone orders, or on payments to charity.
• Your card may have reached its daily transaction limit.
• Your card may have been flagged for additional authorisation.
• If your card was recently issued, it may not have been activated yet.

Incredible Hike is designed to offer a challenge to walkers and hikers of all abilities. You will need a good level of fitness in time for the event, as each day you will be walking around 20 miles, for up to 9 hours, incorporating several hills and potentially rough terrain. Our training plan will help you get ready and offers you ideas tobe event fit. 

Yes, please email Kate if you would like to help with this 

Pacer times will be confirmed leading up to event day.

Unfortunately, if the back marshal has already departed you will be unable to take part in the event.   

Please arrive by 2pm at the latest to give yourself enough time to park, sign in at participant registration and be present for the safety briefing and warm-up.

Each of our hospices has a special room called ‘Starborn’ in which, after a child has died, they can be laid for up to 7 days. Starborn is kept at a regulated temperature where the appropriate measures are taken to prepare the body for the funeral. This allows families to be in an environment where they can say goodbye to their child properly, surrounded by loved ones, with support from members of the Care Team who have looked after their much loved child during their stays.

We don’t offer internships at CHSW. But if you’re interested in volunteering, you can find a list of current roles on our volunteer opportunities page.

When opportunities for paid roles arise they are advertised in our jobs and volunteering section.

Yes. If you receive an occupational pension and your pension provider deducts tax through the PAYE system, you are still eligible for the scheme. Simply ask your occupational pension provider to make a donation from your pension before tax has been deducted.

The purchaser's name and full address. If you buy tickets for someone else (over 18 years old), you can add their details during the process. It's useful to add a daytime phone number and email address too, as we try to contact winners by phone first, followed by email.

The event will take place in the dark, however we'll marshal the route for your safety and there are street lights on the route. We recommend you bring a torch and mobile phone.  

Absolutely! If it’s a staff fundraiser you’re planning, register your event and have a look at our fundraising tools page for inspiration!

If your company would like to get involved in other ways or you would like to donate a percentage of sales of a product towards our work, get in touch with Corporate Fundraising Team.

Unfortunately, if the back marshal or train has already departed you will be unable to take part in the run for health and safety reasons. So please ensure you arrive in plenty of time to register and attend the warm up and safety briefing at the times given in your fundraising pack.

If there is space at a following wave time at the Eden Project or Plym Valley Railway, we may able to fit you onto the next wave.

Online giving websites are an extremely effective way to easily boost your fundraising total. They work by allowing sponsors to log on to a fundraiser's unique page and sponsor them using a credit or debit card. The money from online fundraising pages (e.g. JustGiving) gets automatically sent through to CHSW and added to your total, so no need for paper forms!

Yes, you can. You can give make a donation online.

You can also call us on 01271 325 270 to donate using a credit or debit card.

You can create a free online fundraising page, personalise it with a photo and share it with friends and family by message, email or on social media. They can donate quickly and securely online with a credit or debit card. Create your page now at JustGiving page and save yourself the hassle of collecting the money! We will also supply you with a sponsor form so you can do it the old fashioned way!

Generally, entry fees are non-refundable, however, under exceptional circumstances it may be possible. Please see our event terms and conditions for more information. 

CHSW will have photographers taking photos on the day and filming the rainbow craziness. If you want to get shots right in the midst of the action we recommend covering cameras/phones with plastic wrap or bringing a disposable camera.

When you have completed your registration and paid your deposit, you will receive an event pack that will detail exactly what is involved in signing up to the trip, for example:

• Your spending money
• Personal travel insurance
• Payments for visas
• Vaccinations and medical forms (where required)
• Airport taxes where applicable
• Optional tours and meals on your free day
• Personal items from the kit list
• A tip for the local guides and porters
• Your travel to and from the UK departure airport

It costs more than £14 million a year to keep our 3 hospices open and raise the funds to continue to be there for babies, children, young people and families (to fundraise).

A residuary legacy is the gift of the remainder of your estate (or a percentage of the remainder) after all other gifts to friends and family have been distributed and all outgoings have been dealt with.

A residuary legacy is especially valuable to CHSW because the growing value of your assets protects it against inflation.

A pecuniary legacy is a fixed sum of money that tends to decrease in value over time because of inflation. For example, a legacy of £1,000 written into a Will in 1980 would now be worth less than £380. However, it is possible to index-link a pecuniary legacy, to ensure that the legacy maintains its intended value.

Based on the 2024/2025 financial year, the odds of winning the guaranteed weekly 1st prize of £1,000 is 1 in 22,264. The chances of winning any of the other 13 prizes is 1 in 1,713.

It's not a race! The route will approximately take 1hour to 1.5 hours to complete. There will be front walking marshals that will set the pace but they must not be passed by any participants for strict health and safety reasons.

Moonlight Memory Walk Cornwall

This year we have the addition of memory points along the route to stop and make a memory whilst remembering your loved ones. We anticipate the event to be finished by 9.30pm.

Moonlight Memory Walk Clevedon

We will have musical entertainment along the route, so please do take your time and enjoy the walk whilst remembering happy memories of your loved ones. We anticipate the event to be finished by 9.00pm.

Moonlight Memory Walk Bath

We will have musical entertainment at the start of the event, before walking around the beautiful City of Bath. Please do take your time and enjoy the walking, taking in Bath’s iconic sites, whilst remembering happy memories of your loved ones. We anticipate the event to be finished by 9.30pm.

We are dedicated to making the most of short and precious lives, providing the best possible hospice care for life-limited children and their families from the South West.  We couldn't continue this work without you.  Read some inspiring stories to see the life-changing impact of our work.  Thank you again for your support.

Eden Project

Dogs are allowed into the Eden Project but are not permitted to take part in the event and will need to remain with family or friends who are spectating during the race. They cannot come into the event village which is situated inside of The Gallery. 

Plym Valley Railway

Due to not being able to board the train carriages, dogs are unable to take part in the event. 

Charlton Farm, Bristol

Yes! We welcome dogs at this event (just make sure to clean up after them)

Yes! You can read our most recent Annual Report and Impact Review, which is accessible in our Publications section.

Online giving websites are an extremely effective way to easily boost your fundraising total. They work by allowing sponsors to log on to a fundraiser's unique page and sponsor them using a credit or debit card. The money from online fundraising pages (e.g. JustGiving) gets automatically sent through to CHSW and added to your total, so no need for paper forms!

We ask every Incredible Hiker to commit to raising the suggested minimum sponsorship of £1,000. Your registration fee covers the cost of your event support, hotel stays, food and Team Hike apparel.

You can complete it anywhere! Your local swimming pool, lake, sea or river. Anywhere that you can make a splash! 

No. Rainbow Run is all about having fun. you can run, walk, jog or skip - there are no prizes for being first across the finish line.  

Our overseas adventures are all run by tour operators on our behalf, as the tour operators have the experience, insurance and ATOL protection necessary to run these kinds of challenges. Therefore, registration fees should be sent directly to the appropriate tour operator when you complete your booking form. 

Please note also, that the terms and conditions of your booking are with the tour operator rather than with Children’s Hospice South West - we will only stipulate fundraising terms and conditions, and do not have any control over insurance, travel arrangements or anything else to do with the trip itself. If you would like more information about this, then just get in touch.

With our college partner we are able to offer NVQ units in Retail Skills and Customer Service through our shops. Contact your local CHSW shop manager or find out about NVQs at CHSW Shops.

Payroll giving is a tax efficient and easy way to support us. You choose the amount you'd like to donate and then each payday, your gift will be deducted automatically from your gross salary (after National Insurance but before tax).  This means the tax you would have paid on your donation is also given to Children's Hospice South West.

It’s very easy to arrange. Email your local corporate fundraiser and we'll make sure that your company operates a scheme that allows you to give to us straight from your pay. We can then notify your Payroll Department that you would like to set up a regular donation to us in this way.

If your company does not operate the scheme, then we will contact you to let you know. We can help suggest to them to get one set up.

The cost of each CHSW Raffle ticket is £1. Each ticket has a unique number. There is a minimum purchase of 5 tickets and a maximum of 200 tickets per CHSW Raffle. 

The British weather is notoriously unpredictable, so we will be keeping an eye on the forecast. If the weather is deemed unsafe, we will postpone the event and alternative date will be arranged and you will be notified by text and email. If you cannot make the alternative date, a refund will be offered, or you can offer your event fee as a donation. 

If achievable, the format of the evening may change to allow it still to go ahead in some form. 

Absolutely. Getting your company involved in fundraising is a brilliant way to motivate your workforce as staff members across all levels can work towards a common positive goal. CHSW runs a very successful Charity of the Year (COTY) programme.

Our Charlton Farm Santa run only has one wave and start time.

If we have space on an alternative wave time at our Eden Projet or Plym Valley Railway Santa runs, we'll try to  to accommodate your request.  

Please call Little Harbour on 01726 871 800 at least one week prior to the event to request a change. 

Read our comments policy.

You should receive all your purchases within fourteen working days of placing your order. Working days are Monday to Friday, excluding Bank Holidays.

If you have not received your order and it is after the expected date of arrival (allowing a couple of days for postal delays) then please contact us so we can look into this for you and, if appropriate, send a replacement. We can change the delivery address of any replacements if required.

You will need to be 18 years at the time of the event to be able to take part.

No, it's not essential. We would love it if you could raise money for Children's Hospice South West but we also understand you may already have a charity you would like to support.

The event will go ahead if it is raining. If the weather is deemed unsafe, a decision will be made 48 hours prior to the event and you will be notified by email. We will also update the Rainbow Run Cornwall Facebook event page.

We provide emergency care for many families, and this can be for a number of reasons. It may be that the child is very poorly and the family would like the support that the hospice provides, both physically and emotionally.

An emergency may not necessarily be with the child. A parent maybe ill, recovering from an operation, or attending a family funeral for example, and may need additional assistance with their child during this time.

We ask volunteers to pay their own expenses as we feel as much money as possible raised should go directly to support and care for our children and families.

If appropriate, talk to your supervisor, manager or HR team to suggest that they set one up. It’s simple to get it in place. Or please get in touch with your local corporate fundraiser. We are happy to speak to them to suggest that they introduce one.

Unfortunately we cannot claim Gift Aid on funds raised through the raffle, but if you choose to make a donation with your ticket purchase, we can claim Gift Aid on that.