Summer Fundraising Challenge 2025
You’ve probably noticed over the last year or so that PDA is being talked about more than ever – and that’s led to a big increase in the number of people reaching out to us for support. In some recent months, we’ve seen double the number of enquiries compared to the same time last year.
We’re running as fast as we can to keep up – and as always, doing everything we can to make sure no one is left without the support they need. If you want to help us make sure that we can respond to every request for support we get please join in our summer fundraiser.
About the PDA Summer Challenge 2025
Over the summer holidays, we are asking people who care about PDA to take on a fundraising challenge that is manageable and enjoyable for them. Together we hope the community can raise £22,000 – this could allow us to support 600 more people this year.
Our team are taking on their own challenges, with members raising money by making craft videos for kids, hosting an online quiz and running a bake sale. One of the team is asking for donations instead of birthday presents and another has identified some frocks she can sell to make a donation.
If these ideas inspire you to come up with one of your own you can click the button below to set up your fundraiser.
Raising awareness helps too
In this short video clip Alistair explains how important raising awareness can be for small charities like the PDA Society. By sharing posts and spreading the word about our fundraising efforts you can really make a difference!
Weekly themes
Each week of the Summer Challenge has its own theme to help spark ideas. You could join in with just one week, dip in and out, or follow along each week—whatever feels comfortable for you. There’s no “right” way to take part, just lots of lovely possibilities to explore:
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Week 1: Wellness week
A soft start—thinking about calm, rest, movement or nature. You could try hosting a mindfulness session, creating a playlist, or simply taking time for yourself and inviting loved ones to sponsor your rest.
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Week 2: Creativity week
Whether it’s painting, writing, music or something else entirely, this is a space for getting expressive. Selling your art, runing a workshop, or sharing your creations online with a fundraising link.
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Week 3: Activity week
Gentle or bold, indoors or out—it’s all about movement. Maybe a doing your own sponsored walk, a garden lap challenge, or a fun “movement minute” goal each day.
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Week 4: Food week
This week looks at celebrating the food routines and favourites that work for you. You could choose to raise money by hosting a bake sale, sharing recipes, or running a “guess the sweets” jar challenge.
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Week 5: Relationships week
A chance to reflect on your support network. You might ask 10 friends to donate £5, host a thank-you tea, or could invite others to honour someone who’s helped them.
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Week 6: Games week
A joyful wrap-up. Hosting a quiz night, sharing a favourite game, runing a “sponsor me to beat this game” challenge, or getting a group together for a friendly match or challenge can be fun ways to raise money.
These themes are here to inspire, not instruct—feel free to make them your own, or do something entirely different. However you choose to join in, you’ll be helping to raise awareness and support for PDA families and your efforts are very much appreciated.
Become a part of our fundraising community
When you set up a fundraiser this summer you’ll be showing you are part of a movement for change. You can find support, share ideas and get cheered on through our new facegroup community for fundraisers. As a fundraiser you are doing more than just raising money, you are changing how people think about PDA and the support PDAers and their families have access to.
Need some help with your fundraiser?
If you aren’t sure where to start, you’re welcome to get in touch with us for some tips at comms@pdasociety.org.uk.
We can help you set up a fundraising page, promote your event on social media, or provide branded merch to raise awareness about the PDA Society. Together, we can make a lasting difference for PDAers and their families.