Your guide to transforming lives over breakfast

Welcome to Big Brekkie 2018Across the country hundreds of people are planning life-saving, world-changing, extraordinary Big Brekkie events. By doing everyday things like buttering toast and brewing coffee, volunteers from all walks of life will be stepping out in mission for the world’s poorest people.

From welcoming a few friends into your home, to hosting a whole church and community (and everything in between) your Big Brekkie can have a real impact.

This step-by-step guide is here to support you and make it fun and easy to get stuck in!

We’re looking forward to working with you to change lives across the world.

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A Big Brekkie in 12 easy steps Page 4

Your Big Brekkie your way Page 6

Big Bike to Brekkie Page 8

Spreading the word Page 9

Our partner - Kingdom Coffee Page 11

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Contents

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Get your team together Brekkie is more fun with friends and family. Whether it’s planning, preparing, getting the word out or flipping eggs on the day, get some buddies on board to share the load.

Set the dateThe sooner you pick a date, the sooner people can put it in their diaries. It’s a great idea to hold your Big Brekkie during Christian Aid Week, 13-19 May, when hundreds of others will be hosting theirs.

Order your Big Brekkie goodiesThis pack contains samples of the great resources we’ve created to make your event extra special. Order more online at caweek.org/brekkiegoodies or complete and return the postcard.

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Go to the Food Agency Website to read the latest on providing food as a volunteer: goo.gl/WXRP2x

Create your menuTraditional or trendy, simple or spectacular – the food you serve is a key part of your event and one of the most fun parts to plan. Have a few options for people to choose and enjoy putting it together.

Ask local businesses for food donationsSupermarkets, local shops, schools with egg-laying chickens… you’ll be surprised how many people will be happy to give you free stuff. Go online to download a template letter requesting donations from shops. Does your local community have a Facebook group? Why not spread the word that you’re looking for contributions?

Tell the world Start with the poster included in this pack, or create bespoke posters and flyers online at caweek.org/brekkieprint. You can use them to invite people from your church, workplace or local community. If you’re planning a bigger event, check out pages 9-10 for some top tips to engage social media, your local MP, newspapers and radio.

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Go shoppingMake a list and hit the shops. Don’t forget tin foil and washing-up liquid as well as the all-important food! You can cover your costs from some of the money you take later.

Get readyA bit of advance prep can really help your event go smoothly. Some things like fruit and veg can be chopped in advance and mixes for pancakes can be whisked up the night before. And take time to make the venue look great! Decorate your space with balloons and table talkers, and put out copies of the Daily Bread to tell guests more about where their donations are going. Don’t forget to set the tables!

CookIf you’re offering a cooked breakfast, work out how much oven, hob and grill space you’ll have available. Pastries, fruit and cereal are a great option if you don’t have a kitchen. You can heat loads in a microwave too, but always check the label!

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Tuck in!You’re good to go! Time to enjoy some delicious food and the company of your guests...and then some washing up!

Send in your donationsPay in online with your credit or debit card at caweek.org/brekkiepay or complete the paying-in slip in this pack and send it to Christian Aid with a cheque.

However you pay in your money, don’t forget to send us your Gift Aid forms to increase the value of donations by 25%.

Say thank you!Thank everyone who helped out, and let people know how much you raised. The reverse side of the publicity poster is designed for this purpose.

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Marmalade, jam, or just with butter... however you like your toast you can now share the Big Brekkie fun. Simply press the enclosed mould on bread before popping it in the toaster. You’ll bring a smile to everyone’s breakfast!

Toast your Big Brekkie...

Your Big Brekkie your wayAt homeSharing a meal with your closest friends, neighbours, family or small church group is a great way to raise money and help people out of poverty.

Ideas• Prepare a breakfast bake the day before

so all you have to do is pop it in the oven – muffins, yum!

• Set up a smoothie-making station.• Make your Brekkie part of a weekend away.Top tip• Ask everyone to donate what they would

have spent on breakfast out.

At workBring some tasty fun into the workplace! If you don’t have an oven – pastries, yoghurts and fruit always go down well with tea and coffee.

Ideas• Email round the Christian Aid Week video

the day before so people know what you’re raising money for.

• Use the event as an office social to bring teams and colleagues together.

• Ask your company to match what you raise.Top tip• Put up some posters the week before and

invite your colleagues in person.

Check everyone’s

dietary requirements –

make sure no one goes

hungry!

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Schools: Encourage your children’s school to take part in ‘Big Breaktime’. We have some great stickers for pupils – see caweek.org/brekkiegoodies

For the whole communityA Big Brekkie is the perfect way to invite the community into your church, or get out and meet your neighbours.Ideas

• Organise some fun activities to make it a family affair. You can download a children’s colouring sheet from caweek.org/brekkieprint

• Invite the neighbours from along the street and make it an annual get-together.

• Invite your local councillors or mayor.• Put up posters and balloons to attract

people to your event.Top tip

• If other groups use the same building, why not invite them along?

In churchBring your whole church family together for a good meal and chinwag.

Ideas• Team up with another church to get

your fundraising going.• Hold your Brekkie before your

Sunday service.• Try a mid-week prayer Brekkie and enhance

your church programme at the same time.• Add some extra stalls selling plants, cakes,

etc, to boost income.Top tip • Spread the word about your Big Brekkie in

your church notice sheet for a few weeks before the big day.

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Christian Aid supporters in Hampshire chose to work up an appetite before everyone shared in a community breakfast!

In 2017, the members of two cycle clubs pedalled from Basingstoke to Winchester Cathedral, led by Father Michael Smith. Forty cyclists made the sponsored trip before sitting down together with friends and family, raising more than £2,700 for Christian Aid.

Father Michael says: ‘I’m delighted our cycle club can support Big Bike to Brekkie and raise money for Christian Aid Week. Three things that are close to my heart are cycling, charity fundraising and breakfast, so how could I resist? Our journeys are nothing like those for people around our world living in poverty, often having to leave everything behind.’

Inspired?Could you raise money by combining your favourite sport or activity with a team breakfast?

If you’re planning a Big Brekkie with a difference, let us know by emailing bigbrekkie@christian-aid.org

If you’re adding an active element to your event you can set up a sponsorship page at justgiving.com/christianaid_

Big Bike to Brekkie – inspiring, fun and life-changing

Top TipMake your activity

into a friendly

competition and

invite other clubs

and teams to take part.

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Spreading the wordStart smallBoost the resources in this pack by making some personalised posters and flyers online at caweek.org/brekkieprint Put up those beauties all around the local area. If you’re part of a church, group or workplace why not hand some out as invitations?

Think biggerTo make sure you’re the talk of the town, you can:• set up your Brekkie as an event on

Facebook and invite all your friends and family along

• generate publicity at work or church through newsletters, emails and service/notice sheets

• build excitement by sharing photos of your preparations on social media the week before your event

• try using some local hashtags, and tag us too using #bigbrekkie

Say cheese!Local papers and radio can’t resist a good news

story. Could you take some pics of a local celebrity

or a Bishop at your Brekkie? Do you have an unusual

venue like a bell tower to host your event? Or how

about asking your local school or youth group to

make a giant breakfast out of paper to snap an

attention-grabbing photo?

• Use natural light – church lighting can be

particularly dull so why not head outside?

• Use the best camera you have or can get hold of.

• Take lots of photos! Digital cameras are great as

you can choose the best snaps.

• Make sure you’ve checked your workplace or

church’s policies on seeking permission to use

photos, particularly of under-18s.

We’re here to help! if you have an idea for a

newsworthy event and need some advice or

support, contact your local office. Find yours at

caid.org.uk/regions

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Why not invite your local MP?Inviting your MP to your Big Brekkie will show them how many people in their constituency care about the poorest people in the world. It will also encourage them to speak up in Parliament for families like Marcelin’s who are facing the effects of natural disasters, conflict and climate change.

Ideas• Remember your MP is human.

They enjoy meeting people in their constituencies and they all love breakfast, so why not invite them along?

• Use our template letter to invite your MP: download one from caweek.org/brekkieprint

• Have a few questions prepared before the MP arrives. Feeling confident in what you ask always helps.

• Remember to email us if your MP comes to your Brekkie. We’d love to thank them too!

Once

you’ve invited

your MP please

let us know by

emailing

bigbrekkie@christian-aid.org

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Kingdom Coffee – Coffee with a conscience

Order

your coffee,

teas and drinking

chocolate between

12 February and 11

May 2018 to receive

a 10% discount.

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Use the discount code: BigBrekkie18 to receive your discount. New customers only, offer excludes equipment.

kingdomcoffee.co.uk

This year Christian Aid is delighted to partner with Kingdom Coffee for Big Brekkie 2018. Why not order some Fairtrade drinks and make your Big Brekkie a Fairtrade event?

As one of the UK’s top Fairtrade and ethical coffee and tea suppliers, Kingdom Coffee believe in developing strong partnerships with their customers, suppliers and growers. Continually striving to source quality products from ethical sources, they carry a large range of leading products that don’t cost the Earth.

England and Wales registered charity number 1105851 Scotland charity number SC039150 Company number 5171525 Registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC101631 Company number NI059154 Republic of Ireland Charity Commission number 20014162 Company number 426928. The Christian Aid name and logo are trademarks of Christian Aid. Christian Aid is a key member of ACT Alliance. Printed exclusively on material sourced from responsibly managed forests. Photographs: marissa_collections (page 11), all other photos Christian Aid. © Christian Aid December 2017. J46999 F7038EQ

‘The bunting, balloons and colouring-in sheets were great.’

‘Big Brekkie was super fun, I think more people at my church are excited by Christian Aid Week.’

‘It was so simple!’

‘Our event was very successful and it is a great way to raise money for Christian Aid.’

Words of encouragement from a few of last year’s Big Brekkie hosts: