1. #Lounge Aid
LOUNGERS LIMITED

2. What is #LoungeAid & why bother?
#LoungeAid is an annual event where every Lounge focuses on raising money or giving support to a local charity
When?
April – May 2018
Doesn’t have to be the whole two months but aim to have a couple of big events, it’s quality, not quantity!
Why?
It's nice to do something for the less fortunate
Lounges are community lead
It brings in new customers
It's FUN!
What benefits would charity work have on your team?
How will it make your community feel seeing you raise money/support for local charities?

3. Top #loungeaid story
Seco raised £1, from their events and when they reached £1,000 the lovely Sarah (one of the team) even shaved her head!
Why was it great?
The charity was personally close to one of the team members so the team and customers really supported the cause
They hosted a range of activities which was suitable to their customer base and which were engaging – charity quiz, bake sale & family fun day.

4. What businesses could your Lounge work with?
The seco interview
What charity did you choose & why? Cornwall Hospice Care as Charlotte’s (team member) mum was cared for there before she sadly passed away. It was an amazing way to raise money for an incredible cause in her memory. What events did your customers really get behind? The Seco crew really came together to get our regulars and locals involved. Even a year on people are still talking about that crazy time Sarah shaved her hair off and Jack and Charlotte jumped out of plane! How did your activity help with community engagement? We built relationships with our neighbouring businesses such as independent hair salon ‘Envy’ who agreed to dye Josh’s hair blue for free. The bosses from St Luke’s personally sent out invites for our bake sale and also now regularly visit Seco for a catch up and some dinner.
 What businesses could your Lounge work with?

5. What have you taken away from Seco’s story?
The seco interview
Who organised it? Was it a lot of work? There was a team of three who led the charge, but it really was the team effort which helped us raise so much.
The charity were really helpful – we actively promoted them across social media and they did for us too.. win, win! Social media was a key part in showing what we were up to and promoting events, as a rule we said that any photo had to have at least one person smiling.
What events did you do and why do think it worked?  A wide variety of events such as a ‘family fun day (crafting, face painting etc), sponsored skydive, leg waxing, Sarah shaving her hair (Streamed live on Facebook), bake sale and a charity quiz (asking for an extra £1 for charity). We were deliberately very visual, full of charity spirit and most importantly fun! Allowing them to be easily promoted and showcased in real time on social media.
How did it make the team feel?  We all had such a great time, so we can’t wait to show everyone how we’re going to do it this year!
 What have you taken away from Seco’s story?

6. Top #loungeaid story
Cultivo’s Ben and Mel trek from Letchworth to Brighton and raised over £2,000
Why was it great?
Teams members set themselves a huge challenge of a 93 mile walk – such a big challenge that they become local celebs and made the local news!
The charity was personally close to one of the team members so the team and customers really supported the cause
They whole team got involved and they advertised and talked to everyone about the events.

7. The cultivo interview
What charity did you choose and why? Parkinson’s, as our lovely supervisor Mel's mum was diagnosed and it was something that she really wanted to do. Because we are a family, we all wanted to support Mel in this and it became something close to all of our hearts.
What events did you customers really get behind? Our most successful event was Ben and Mel's insane three day trek from Cultivo Lounge to Alcampo! We shouted about this one for two months and began fundraising for it immediately. We talked to anyone who would listen about it and we had a couple of big chalkboards done which we displayed our activities.
The other event that were successful were often the simplest - Dom's head/beard shave, the bake sales and our amazing Human Jukebox evening too.
Where did you start? The first thing we did was hold a team meeting and have a good old brain storm. We picked the ideas we liked best as a team and then asked people to volunteer to organise each one. We also set up a Just Giving page so people could donate directly .

8. How could you ensure your team are really behind your #LoungeAid Plan?
The cultivo interview
Who organised it? Was it a lot of work? Every member of the team was involved in organising and planning. I’m convinced this is why the team were enthusiastic about the whole thing. They really got behind it, talked about what we were doing and when to anyone who would listen and became cheerleaders for each other. 
Why do you think it worked?  The whole thing worked because the whole team was involved, they believed in what we were doing, we were organised and they worked together!
 How could you ensure your team are really behind your #LoungeAid Plan?
How did it make the team feel?  I think that ultimately, the whole experience really made the team even closer than before. It was fun and rewarding, but it was hard work and the way in which the guys approached it was lovely to see. For me, the word I use most when I am talking about my team is 'Proud' - Lounge Aid 2017 really cemented that feeling for me! This year, we're going for £5k #bringiton

9. Top #loungeaid story
Renato raised £1,333 by hosting a range of activities and capturing their community hearts
Why was it great?
The team chose a cause close to the communities heart and told the story of a local girl’s journey
The fundraising events allowed their customer to get involved and be part of the fundraising

10. What events do you think your customers will get behind?
The Renato interview
What events did your customers really get behind? The exercise bike as they loved having a go - we had guests coming in especially for that. They also loved the little Loungers pamper afternoon (beauty trained member of staff offering mini pamper sessions). People in Mere Green sure do love cake though, as our bake sale raised £250! 
Why do you think it worked?  Isabella is a local girl and when people became more aware of her story via #LoungeAid, they felt connected and wanted to support. Also social media played a vital part in raising the awareness.   
What events do you think your customers will get behind?

11. The Renato interview
Who organised it? Was it a lot of work? It was a lot of work but it really didn’t feel like hard work because it felt so rewarding to be able to raise money for Isabella who really did become part of the family 
Ok so you organised #LoungeAid on your own - how did the team pull together? “My manager (Jeremy) was absolutely amazing and totally supported me and my ideas.
The rest of the team were always there if I asked them to do something, they all baked cakes when I asked them too, the exercise bike became a big competitive between all the staff. They all bought raffle tickets and donated where they could.
The thing that makes me so proud of my team is that they were all happy and willing to donate their tips for a whole 3 months without a second thought to me that is what being a lounger is all about ❤️” Laura.

12. Top tips
Think hard about which charity to support – local to your community or personal to a team member
Tell the story of why you've chosen that charity – on social media, black boards, event posters
Pick events suitable to your community or really challenge your team
Who’s in charge? You either need one person or a team. Whoever it is they need the GMs & the teams support and help
Advertise & tell everyone about it – posters, social media, word of mouth, contact local papers,
Spread the responsibility – many hands make light work!
LoungeAid does not just have to be about fundraising money, you could choose to donate your time or skills – whatever you and your team wish to do
Does anyone have any questions on the above or their #LoungeAid activity?

13. Where to start? Choose a charity and make contact
Create a plan for your fundraising / supporting activity
Advertise – HQ are here to help!
Smash it!
Collect amounts, share stories and thank customers for support!
For additional information on event planning, advertising and tools. See the Community section of the App.
Does anyone have any concerns?
Ensure you use the support of your ops and HQ Community Team
Utilize the additional info on the app