Urticaria Walk Toolkit
Introduction
Urticaria Day (UDAY) is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about Urticaria across the world, to help improve the lives of patients and to progress understanding amongst professionals, media and the general public.
We would love to see people involved in raising awareness around the whole world, that’s why we encourage everyone to take part and create their own events. Walks are very popular, engaging and great way to do so.
This toolkit has been created to provide guidance and resources to Urticaria Patient Groups interested in hosting. The Urticaria Walk aims to raise awareness about urticaria, support patients and their families, and raise funds for research and patient advocacy initiatives. By organizing this walk, you have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of those affected by urticaria.
About the Urticaria Walk
The Urticaria Walk is a community event that can bring together individuals, families, and supporters of urticaria patients. It provides a platform for raising awareness about the condition and promoting solidarity among those affected. The walk serves as a symbol of unity and strength as participants join together to show their support and solidarity with the urticaria community.
It is a great opportunity to get together, raise awareness for urticaria and spread more information about the condition. In addition it may also allow you to fundraise to support your or other non-profit organisations committed to supporting patients with urticaria.
Having a joint goal is always a great idea!
Why take part and organise
- Raise Awareness: The Urticaria Walk is an excellent opportunity to increase awareness about urticaria within your community. By participating and organizing the walk, you can educate others about the condition, its impact on patients, and the need for support and understanding.
- Support Urticaria Patients: The walk demonstrates solidarity with urticaria patients and their families. It allows them to see that they are not alone in their journey and that the community stands beside them. The event offers an inclusive and supportive environment for sharing experiences and fostering connections.
- Fundraising for Research and Advocacy: Organizing the Urticaria Walk provides an opportunity to raise funds for research and advocacy initiatives focused on urticaria. The funds generated can support scientific advancements, patient education programs, and efforts to improve access to care.
What will you need
The following list contains helpful suggestions regarding the steps to organize the walk. However, please keep in mind that these are merely recommendations, and we understand that you may not have the resources or find it challenging to implement them all. Remember that you can always keep it simple and adjust it to your needs. We have also provided additional points in the next slides.
- Organizing Committee: Form a dedicated team to plan and coordinate the event. Assign roles and responsibilities to ensure that everyone can help with planning and contribute to the success of the event.
- Event Day Volunteers: Recruit and coordinate volunteers to assist with event setup, participant registration, crowd management, and general support during the walk. Ask your group members, family, friends, local business to help out!
- Event Venue: Secure a suitable location for the walk, such as a local park, community center, or designated walking path. Consider factors such as accessibility, capacity, and amenities.
- Permits and Permissions: Research and obtain any necessary permits or permissions required by local authorities or property owners for hosting the event in the chosen location. Note, you may need insurance.
- Promotion and Marketing: Make sure to let everyone know about the event, use your website, social media, email, newsletters, even your local newspapers, community bulletin boards, and relevant websites to spread the word. Use the design promotional materials and templates provided in this toolkit and adjust them to match your event details.
- Fundraising Efforts: Create a fundraising plan to generate financial support for urticaria-related initiatives such us non-profit organisations or your support group. There are many possibilities such as small fee when registering, or setting up online crowdfunding platforms or asking people to donate during the walk to some socially created tins.
- Sponsorship: Don’t forget about sponsorship opportunities, local businesses can be willing to contribute even if it’s some snack, water, printing materials, or other small bits that can help with making the event special.
- Participant Registration: Set up a registration process for participants to sign up for the walk. You can use your website to set up a simple registration form to collect participant information, or a simple google forms that can be shared on your social media channels as well as via email. Setting up event group on Facebook is also a great idea to spread the word and ask people to register their interest.
- Walk Logistics: Organize essential elements such as route planning, participant safety, first aid provisions, and signage. Consider providing water stations and restroom facilities along the route if possible.
Keep it simple
We understand that organizing this type of event may seem overwhelming especially when we know how hard and time consuming running a patient organization can be. It’s perfectly fine to keep it simple and focus on organizing just the walk.
Ask your, family, friends, co-workers and other patients and group members to join you. It can be as simple as a stroll through the park as long as you can come together to celebrate and raise awareness for Urticaria.
You can use one on the widely known applications to monitor the number of steps while you walk (CharitiMiles, Strava, MyFitnessPall, StepsApp, etc.).
Reach out to a local printer and use our assets to create some matching t-shirts, hats, banners that you can use during the walk to make it even more special.
Don’t forget to take pictures and post on your social media channels and use # to let everyone know about the event and how you celebrated.
Route Planning
- Start by considering the distance and accessibility of potential routes. Choose a route that is suitable for participants of varying ages and abilities. Ensure it is easily navigable and free from major obstacles or hazards. Walk and test the planned route in advance.
- Consider parks, waterfronts, or nature trails that provide beautiful views and a serene environment.
- If the walk will take place on public roads, you need to make sure that it is safe for all participants. Collaborate with local authorities to implement necessary safety measures, such as road closures, traffic diversions, or the presence of traffic personnel.
- Take into account the availability of amenities on the route like restrooms, water stations etc.
- Determine the timing and schedule of the event, including the start time and estimated duration.
- Designate clearly marked start and finish points for the walk. Place clear and visible signage at strategic points along the route to guide participants.
- Clearly communicate the route to participants before the event. Provide a map or route description in event materials, on the website and/or your social media channels and event group.
Registration
Registration for the event is not mandatory but can be helpful to know how many people will join the event and to give you a better understanding of what to expect.
Online Registration: Set up an online registration platform where participants can easily sign up for the walk. Ensure the registration form collects necessary participant information, including name, contact details, and any additional required fields.
- Website – Consider using your own website to create a simple registration form if possible. There are many plugins that can be helpful when setting this up for example:
- Google forms – To make it easier you can also use google forms and create a simple form which link can be shared on your social media, via email, newsletter and other forms of communication.
- Facebook Event – Set up a Facebook Event that will allow you to invite people, share all the necessary information, answer any questions people may have and monitor the attendance of those who will consider joining the walk.
Costs and Packages
Organizing the event will bring some additional costs for your patient organization.
Consider setting up even a small registration fee to cover event costs or opt for a donation-based registration model. If a fee is required, determine the amount and communicate it clearly to participants.
Take into account packages that you can offer for example a different package for participants, sponsors and donors. These may include things like an event t-shirt, wristband, water bottles, advertising banners etc. See example packages on the next page.
Customize the packages according to the needs and preferences of your event and potential sponsors. Ensure that each package clearly outlines the benefits and recognition provided to maximize sponsorship opportunities and donor engagement.
Remember to maintain open communication with potential sponsors and donors to discuss their specific requirements, customize packages to align with their goals, and ensure a mutually beneficial partnership
Participant Packages
Note these are examples only.
Basic Registration: This package includes the standard registration for the walk, providing participants with the opportunity to join the event, receive an event bib or wristband, and access to any post-walk activities or refreshments.
Premium Package: Offer an upgraded package for participants who wish to contribute more. This package could include additional perks such as a custom event t-shirt, a goody bag with promotional items, exclusive access to VIP areas, or priority check-in.
Team Packages: Encourage group participation by offering team packages. These packages could include discounted registration fees for groups of a certain size or additional benefits like customized team t-shirts, reserved meeting areas, or team-specific signage.
Sponsors Packages
Note these are examples only.
Title Sponsorship: Offer exclusive title sponsorship to one prominent organization or company. This package provides the highest level of visibility and recognition, including prominent logo placement on all event materials, naming rights for the walk, and extensive brand exposure in marketing campaigns.
Presenting Sponsorship: Provide presenting sponsorship opportunities to multiple sponsors. This package grants sponsors prominent visibility through logo placement, mentions in media releases, social media shout-outs, and recognition during the event’s opening and closing ceremonies.
Supporting Sponsorship: Offer a package for local businesses or organizations looking to support the cause. This package could include logo placement on event signage, acknowledgement in promotional materials, and recognition in social media posts and newsletters.
Donors Packages
Note these are examples only.
Major Donor Recognition: Create a package exclusively for major donors who contribute a significant amount. Provide special recognition such as prominent logo placement on event banners, dedicated mentions in speeches or press releases, and a VIP experience during the walk.
Matching Donor Package: Design a package specifically for organizations or individuals interested in matching donations raised during the Urticaria Walk. This package offers visibility and appreciation through logo placement, social media mentions, and special recognition as a matching donor.
In-Kind Donor Package: Offer a package for businesses or individuals providing in-kind donations, such as food and beverages, event supplies, or volunteer support. Recognize their contributions through signage, social media posts, and verbal acknowledgements during the event.
Local Law and Disclaimer
Remember to use a waiver form that participants must sign during the registration process. The form should outline any potential risks associated with the event and release the organizers from liability.
Ensure participants read and agree to the terms before submitting their registration.
Please make sure to adjust it to your event taking local law into the account and making sure that participants are well informed.
Social Media Presence
Make sure to actively promote the event on your social media channels. Use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Tiktok to share information and materials about the walk.
Remember to provide clear and consistent messaging across all communication channels. Regularly monitor and respond to questions, comments, and messages received through social media and other channels to ensure effective engagement with participants and supporters.
Use these social media templates and adjust them to with your event details.
Encourage participants and supporters to share their content related to the Urticaria Walk. This can include photos, videos, testimonials, or personal stories. Highlight and share this user-generated content on your official social media channels to create a sense of community and authenticity.
If possible use paid advertising to promote your event even further. This will allow you to target people in your area that are not following your pages.
Social Media Assets
A library of Social Media assets are available for you to use on your channels. You can download and edit them in Canva. Link available here.
How to edit in Canva
To edit the assets in Canva and ensure that everyone can use posts as their template please duplicate the whole page with all the assets.
This way only you will have access to that copy document and you can freely edit all the assets.
Simply click on ‘file’ located in the top left menu and then ‘make a copy’.
Printable Assets
We have prepared some printable assets that can be adjusted and used by you and participants when organising and attending the walk.
- T-shirts
- Posters
- Start and Finish signs
- Route signs
T-shirts
Resources also include graphics prepared for print on tshirts.
UDAY 2023
In this document we have also included information about UDAY 2023 with all resources and details that may be useful when planning the walk and other activities for your Urticaria Day this year.
Please contact us if you have any questions:
info@ga2len-ucare.com
