For more than 20 years, we have worked alongside young people and their families as they prepared for expeditions, Scout trips, DofE challenges and adventures abroad. We have watched teenagers step off planes in countries they had never imagined visiting, wide-eyed and slightly terrified, and return home weeks later as entirely different people.
We know what these trips do to a young person. Not just the adventure itself — though that is extraordinary — but the whole journey that leads up to it. The planning, the graft, the setbacks, the moments of doubt, and then the slow, building realisation that they are actually going to do it. That they raised every single penny themselves. That they earned this.
"We have never met a teenager who regretted going on one of these trips. We have met plenty who regretted not going."
The Moment That Changed Everything
There is one memory that has stayed with us and, in many ways, is the reason Ways2Raise exists at all.
On one expedition, we had a teenager with us — we'll call her Lydia. On the first day, she screamed every time anything came near her. Bugs, beetles, anything that moved. She was convinced she had made a terrible mistake. By week two, something had shifted. She spotted a stick insect resting on a colleague's shoulder and, without being asked, gently cupped it in her hands and placed it back onto a branch in the cloud forest. She didn't even flinch. She just smiled. That was Lydia. That was the trip doing what these trips do.
We have seen hundreds of versions of that moment. The quiet kid who becomes the one everyone looks to for reassurance. The teenager who arrives convinced they can't do anything and leaves having proved — to themselves, not to us — that they can do everything. These trips change the trajectory of young people's lives. We believe that with absolute certainty.
So Why Did We Build Ways2Raise?
Too many families were left with a big target, a handful of generic fundraising ideas and no clear next step. Teenagers lost momentum. Parents wondered how to help without taking over. Brilliant opportunities felt out of reach simply because the practical support was scattered, confusing or missing altogether.
We wanted to put the experience we had built over two decades into one calm, useful space: a place where a teenager can start their first fundraising business, and where a parent can find the guidance and reassurance to support them with confidence.
Why Ways2Raise exists
Ways2Raise exists so that a young person's family finances do not determine the size of their ambition. If they are prepared to put in the time, effort and creativity, they should have access to the knowledge, tools and confidence needed to work towards an aspirational goal — while developing skills that will remain valuable long after the trip itself.
Ways2Raise will always put the development and interests of young people first. We will never charge young fundraisers for access to the core knowledge and tools they need to work towards their goal, and we will never handle or take a percentage of the money they raise.
Our success is measured not only in pounds raised, but in the confidence, skills, independence and experience young people gain along the way.
One Big Goal. A Proper Route.
Ways2Raise is built around a simple idea: a big target becomes possible when a young person has a place to start, a plan they understand and someone in their corner. We are not here to do the fundraising for them. We are here to give them the tools, encouragement and structure to do it brilliantly.
Tell the story
A personal fundraising page gives the trip target a clear, shareable home.
Build the plan
Turn one big number into a practical Fundraising Business Plan.
Run the businesses
Choose ideas, track money and discover the value of real profit.
Grow through it
Build confidence, resilience and skills that matter well beyond the trip.
Every penny can be raised
With the right plan and the right support, every teenager can hit their target. We have seen it happen too many times to doubt it.
These trips are for everyone
Economic background should never be the reason a teenager misses out. Fundraising is the great equaliser — and we are here to make it accessible.
The journey builds the person
The skills, resilience, and confidence built on the fundraising journey are just as valuable as the trip itself. We are here for all of it.
What Families Get All in One Place
Our honest advice to every family who lands on this site is the same: create a free account and explore the full toolkit together. It includes the fundraising idea library, step-by-step guides, grant finder, practical downloads, a dashboard, a personal fundraising page and the support that keeps the whole journey moving.
Once you are signed up, the full account is there to use at your own pace. There is no payment decision, no countdown timer, and no pressure. We want families to concentrate on the fundraising journey with confidence, not anxiety.
Why It Stays Free
Every confirmed Ways2Raise account includes the full member toolkit. There is no subscription, no card requirement, no payment step, and no auto-renewal.
We want to be completely transparent about how Ways2Raise is supported. The site may use clearly labelled affiliate links to recommend relevant third-party products and services. If a family chooses to buy through one of these links, Ways2Raise may receive a commission at no extra cost. We will never sell your data.
We would never want a family to feel they have to pay to get meaningful support. Every confirmed account includes the same member toolkit, without a financial barrier.
One last thought: the best way to see whether Ways2Raise is right for your family is simply to create an account and explore it together.
We are not a faceless corporation. We are a small team who genuinely care about this. We answer emails, build practical resources and keep asking the question that started it all: if a teenager arrives here tonight with a trip booked and a target to reach, will this make their next move clearer?
Thank you for being here. Now go and raise some money. 🚀
Ready to Start Your Journey?
Everything you need is right here — free, comprehensive, and built specifically for you.