Everything you need to know about Ways2Raise — what's free, what's included, how it all works, and who it's for.
Ways2Raise is built specifically for UK teenagers who are raising money for an overseas expedition, DofE Gold residential, Scout or Guide trip, World Challenge, or similar adventure abroad. If you have a trip booked and a target to hit, you are in exactly the right place.
The best place to start is our Getting Started guide. It walks you through setting a target, building a fundraising plan, and choosing the right mix of ideas for your personality and schedule. After that, sign up for your free account to unlock the Fundraising Dashboard and start tracking your progress.
Absolutely. It doesn't matter whether you've just booked your place or you're halfway through your fundraising journey. Sign up, log what you've already raised, and use the tools and ideas to plan the rest. Many teenagers find Ways2Raise after they've started and it helps them push through to the finish line.
Ways2Raise is designed for any UK teenager raising money for an overseas or residential adventure — including World Challenge, Camps International, Raleigh International, Scout and Guide international trips, DofE Gold residentials, school expeditions, and similar programmes. If you're raising money for a trip that will challenge and change you, this site is for you.
Most teenagers who use Ways2Raise consistently raise their full target in 12–18 months. The key is starting early, using a mix of fundraising methods, and keeping momentum. Our Fundraising Dashboard helps you track your progress and stay on target week by week.
None at all. Everything on the site is written for teenagers with no prior fundraising experience. The guides are step-by-step, the ideas are practical, and the tools do the maths for you. If you can read and follow instructions, you can use Ways2Raise.
Yes — completely. Creating a free account costs nothing and gives you access to a huge amount of content and tools. We encourage every teenager to sign up for the free account first and see how far it takes them. Many teens raise their entire target using only the free resources.
Your free account includes: the full Fundraising Idea Library (200+ ideas), all How-To Guides, all Calculators (target calculator, bake sale calculator, and more), the Fundraising Dashboard, a selection of free downloads from the Fundraising Toolkit, and a selection of free courses in the Skills Lab. That is genuinely a lot — and more than enough to get started.
Yes — but you will need to provide a parent or guardian's email address when you sign up. This is a legal requirement for under-18s and is there to keep you safe. Your parent or guardian will receive a confirmation email. Parents can log in to the account at any time using the same email address and password to check on progress.
Yes. We take data safety seriously, especially because many of our users are under 18. We do not collect or store surnames, and we never share your data with third parties. Our database is built to the highest standard for under-18s and is fully compliant with UK GDPR. You can read our full Privacy Policy for details.
Yes. The free account is free forever — not a free trial. We will never move the core resources behind a paywall. Our mission is to make fundraising achievable for every teenager regardless of economic background, and that means keeping the essentials free for good.
Yes, absolutely. You can upgrade at any time from your account settings. There is no pressure and no time limit — upgrade when and if it feels right for you. Your 12 months of Pro access starts from the date of payment.
The Fundraising Dashboard is your personal fundraising hub. Log every pound you raise, track your progress towards your target, plan upcoming events on your fundraising calendar, and see exactly where you stand at any point in your journey. It is free for all Ways2Raise members.
Yes — the Fundraising Dashboard is included in both the free and Pro tiers. Every Ways2Raise member gets full access to it as part of their free account.
Yes. Parents and guardians can log in to the same account using the same email address and password. They can see your trip details, your fundraising total, and your activity — so they can stay informed and support you.
Yes — the Fundraising Dashboard is a web app that works brilliantly on mobile browsers. You can log income, check your progress, and update your calendar from your phone without needing to download anything.
The Fundraising Idea Library contains over 200 ideas — from classic bake sales and sponsored events to innovative digital fundraising and social media challenges. Every idea has its own step-by-step guide. New ideas are added regularly, and all of them are free to access.
The How-To Guides are in-depth articles covering every aspect of teen fundraising — from writing a sponsorship letter to running a raffle, using social media effectively, approaching local businesses, and applying for grants. All guides are free and written specifically for UK teenagers.
The Fundraising Toolkit is a collection of practical downloads and calculators to help you plan and run your fundraising. All calculators are free. Some downloads — like the sponsorship letter template, budget tracker, and fundraising thermometer — are free, while premium downloads (including the full sponsorship package and business approach scripts) are available with the Pro upgrade.
The Calculators help you plan your fundraising with real numbers. The Target Calculator works out how much you need to raise per week or month. The Bake Sale Calculator estimates how much you could make from a bake sale. All calculators are completely free to use.
The Skills Lab is our online learning centre where you can build the skills that make fundraising easier — and that will look brilliant on a personal statement or CV long after your trip is over. There are free courses available to all members, with the full course library unlocked for Pro members. Topics include social media strategy, AI tools, Canva, copywriting, and more.
The Grant Finder is a searchable, regularly updated database of UK grants and bursaries available to young people going on expeditions, Scout trips, DofE, and overseas adventures. Each grant listing includes eligibility criteria, typical award amounts, deadlines, and application tips. It is available to Pro members only — and for many teenagers, a single successful grant application more than covers the cost of the upgrade.
The Pro upgrade unlocks: the full Grant Finder database, the AI Coach (your personal fundraising advisor), the complete Fundraising Toolkit download library, and the full Skills Lab course library. It is designed for teenagers who want to go further, faster — and for parents who want to give their teen the best possible chance of hitting their target.
The AI Coach is a personal fundraising advisor built into your account. Ask it anything — how to approach a local business, what to say in a grant application, how to plan your next three months of fundraising. It gives personalised, practical advice based on your trip, your target, and your timeline. It is available to Pro members only.
The Pro upgrade is a one-off annual fee of £24.99. That is it — no subscription, no auto-renewal, no hidden costs. You pay once and get full Pro access for 12 months. After 12 months, your account simply reverts to the free tier unless you choose to renew.
No. The Pro plan is a one-off payment of £24.99 for 12 months. There is no auto-renewal and no recurring charge. After 12 months, your account reverts to the free tier and you can choose whether to renew. We will send you a reminder before your access expires.
We want to be transparent about this. Running this site costs real money — we pay for AI usage (which powers the AI Coach), secure database storage built to the highest standard for under-18s, and ongoing development. We have never wanted to use adverts or sell data, so a modest one-off fee for the premium features is how we keep the core platform free for everyone.
We accept all major credit and debit cards via Stripe, our secure payment provider. We do not store your card details. If you are under 18, a parent or guardian must complete the payment and confirm their permission before the upgrade is activated.
Yes. We have designed the site with the safety of under-18s as a priority. We do not collect surnames. We do not share data with third parties. We require a parent or guardian's email address for all under-18 accounts. Our database is fully UK GDPR compliant. You can read our full Privacy Policy for complete details.
Parents and guardians log in at login.html using the same email address and password that was set up when the account was created. The account email is the parent's email address, so you should already have it. Once logged in, you can see your teenager's trip details, fundraising total, and activity — and update their trip information in Account Settings.
Yes — and many parents do exactly this. The Pro upgrade makes a brilliant birthday or Christmas present for a teenager who is actively fundraising. It gives them access to the Grant Finder, the AI Coach, the full Toolkit, and the complete Skills Lab for a full year. At £24.99 with no auto-renewal, it is a practical, meaningful gift that could help them raise hundreds of pounds more.
For under-18s, a parent or guardian's email address is required at sign-up — this is a legal requirement. Beyond that, your level of involvement is entirely up to you. You can log in to the shared account at any time to check on your teenager's progress. We do encourage parents to support their teen with time and encouragement — the fundraising journey is as valuable as the trip itself.
That is absolutely fine — and honestly, we are proud of it. The free account is genuinely comprehensive and some teenagers take to fundraising so naturally that they hit their target without needing anything extra. We encourage everyone to start with the free account and only upgrade if and when it feels right.
Our For Parents page covers everything in detail — how the site works, what's free, what the Pro plan includes, safety and data protection, and how to support your teenager through their fundraising journey. We also have a full About Us page explaining why we built Ways2Raise.
We are always happy to help. Drop us a message and we will get back to you within 2 working days.
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