Let’s get this straight. I organise a gig or party or something, get all my friends to help me plaster the place with Bollocks to Poverty posters and give away a zillion free stickers and badges, making me frankly the coolest person of the year? And everyone drinks beer, jumps around, gives us a few quid and shouts ‘bollocks’? How exactly does that really change people’s lives?

You can’t end global poverty in one night. It’s a huge and complicated problem, but that’s exactly why we need your help. The money you raise will help ActionAid carry on working tomorrow, but the awareness you raise will influence the generation that can actually end poverty.

£40 will mean 400 children orphaned by AIDS in Malawi will have nutritious porridge for a week – sometimes the only guaranteed meal they receive. And getting ten of your mates to sign up to one of our campaigns means ten more people pestering the UK government, international groups like the United Nations and powerful corporations to keep their promises and play fair. That does make a difference and will change lives.

Do I have to raise a certain amount of money?
There is no minimum amount you need to raise. Even a small amount goes a long way in poor communities. £11 can provide a child who has missed out on school in Brazil with catch up classes for a year to get them back into education. If you can’t raise any money, then raising awareness is just as important so put all your energy into that.

Where will the money I raise go?
You get to choose. At certain points of the year you can celebrate International Women’s Day, One Goal education campaign, World Food Day or World AIDS Day and they money you raise will go to projects related to these themes.

At other times we have six priority projects that are tackling different issues like homelessness, clean water and school meals, in different parts of the world like Malawi, India and Cambodia. Or you can choose to support our Greatest Need fund, which means we spend your money wherever it’s needed most the second we receive it. This could be in any of the 50 countries where we work worldwide. Within this fund, 77p from every £1 goes to projects in poor communities. 19p is spent on campaigning and fundraising in the UK, and 4p on administration.

I’m interested in a particular issue or campaign. Can I get some materials for my event?
Yes. ActionAid campaigns on issues like the right to food, education and corporate responsibility. Have a look at our current campaigns and contact us for action cards and leaflets.

I need to persuade my uni/college/venue/mum to get behind this. Can you help?
Yes. We can send you samples of the posters, stickers and badges we supply so they can see what it’s all about. We can also send you a letter of authorisation to fundraise which shows you are registered with ActionAid. Make sure you also send them a link to our website for more information.

I already organise events. Can I make the Bollocks to Poverty tour a part of what I do?
Absolutely. If you already run events or have one coming up, make it part of the tour. Whether you want to do a one-off or build up some serious support for us, we can make sure you have enough materials for any size event.

I’ve never organised anything before. Does that matter?
Not at all! Anyone can be part of the tour, with any shape or size event. Our Essential Guide to Planning Your Event has advice for first-timers and you can call or email us too. Our top tips are start small, make sure you don’t end up out of pocket, find some local experts to give you advice, and harass all your mates until they help you out. And have fun!

Can you help me find a venue or bands / DJs for my event?
We can’t get involved with any of the logistics of your event. You’ll have to rise to the challenge and do it yourself. Don’t be afraid to contact artists you don’t know, they may say yes! Tell them you are organising a charity event for ActionAid and send them some links or info.

I’m a DJ/ in a band and want to support you. Can I play at an event somewhere?
As much as we would love to give everyone a platform to perform for Bollocks to Poverty we simply can’t. Remember all the tour events are organised by our supporters – they decide who appears on the bill, not us. If you are a DJ/band/artist you already have half the thing organised!

Find yourself a venue and put a night on yourself. Or find a mate who wants to get into music management/ PR / events / marketing and get them to do it.

When do I get all my stickers and posters?
Once you have downloaded the Info Pack and registered online, we will send you a link to our organisers’ portal. From here you can order your materials, download our guides to rganising, promoting and fundraising for your event, get the logos and generally feel rather important and special. If you just want a few samples in advance, contact us.

Can someone from ActionAid come and run a stall or speak at my event?
The Bollocks to Poverty tour is all about you taking the message out there yourself. We love coming to see what’s going on and helping out, but if we did that all the time we wouldn’t get anything else done (although our jobs would be unbelievably cool). Don’t feel like you need to be an expert on global poverty – our leaflets explain what we do and people can go to the website or contact us if they have questions. But if you are planning something colossal, like the Foo Fighters at Wembley, (or more realistically a big university conference, festival etc.) we may be able to help.

Can you help with printing flyers and posters?
Although we can supply enough posters to decorate your venue, we can’t help with designing or printing posters and flyers to advertise your event. We supply you with the Bollocks to Poverty logo to use on these. Try approaching your local print shop and see if they will print for free or at a discount in return for a mention on your materials.

I don’t want my event on myspace and facebook!
That’s fine. If you are planning a private event, we won’t promote it. You won’t get random people turning up and peeing in the sink. But we still want to know it’s happening so keep us up to date.

How do I get started?
Download the Info Pack. Read it, then click on the link to register, even if you don’t have details like date and venue sorted. We’ll be in touch straight away to confirm you are good to go, and email you a link to our organiser portal. When you are ready, you can order your stickers, badges, posters etc. plus get access to our advice guides and logos.

What do I do afterwards?
Find someone to high five! As soon as you can, tell us how it went. Share your story with us – the amazing bits and the rubbish bits - and we will stick it on the website to inspire others to give it a go. Photos are just as exciting so send them our way too. If you raised some cash, pay it in via www.myactionaid.org.uk or post a cheque with a Payments Form to us (see the Fundraising Guide for instructions and form) and we will put your money to work.

Can I talk to a real person please?
Email Chris on bollocks@actionaid.org.uk or call 01460 23813

Download info pack now to get started