Virtual balloon race to inflate funds for hospice

A new fundraising idea timed to celebrate the anniversary of the Queen’s coronation is set to raise money for a local hospice as it tries to regain expected money lost by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prospect Hospice is one of hundreds of charities nationally inviting supporters to take part in a virtual balloon race where participants follow balloons as they float across a digital sky on a journey shaped by real world weather, geography and atmospheric conditions. The event starts with a mass ‘release’ from Westminster Abbey next Tuesday 2 June, the anniversary of the Queen’s coronation.

There is a skill element, however: participants design their own balloon’s colour and pattern and select the helium contents and rubber thickness before labelling it - all elements that affect how it flies through the air. And, at just £3 per balloon, the hospice’s fundraisers are urging the whole family to take part in a fun challenge that can be enjoyed from the comfort of home.

Prospect Hospice’s challenge events fundraiser, Sally Bere, is optimistic that whole families will want to take part in the event. “It’s fun and, with balloons costing just £3, it’s an affordable way for everyone to help raise some funds to enable us to support patients and families who are feeling especially vulnerable currently. You can design the balloon, or balloons, to your own specification and then get on Google Maps to see how far it’s got – and because it’s a virtual event, there’s no cost to the environment.

“There’s a serious side, of course,” she adds. “It’s no secret that Prospect Hospice faces the biggest crisis in its 40 year history this year as our regular fundraising events have been cancelled through the summer. We have had to find new ways to raise the funds we need to care for people and I hope that people will see this as a fun and affordable way to support our care.”

There are prizes available for the people whose balloons get furthest in the event, with a £500 top prize,  an Apple iPad for the second placed balloon, and ten £10 book tokens available for the next ten balloons.

To buy a balloon or balloons, and take part in this event, visit https://www.prospect-hospice.net/coronation-virtual-balloon-race/