Bingo night risk assessment

When organising a charity event you obviously want to make lots of money for a good cause. But, as with anything, there are risks involved. In order to have the best chance of making the most money you will want to evaluate these risks and put measures in place in order to minimise the risks. 

We have put together a guide to help you figure out what you may need to prepare for and how to give yourself the best chance of having a super successful event. Here's a 5 step risk assessment you can take to ensure your event goes smoothly

1. Safety first (aid)

If you’re organising an event that has the public involved you might not need a first aider present, but you should still do everything possible to avoid any injury. This includes checking all equipment and keeping everything tidied so there are no trip hazards.

There should also be a fully stocked first aid kit on hand, complete with plasters, bandages, alcohol-free cleansing wipes, and eye wash. It may also be sensible to have a first aider on site for the event, even if you are not legally required to. 

2. Licence to spill

Whilst not technically a risk you need to prepare for, you need to remember that you will need an alcohol licence if you are selling any age restricted drinks at your bingo night. Check with your venue as they may have a licence that will cover you for the evening, if not you will need to get one. 

You could always ask guests to bring their own booze and charge a small cover fee. This way, you are not risking breaking the law and a huge fine, which will cut into the funds you have raised for charity! For more information on whether you need an alcohol licence and how to get one, check out the official government website.

3. Insure your success

It is not a legal necessity to purchase insurance for your bingo night, in most instances all you need to do is ensure you do all you can to prevent any potential hazards and risks. This includes making the venue trip free, not overcrowding the venue etc. 

However, if you are planning to have quite a large event, you may feel safer if you obtain insurance, to cover you in all eventualities and protect you legally in case someone makes a claim against you. Remember to check with your venue, as they might have insurance that will cover your event too.

If you do decide to get insurance, you will most likely be looking at getting Public Liability Insurance. This comes with different levels of cover, from £1 million and up. While this sounds like a lot, costs are relatively low, sometimes as little as £50 or £60, so this shouldn’t cut into your budget too much and gives you extra peace of mind, but it is good planning, not insurance that stops things going wrong.

4. Cover your costs

When organising a charity event you will want to raise lots of money for your cause, but what if you don’t make enough to cover your costs? There is no fool-proof way to know how much money you will raise on the day of the event, so you may not make as much as you had hoped for, but if you sell tickets in advance you can make sure you cover your bases and have at least some idea of your turn out to the event.  Check out our guide on how to raise money at your bingo night for an idea on how much you could raise.

By selling tickets in advance you can also better estimate the amount of food and drink you will need, if you are selling any! You will also be able to work out how many daubers and bingo cards you will need, so you don’t buy too many and have them go spare. Our guide on how much your bingo night will cost can help you budget so you don't lose money with your event.

5. Look out for the pennies

One of the worst things that could happen at your event is your fundraising proceeds being stolen. Of course, this event is for charity so you want to assume the best of everyone, but it is always better to be safe than sorry. You can invest in a small money box with a key, or make sure to keep a trusted team member with the money at all times. 

If you are holding your event at a hall for hire or using another venue for hire for your charity bingo night, they might have a safe that you can use if you ask.

Keeping in mind everything you can do to minimise risk greatly increases the chances of you hosting a successful charity event, with lots of money being raised for a good cause. 

Check out the previous article in the series: Promoting your bingo night Visit the hub page and read our entire 12-part guide to organising a bingo night fundraiser here!