2023 Fundraising Rundown
With less than 3 weeks until the Big Canopy campout event and our ambitious goals of 2023, the Big Canopy Campout team have been busy with all sorts of fundraising initiatives, and while we’ve had our work cut out for us, we are delighted with the successes we have seen already these past few months.
Naturally, we have the annual BCC shop and raffles go up online, in addition to which we have also diversified into different ways of sourcing funds, ensuring that such means of funding always stay true to our values as a small, charity-oriented company. For a third year, we are supporting the Siekoya Remolino community in protecting their land and culture, and for this incredible cause we plan to raise £20,000 this year. This is an ambitious goal, there’s no doubt about that, but a goal that we expect to meet, and the progress we have made already is a great source of assurance to us that we are on the right track. You can read about how our funds will directly benefit the Siekopai in our previous blog post
Fundraising efforts by the BCC team
Kids climbs are always popular and a great way to get a range of people involved. Check out our fundraising page for ideas on how to join in training £20 000 this year for the SËRA Foundation.
The annual opening of our shop is always met with enthusiasm from the BCC community, and it’s no surprise that we’re off to a flying start this year with the arrival of shiny new gear, new clothing, and our raffle-bundles. In keeping with popular demand, the DMM gear is as prominent as ever, and we’ve loved seeing all the photos and videos of BCC colours on the harnesses of our fantastic community.
BCC Fundraising products shinning through at the European Tree Climbing competition in Slovakia this year.
New products, such as the PINTO pulley, and new colours with our new “Toucan” Ultra-O, have rejuvenated our online shop, and we’ve got some old favourites in there too, of course. Right at home next to this quality Arb gear, is a limited supply of Harrison Rockets in classic BCC colours. These top-quality throw bags are a welcome arrival in this year's shop. Being such small-scale producers, Andy and Ali Harrison have created the Rockets with a focus on quality over quantity, with each and every bag handmade by Ali herself.
New 2023 DMM Products
‘Toucan’ Blue Ultra-O’s and Classic BCC coloured PINTO Pulley & Spacer Set
Once again we have gathered together a selection of gear to raffle off, and we’re delighted that these raffles have remained as popular as in previous years with over £2000 raised! The star of the show was the Wünderwinch, developed and donated by M&M Rope Solutions. The Winch Raffle has been doing the rounds at arboriculture conferences and tree climbing competitions throughout Germany, France and Belgium
Handing over the Wünderwinch to our Winner in Belgium!
Congratulations Gijs and many thanks to Max and Marvin for their generous contribution to our raffle.
Another new product this year, thanks to a collaboration with SIP Protection, is a very limited supply of bespoke BCC/SËRA Gecko trousers. Though not available on our online shop, we have teamed up with Condor Safety and Climbtools to sell 100 pairs, and are delighted to see them almost out of stock, with profits going towards our cause. With such a limited supply we knew that, if sold online, such a product would be out of stock in a flash. We felt that this was a product that we wished to make more personal, so through talks with our retail partners we made arrangements to sell our SIP trousers more locally. By selling these through retailers, and at various arboriculture conferences, we have been giving each and every purchase of these awesome trousers a more personal touch, and we anticipate that the last remaining stock will be sold very soon.
Working in tandem with these fundraising endeavours, our very own Lies and Sven from the Ecuador expedition team did an exceptional job of running a fundraising sweat lodge, making a fantastic contribution of over €600 to our cause. In the Belgian countryside, with the help from friend and practitioner Bob Sommen, the sweat lodge was run to connect participants with elemental forces and form a deeper connection with the natural world. Taking inspiration from ancient traditions, such as that of the Lakota people, these ceremonies are undertaken as a cleansing experience, and Lies and Sven’s event didn’t disappoint. All proceeds went to Big Canopy Campout’s 2023 campaign, and such generosity from all who participated is hugely appreciated. A connection with the natural world is a core value held by the Siekopai and the BCC team alike, and this was a wonderful way to raise funds towards our 2023 fundraising goals.
Sweat Lodge raises €600 for BCC!
The arboriculture conferences and tree climbing competitions that we have had the pleasure of attending this year, throughout Germany and Belgium, have been another great means of raising funds and getting our project out into the public eye. They have not only given us the chance to sell our limited edition merchandise in person, but has also given us the great joy of being face to face with the European tree climbing community once more and seeing faces old and new at such exciting events.
We hit the ground running at the renowned Deutsche Baumpflegetage Tree Care Conference, sharing a stand with the ever-supportive Seiltechnik Hannover. Such a popular event was sure to be a demanding start to our in-person campaigning but, through the rush and madness of it all, we were pleased to have so many tree care enthusiasts asking us all about our cause and aspirations for 2023, and the funds raised through donations and sale of our products, made this event a great success.
German Tree Climbing Competition 2023
BCC’s friend, Muck purchasing his first Toucan Blue Ultra’Os from Seiltechnik Hannover’s stand!
Well and truly into the flow of things, we had the privilege once more to be set up with our products on Seiltechnik Hannover’s stand at the annual German Tree Climbing Competition, with space for Vicki to give a presentation on Big Canopy Campout. A huge thanks to ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) who gave us this opportunity, as well as taking donations and selling some of our products in support of our fundraising efforts. This event was hugely motivating for us, and a success in all regards. Along with the funds that were coming in with our sales and donations, Baum Syndikat generously purchased €500 worth of BCC products to give away as prizes at the competition.
Hectic as these conferences tend to be, they have been a fantastic opportunity for BCC to be present in amongst a world in which we thrive, and to speak with friends old and new who share our optimism and support for the Siekopai Remolino community.
BCC Corner at the DMM Stand
Enjoying the company of all the climbers and their support teams at the ETCC in Slovakia.
To bring us up to date we have just returned from the European Tree Climbing Competition in Slovakia. Gathering the top climbers and their support teams from each country this gathering of people can be described as nothing short of heartfelt. A core group of people that represent, support and make Big Canopy Campout we were in our element. To add to the excitement, Nora, from our Ecuador Expedition Team climbed for Belgium and came in 6th from 24 female climbers! We were ecstatic that we were there to cheer her on and celebrate her achievements.
A big thank you to Puk at the DMM stand who allowed us to share (we hijacked it!) the stand :)
As you may know, Big Canopy Campout’s big annual event and is on the 28th and 29th July. The annual campout is always the highlight of our year, when our incredible community of tree climbers and outdoor enthusiasts come together from all corners of the globe to show their support for the prosperity of the natural world, and the groups who are devoted to protecting it.
If you would like some ideas for raising money for this year’s campaign check out our fundraising page here.
Although the fundraising is a large part of BCC each year, it costs nothing to join in the annual event as the idea is to encourage as many people as possible to get out and into forests, marking each and everyones individual appreciation for these places by enjoying the weekend in nature the best way you can and sharing a photo or story or two with us at BCC!
This will be the 7th year where our international BCC community will camp up amongst the tree-tops, down on the ground, and in back gardens, we would love to see your corner of the world.
Where will you be for your campout?
Join in the Big Canopy Campout and mark your appreciation for our forests worldwide.