You can create a JustGiving page and send the link to your friends and family so that they can donate to your page. The money then gets sent straight to St Mungo’s. If you wish to collect donations offline, you can download a copy of our sponsorship form to collect any cash donations.

There is a fundraising target of £50 that we ask you to commit to when signing up.

Gift Aid is a government run scheme that allows charities to reclaim the tax that has already been paid on donations made by a UK taxpayer, which means your donations will be worth an extra 25%.

When you register to take part in Take The Lead, an online fundraising page is automatically created for you. There are a few key things you can do to make the most of your fundraising page, including:  

1. Uploading a photo, video, or story 
2. Setting your target
3. Sharing your story
4. Promoting your page
5. Keeping everyone updated 

The money you raise will transform the lives of people experiencing homelessness. It will allow our frontline workers to help more people sleeping rough and find them safe beds in from the cold.

• Every £25 you raise could make it someone’s last night on the streets.
• Every £50 you raise could help to provide essentials for someone arriving at one of our hostels, such as warm clothing and toiletries.
• Every £100 you raise could help someone into a permanent home of their own.

No, as long as you clock up the miles between 1 and 31 August, it can be at a time and pace that suits you. You can complete the challenge over a long weekend, by completing a mile a day for the month or all in one go – it's up to you and your pup!

No, this event is free to sign up for all. We just ask you commit to a fundraising target of £50 and help fundraise as much as you can for St Mungo’s.

JustGiving is an online fundraising platform which makes it easy for you to record the miles you cover and fundraise. Once you sign up to Take the Lead, a JustGiving page will automatically be set up for you.

Online donations are paid directly to St Mungo’s each week, so they start making a difference immediately. Plus, JustGiving automatically collects Gift Aid for us on every donation made by a UK taxpayer.

Yes, absolutely! Once you have signed up and created your personal JustGiving page, you can then create a JustGiving team page too. When your friends, family or colleagues sign up to take part in Take The Lead, they can join your team during the registration process.

If you are under 18 you will need a parent or guardian to email events@mungos.org to provide you with permission to take part.

Yes, you can track your miles however you would like either by using your mobile phone, smart watch or by making a tally on paper. 

If you use Strava to track your miles, you can link this account to your JustGiving page so that your walks are automatically recorded and added to your page. To do this, view your fundraising page, scroll down to the Fitness Activity boxes and click either ‘Connect Strava’. You can find full details of how to link your page to your Strava account here.

If you don’t use Strava (or you forget to track your activity whilst walking your dog) you can manually add the mileage to your page later. To do this, view your page and click on the 'Add data manually'.

Once you raise £50, we’ll send you out a St Mungo’s dog bandana in the post.

If you have any questions or queries relating to this event, please email our events team at events@mungos.org

Dog thefts are on the rise as the demand for certain breeds increases. Criminals target the dogs, knowing they can sell them on to make money (Source: Met Police). 

Take the Lead is a public facing activity and it is important to be aware that data you upload on fitness tracking devices, or via social media, could be used as an indication of walking habits. 

To prepare for your challenge, you should: 

• Be extra vigilant
• Microchip your dog
• Fit your dog with a collar that has a contact number
• Ensure you have established a good recall, or keep your dog on a lead at all times
• Vary the times and routes you take when walking your dog
• Report any suspicious activity
• Keep up-to-date photos of your dog

The safety of our fundraisers is really important. Please ensure you take on a challenge that is manageable and does not harm your health or the health of those around you. Please seek advice about taking on physical activity from your doctor and vet, especially if you, or your dog have a health condition.

Here are our top tips to make sure that you and your dog stay safe and healthy while you take on the challenge this August:

• Choose public and well-lit areas for your walks.
• Always let someone know where you are going and when you will be back.
• If you’re walking in the evening, make sure that you wear bright, reflective clothing so you can be clearly seen.
• If you are recording your walks on a GPS app, we would recommend that you adjust your privacy settings so that it doesn’t show your start or end point.
• Be spontaneous with your walking routes. Not only does this add to the adventure for your dog, but it also makes your walks less predictable for anyone who might be paying attention.
• If you start to feel unwell whilst taking on your challenge, please stop immediately and speak to a medical professional.

Please note, your involvement in Take the Lead is taken on at your own risk. St Mungo's are not liable for any issues that arise during your challenge.

• Dogs need exercise, even when it's hot. We recommend walking your dog in the morning or evening when it's cooler to reduce the risk of heatstroke and burning their paws on the pavement.
• Avoid pavements if the ground is too hot to touch with your hand for a few seconds
• Don’t run/cycle with your dog if its hot
• Take a route where there may be regular access to shade
• Prevent sunburn by using pet safe sunscreen on ears and nose
• Contact the vet if you see any of the signs of heatstroke

1.      Heavy panting

2.      Excessive drooling

3.      Lethargy/drowsiness

4.      Uncoordinated movements

5.      A state of collapse and vomiting

There's lots of different ways you can track your miles throughout August. You can use your mobile phone, smart watch or simply make a tally on paper. It’s up to you which method you choose, but you are responsible for tracking your own miles. 

If you use Strava to track your miles, you can link this account to your JustGiving page so that your walks are automatically recorded and added to your page. To do this, view your fundraising page, scroll down to the Fitness Activity boxes and click ‘Connect Strava’. You can find full details of how to link your page to your Strava account here.

If you don’t use Strava (or you forget to track your activity whilst walking your dog) you can manually add the mileage to your page later. To do this, view your page and click on the 'Add data manually'. Contact JustGiving’s customer support on help@justgiving.com if you have any questions about connecting your account. 

If you raise £150 or more from 1st June 2024 – 31st August 2024 for Take the Lead, you will be entered into a prize draw to win one in 5 pairs of Dogfest 2024 tickets. Fundraisers are automatically entered base on their fundraised amount, if you would like to be removed from this reward, please let us know.

Our partners at the White Company have generously donated one of their Seychelles Hampers which retails at £120 for our top fundraiser. This hamper would offer an opportunity to pamper after a long dog walk! Included are:

• Seychelles Signature Candle: 140g (approximately 33 hours’ burn time)

• Seychelles Fragrance Oil: 15ml

• Seychelles Shower Gel: 500ml

• Seychelles Body & Hair Mist: 50ml

• Seychelles Home Spray: 100ml

• Bamboo Body Brush: Approx. W15cm x L20.8cm H10.4cm

• Seychelles Body Lotion: 250ml

• Hamper H20.5cm x L45.5cm x D30.5cm

Find out more about the hamper here