Frequently Asked Questions
How do I take part?
To take part, simply sign up at PETA.org.uk/StepUp and we’ll send you a welcome e-mail with the next steps, which include joining the exclusive Facebook community, setting up your PETA fundraiser, and sharing your challenge with your friends and family. Then, it’s time to get moving.
Please note: make sure you choose “PETA UK” for your fundraiser, not our US affiliate, “PETA”.
Once you’ve set up your fundraiser, we’ll send you your very own PETA-branded sweatband and Active for Animals badge for you to display proudly as you clock up those steps.
How do I fundraise?
Once you’ve signed up, set up your PETA Facebook fundraiser here in just four super-simple steps:
1. Set your end date for when the challenge is done and dusted, around 8 November.
2. Add a clear title to your fundraiser, e.g. “My Step Up to End Animal Testing Fundraiser“.
3. Let your loved ones know why you’re raising money for PETA and what your challenge is in the description. Let your passion and personality shine through here!
4. Add your fundraiser cover photo. Make it snazzy, fun, sad … the choice is yours.
Please note: be sure to set up your fundraiser for “PETA UK“, not our US affiliate, “PETA”.
Once you’ve set up your page and chosen a fundraising target, spread the word – and share your Facebook fundraiser – far and wide. Remember to tell your friends and family why you’re taking on the challenge and how much it means to you.
We’ll be providing fundraising tips throughout the challenge, but if you have any questions in the meantime or get stuck setting up your fundraiser, please get in touch at [email protected].
What does it mean that gifts will be matched?
Some very generous PETA donors have offered to match every pound raised before 31 October in Step Up to Animal Testing, up to a total of £250,000. This means that every pound raised before then (up to £250,000) will unlock a pound from these donors, effectively doubling the impact of your fundraiser. For example, if you raise £150 before 31 October (and before the £250,000 limit has been reached), PETA will receive the £150 you raised plus £150 from the donors, bringing the total to a whopping £300.
Is there a registration fee?
No. As this is a virtual event, it’s completely free to take part. But we encourage you to raise as much as possible to benefit PETA’s work for animals.
If you raise £150 or more, you’ll receive an exclusive PETA Pack sports T-shirt to show just how much we appreciate your brilliant efforts.
When does the event take place?
It takes place from 10 to 31 October. Within this time frame, we encourage you to take as many steps as you can.
What is my steps target?
We want to encourage people of many different ability and fitness levels to take part in this event, so we’ve left the steps target completely open for you to set yourself. Choose a target that’s challenging but achievable.
Where do I do it?
You can cover your steps anywhere you like, so long as you keep yourself and others safe. We highly recommended using this opportunity to head out into nature by exploring parks, fields, hills, rivers, lakes, or whatever tickles your fancy. Remember to respect current social-distancing guidelines as laid out by the government.
Can I take part with a team?
Absolutely. Team challenges are a great way to have fun with your friends, and having the support of a team can go a long way towards helping you smash your fundraising target and reach the finishing line.
How much should I raise?
You can raise however much you like! Remember: the more you raise, the more you’ll be boosting our effective campaigns to establish and protect the rights of all animals. What’s more, generous PETA donors have offered to match all the money raised through our Step Up to End Animal Testing challenge before 31 October, up to a total of £250,000, meaning every penny you raise before then will go twice as far towards helping animals.
All participants who set up a PETA Facebook fundraiser will receive their very own PETA-branded sweatband and Active for Animals badge. If you manage to raise £150 or more, as an extra-special thank you, you’ll get an exclusive PETA Pack sports T-shirt.
How are the funds used?
PETA’s work relies entirely on donations, and every penny you raise will go towards our campaigns to establish and protect the rights of all animals. We work for animals in many ways, including through public education, research, pushing for legislative change, special events, celebrity involvement, and protest campaigns that raise awareness of animal exploitation and pressure governments, companies, and individuals to end it.
How do I transfer my funds?
By raising money through Facebook, your funds will automatically be transferred to PETA, so you don’t need to do anything. If you raise funds in another way, drop us an e-mail at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help.
I have reduced mobility – can I still take part?
Absolutely. We encourage everyone to take part, whether you walk 100 steps in three weeks or 100,000. If you’re a wheelchair user, you could use an odometer (which can be purchased from a bike shop or sports equipment store) and attach it to the wheelchair to monitor the distance covered each day. Alternatively, you could switch on Google Maps Timeline on your phone, which shows an estimate of places you may have been and routes you may have taken based on your location history. To find out how to do this, click here.
Once you’ve determined your distance, you can convert it to steps by using the following formula: 1 kilometre = 1,250 steps. You’re also welcome to form a team with friends and add your steps together.
What if I signed up but can no longer take part?
If you’re no longer able to take part in PETA’s Step Up to End Animal Testing challenge for whatever reason, please get in touch with us at [email protected].