Your guide to hosting a buildathon

Hands-on activities, like buildathons, are a fantastic way to engage new audiences and raise awareness of amateur radio.

Through hosting a buildathon, your club or group can give people a taster of the hobby, allow them to have fun and gain new skills in a supportive environment and take something home at the end.

Clubs can talk about the advice and support they offer newcomers, helping to boost club numbers.

It’s all in the planning!

Some things to think about when planning your buildathon:

• Decide on the host, participants, venue and date

• Arrange staffing on the day, such as club members and RSGB Regional Team

• Choose kits and check availability of tools

• Apply for funding, outlining the aims and objectives of the event (see Radio Communications Fund (RCF) and RSGB Legacy Fund)

• Check insurance details and inform RSGB HQ

• Ensure appropriate health and safety measures are in place (risk assessment, safety equipment, DBS checks etc)

• Promote the event in plenty of time

• Run the event (ensuring photos have appropriate permissions)

• Debrief, send thank you messages and return equipment

• Produce post-event report for funding provider and RadCom

Get inspiration from the RadCom report David De la Haye, M0MBD wrote about the Chelmsford ‘Do and Discover’ event.

Want support with planning a buildathon?

Contact your local RSGB Regional Team representative.