1. Choose your venue

You could host a screening in your home, your office, your church, your school, your club or maybe even your local cinema! Wherever you choose, make sure that your venue is easy to find, accessible and welcoming – with good parking if necessary – and that there are plenty of seats and suitable technical equipment (sound system, screen, internet etc.). 

2. Choose a suitable date and time

Consider when would work best for your expected audience. Would an evening after work and school suit, or would a weekend be better? Maybe a lunchtime screening would be more appropriate at your office or school? 

3. Make it engaging!

Could you roll out a red carpet and ask guests to dress up in their most glamorous outfits as though it were the Oscars? Maybe you could incorporate the screening into a dinner party or a cheese and wine event? 

4. Promote the screening in good time

Planning and promoting the event well in advance will make it more likely that people can attend. Personal invitations can be sent by post, email, Facebook or text, but make sure they contain all the relevant details – what, where, when and why? Be clear to give the start time, how long the event lasts (the film is 34 minutes long), what activities you have planned apart from showing the film, and when you expect the event to finish.

5. Recruit some volunteers

Organizing any event can involve quite a bit of effort and planning, but you can lighten the load by getting others involved. Even asking someone to help to lay out chairs, or to greet people as they arrive, can make a big difference. 

6. Check the technical equipment!

This will vary depending on where you host the screening. Requirements for your own living room compared to a large church hall will be very different. But even if you are using your own home, it’s good to consider whether your own television will be suitable or if you will need to borrow a projector from a friend or colleague. 

7. Consider whether there will be a fundraising element

Putting on a screening can be a great opportunity to raise funds to feed more children! At your event, could you organize a small raffle, sell some homemade goodies (home baking or little bags of sweets might go down well), or incorporate a short fundraising quiz? If you’re showing the film at school or work, could you do a lunchtime screening and ask guests to donate the value of their lunch to Mary’s Meals? 

You can set up a fundraising page so guests can easily donate online - START A FUNDRAISING PAGE

8. Decide if you will offer drinks and snacks

To make the most of the movie theme, could you provide cinema-style popcorn or hot dogs in exchange for small donations to Mary’s Meals? 

9. Take some time to research Mary’s Meals

Those who attend the screening will hopefully want to find out more about Mary’s Meals and our life-changing work around the world. We have lots of information and useful resources available on our website.

10. Encourage those attending to find out more

The event you organize might be the first time some of your guests have encountered our work. There are many ways for people to express their support for Mary’s Meals, but a great place to start is to join the mailing list and sign up for email newsletters.