May Day 2023

What is May Day?

May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May (around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice).  Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. Traditions often include gathering wildflowers and green branches, weaving floral garlands, crowning a May Queen (sometimes with a male companion), and setting up a Maypole, May Tree or May Bush, which people dance around.

Why do we celebrate May Day?

Summer is all about the longer, brighter, and warmer days of the year which makes it the perfect season to spend time in the great outdoors with family and friends. Being outdoors is actually scientifically proven to make people healthier and happier and doing that whilst enjoying a group event gives you a double hit of dopamine, serotonin and all the other happy chemicals that your body can release by the bucketload!

Group events

Some of the biggest group events held in summer include;

Festivals - music festivals are the most popular along with food and drink festivals. Some of these include The British Summertime Festival, Latitude, Leeds fest, Creamfields, and Camp Bestival. You will also find food and drink festivals in a variety of towns and cities throughout the summer months.

Weddings and Birthdays - It is the most popular time for wedding celebrations and also people who have birthdays in summer are more likely to celebrate with a group event as the nice weather means outdoor spaces can be used and more people can be invited.

Garden parties - BBQs and garden parties are had throughout summer as they can be celebrated with friends and family and don’t necessarily need to be planned weeks in advance.

Day at the races - The horse race events are on from May through to August. It is a great group event where everyone gets to dress up and place their bets on who they think will win. Or if you are not into betting why not just go for the food, drink, and the atmosphere of it all.

Group activities - If your friends enjoy the outdoors why not arrange a group hike, road trip or hire a boat for the day? There are lots of companies who hire out their equipment which can only be made the most of in the summer months, such as boats, kayaks, jet skis and water-based assault courses - you can even hire full events such as an outdoor cinema.

What is the best way to collect money for group activities?

Most if not all of these activities are going to need a deposit in the first instance and the balance paying in advance of the activity which immediately creates a rather large logistical challenge. You get into something of a chicken and egg situation. You call somewhere up to find out the available dates to do the thing, what the deposit is and the final balance. Then you take this information to your Whatsapp group where the conversation bounces back and forth for a number of days. Then you start the laborious task of getting everyone to transfer money to your bank which not only takes more days, if not weeks, it also involves you needing to go through your statement with a fine tooth comb to see who has paid what and when, then input that into the absolute mothership of all spreadsheets to help keep track, until you get to a point where you have enough for the deposit. This will likely be because some people have paid the full amount whilst others have yet to pay anything, but the overall amount is there for the deposit to be paid (more complicated calculations needed to work out who owes what now).

So you call up the company to finally book, only to find out the date is now not available! Back to the drawing board - either a new date to sort out or a completely different activity. Meanwhile, you’ve had differing amounts from your group so you’ve got to play accountant some more to figure all that out!

In order to avoid this then, you hammer your credit card. I mean, people will pay you by the time your next statement lands won’t they? Won’t they? Without exception, they won’t. A large number will, but a number of people won’t, and when you’re talking big events or holidays, those 2 or 3 people equate to hundreds of pounds.

They’re your friends though right? You’ve been through thick and thin together…..they’re lovely people. They’ve helped you through breakups, crises of confidence, career confusion - the lot! They won’t let you down surely? They won’t do it deliberately or intentionally, but the second a process contains any friction (and let’s be honest, bank transfer set-ups contain A LOT of friction) it will mean people not doing it, taking a long time to do it, or needing constant cajoling in order to do it.

So instead of focusing on creating the event or holiday of a lifetime, an experience to top all that has gone before, you instead find a word of worry, of social awkwardness and a whole load of stress that you simply don’t deserve. I mean, you’re the one making this happen for everyone else….all you’re asking them to do is stump up some money!

How about an alternative? A nice easy way of creating a pool, or multiple pools, each describing the element they are for (for example ‘lunch at the beach’, ‘festival tickets’, ‘roof top bar party’) and simply sharing a payment link to your Whatsapp or IMessage group?

Each person simply taps to pay and they’re done. No downloading of an app, no creating of an account, and no banking. No excuses. Just you getting paid and spending your energy creating something truly memorable!

Download Collctiv and start collecting money today!

Summer 2023 Holidays

Every year companies across the hospitality sector have summer deals and this will be no different for summer 2023. These include package holiday deals, discounted flights, and money-off trips and excursions.

When thinking about booking a summer holiday there are some things to be considered to make it a memorable holiday for everyone;

Weather - hot or cold climate?
Food - Adventurous bunch or the kind that stick to what they know?
Scenery - City, beach, or small town/village?
Money - On a budget or splashing the cash?
Things to do - Relaxation or adventure?
Who’s going - Family/Friends/Partner/Solo
Destinations - Island hopping, a fixed location, maybe even a cruise
Duration - A weekend/ 1 or 2 weeks/ 1 month/ backpacking with no set duration?

Once you have thought about the above 8 aspects you can then start to think about where you might want to go for your summer 2023 holiday. Some of the top destinations listed for summer 2023 holidays include Spain, Greece, France, and Turkey. If you are wanting to splash the cash why not research places like Marbella or Santorini or even the Caribbean? If you prefer the cold why not explore Iceland or Austria? If you are planning a girls' or lads holiday and want to go to a party destination then why not consider Ibiza, Magaluf, or Malia?

The choices for your summer 2023 holiday are endless!

Group Activities in London

London is one of the best places to visit in the UK during the summer months as the temperatures can sore above 30 degrees! These are the perfect weather conditions for attending music festivals, exploring the parks and the city, and relaxing in the beer gardens and rooftop bars.

Here is a list of some of the group activities and events in London held in the summer months:

May - New Cross and Deptford Film Festival, BrewLDN, Jazz Sundays, Plant-Based Social, and RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
June - Trooping The Colour, Hackney Night Market, London Symphony Orchestra Open-Air Concert, West End Live, and Junipalooza.
July - London Pride Parade, Lambeth Country Show, East End Canal Festival, Festival14, World Yacht Race Finale, and Hyper Japan Festival.
August - Great British Beer Festival, The Gin To My Tonic Festival, London Anime and Gaming Conference, and Luna Cinema Summer Film Screenings.
September - Summer By The River Festival, Bermondsey Antiques Market, The Great River Race, GDIF, and Greenwich Comedy Festival.

Things to do in the Summer Holidays

No matter your friendship group size, budget, or the town/city you live in, over the summer there is something for everyone to do all over the country. Whether it be attending a large event such as a festival or arranging something like a girls' holiday, summer is the perfect time to be out enjoying the season with the people you love most and creating new memories that you will cherish forever!

Download Collctiv and start collecting money today!

Organizers bring people together

Since 2019 Collctiv has helped over 550,000 people from 97 countries come together by making it simple for Organisers to collect money from groups of people. Whether it's a BBQ, a group holiday, or a fun-packed day out - download our free app today and start bringing people together!