• FAQ

    When is it?

    Jailbreak starts at 9am on 27/1/12 and ends at 9pm on 28/1/12.

    Is it safe?

    Yes, with a bit of common sense and caution! RAG has never had a serious incident on Jailbreak but, especially if you hitchhike, it is imperative to do all you can to keep yourself safe. To this end, you must keep to the following rules:

    • You must travel in pairs – you must not travel alone. Never split up to get a lift. All pairs must stay together at all times. Whilst female- female teams are permitted, RAG Jailbreak strongly recommends male-female or male-male teams.
    • If you are hitching you must not thumb for lifts either in the slip-roads of motorways or actually on the motorways – this is illegal. For mixed couples, make sure that the male hitcher is the first in and the last out of each vehicle.
    • You must also inform us every 12 hours as to where you are, so we know you’re safe.

    How do I get home?

    If you want to, you can try to negotiate a lift or hitchhike home too, but most teams tend to spend some of their own money getting home. Those who choose to raise money to buy plane tickets can buy return tickets.

    How much money do we have to raise?

    As much as you can! But you (individually) will have to raise a minimum of 100 pounds, which is your commitment when you join Cambridge Jailbreak 2012. To guarantee this, you will be asked to submit deposit cheques worth fifty pounds upon application. These will be safe-guarded and either destroyed or returned upon completion of the event and handing over of funds (100 pounds or greater) raised.
    You can download a sponsorship here.

    How can I raise £100 of sponsorship?

    Ask anyone and everyone to sponsor you – from your supervisors, batch-mates, friends, family, people in clubs/societies… and they don’t have to reside in the UK! You have until March to raise the money, so have plenty of time! There are different ways in which they can sponsor you – some people choose to give you a set amount per mile you travel from Cambridge, others prefer to give you a set sums (e.g. 10 pounds, 15 pounds) if you get to certain geographical areas (e.g. anywhere outside England in the UK, EU). You can even get people to sponsor you based on photographic evidence of you achieving/doing something, for e.g. swimming in a river, a photo with a nun or a photo with a famous personality to name a few. Most people raise way in excess of the 100 pounds.

    When should we start fund-raising?

    As soon as possible, so that you can raise as much as you can! Most people start setting up a facebook page or contacting their friends/relatives informing them about Jailbreak and asking them for their pledges. Of course you can only collect the money after you finish the event.

    What happens if we don’t raise 100 pounds each?

    While this is very rare (most teams exceed this amount), if you fail to achieve this target, your deposit cheques will be used. Remember, you have a little time after you’ve got back from Jailbreak to spread the news even further and generate more money for very worthy causes.

    Are we allowed to spend any of our own money at all?

    Yes – as long as it’s not spent on travel within the 36 hours. That means you’re allowed to spend money on any accommodation, food and drink, souvenirs etc. that you need. You’re also allowed to spend your own money on the return journey. Always make sure you’ve got access to money when you’re travelling just in case some unexpected costs arise.

    How do people know where we are during the event?

    You can update people in two ways: the most important is the compulsory safety bit where you have to text/phone us every 12 hours during the event with your current location and every time you enter a new country and board an aeroplane.
    The second is not compulsory but highly encouraged because it’s a lot of fun: you will be able to text in a location update as many times as you wish during the event and it will be automatically updated onto a Google map in live time. It will be hosted on our website and last year it was also on The Tab, so everyone can see where each team currently is as well as comments from them!

    How can you tell where we’ve finished?

    Once you reach your final destination, you must send us a postcard and email us a photo of you in your Jailbreak t shirts next to a famous landmark to prove where you got to. You can see some of last year’s photos here.

    Can I drop out once I’ve signed up?

    By signing up and giving in your £50 deposit (refundable when you hand in £100 of sponsorship each) you commit to taking part in Jailbreak 2012. If you drop out, we will have to take the £50 deposit to help cover t-shirts, insurance and loss of charity money. You can get someone to replace you up to one week before the event.

    Can I take part if I am not from Cambridge University?

    Yes! Friends/partners are welcome to take part in Jailbreak as long as they are paired in a team with a Cambridge University student and must be over 18.

    I do not have a partner but really want to take part; can I?

    Yes! Participants can enter on their own and we will try to match them up with another single participant.

    Which charities am I raising money for?

    Jailbreak is splitting the money raised between this year’s RAG charities. These are Alzheimer’s Research UK, British Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières, Unicef UK, WaterAid, Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre, Foodcycle, Haven House Children’s Hospice, Jimmy’s Night Shelter and Wintercomfort for the Homeless. Last year Jailbreak raised £40,000.

    Can I raise money with Just Giving?

    Unfortunately, as RAG supports a number of charities we don’t have a Just Giving page. Instead, you can give the money and cheques you have raised into RAG offices (rather than anyone’s pigeon hole) so it will be kept safe!

    How can I contact the Jailbreak committee?

    Email jailbreak and we’ll get back to you straight away.