To ask your opinions on new PTA in September

[CreakyBra]

Following on from the other PTA thread in AIBU, look's like I will be taking over as Chair of our PTA in September. I have been Secretary for the last two years. Our PTA is made up of, say, 10 people who regularly come to the termly meetings and another 15 or so people who can be relied upon to help out at events. We are not 'cliquey' - some are friends, some are not.

So, I've come up with some ideas in order to help raise more funds and breathe new life into the PTA.

In addition to the usual Summer and Christmas Fairs, cake sales, refreshments etc I wondered whether to introduce these events:-


Coffee morning for new and old Parents in September
Quiz night (adult only)
Family bingo night
Kids film night
Spring Fair ? after school?

Your opinions and experiences, good or bad, would be gratefully received

[CreakyBra]

porcamiseria I'm not sure whether you are serious or not with that comment. Such a statement might work in some parts of the country but certainly not at our school - I'd imagine a large proportion of our Parents simply don't have £ 10 to bung in an envelope for PTA. However, they are more likely to come along to, say, the Summer Fair and spend £ 10 but for that buy cakes, homemade wares, win on the raffle or tombola and generally have a good time with their children whilst supporting their school.

I think it would be very sad if we didn't hold any events and relied on funds donated direct from parents. Plus, we'd be waiting a very long time, I'd imagine, as no-one has ever (during my time with PTA) made a direct monetary payment.

Nanny0gg We use easyfundraising - it's great isn't it? Money for nothing! We are going to put notes in bags after we go back in September to remind people of it, leading up to Christmas when many people spend online. Love the idea of barn dance and family bikes rides.

[porcamiseria]

meh, just ask people for the money, say "we know you are busy, and might not have time to do multiple activities. however we are desperately in need of funds,, could yopu spare a tenner? job done

[Nanny0gg]

//www.easyfundraising.org.uk can be a great way to add funds.

As well as discos and balls etc we've also had barn dances (we are a village school!) which have proved very popular.
Oh, and family bike rides around a local airfield with burgers/barbeque and ice creams.
That one was very popular.
And village treasure hunts.
And Easter Egg Hunts.

[CreakyBra]

Indaba I get your point about PTA all about fundraising - at ours we aim to make as many of our events for the 'community' as possible inviting local people as well and parents and other people associated with the school. At the end of the day though, it IS about raising money - in the last twelve months we have (amongst other things):-

1. Paid for the whole amount or subsidised all school trips.
   
2. Given a £ 100 supplies payment to each teacher.
   
3. Paid to completely overhaul the vegetable gardens including a new green house and fruit cage.
   
4. New maths equipment, reading books (for homework) and school library books.
   
5. Paid for trim trail around the school and updated the playgrounds.
   

All the above enrich the children's lives and without PTA the school simply wouldn't be able to fund these.

Whogivesa I think we'll definitely give BagtoSchool a go - sounds too good not to!

Thanks to everyone else for sharing ideas.

[sandyballs]

This is a great thread, giving me some ideas for our PTA, which has always been very successful (raising approx £20,000) a year (big school, two classes per year), but five of the main people had kids in the year 6 that have just left so I'm wondering what will happen next year.

We obviously need new people to get involved, preferably with younger children so they'll stay involved as they move up the school but it is hard to generate interest!

Someone mentioned above about parents moanining at a 50p entry fee for the summer fair - we used to charge 50p and decided to change it to a donation and we ended up with four times the amount!!

Indaba, it does have to be about money as I certainly wouldn't put in the hours that I do without it being fund raising for the benefit of the school and children.

Just thought of something else that does quite well, in addition to the things already mentioned - panto at the local theatre. We buy a job lot of tickets in the summer time, resell them at school for a couple of quid more (but still works out less than parents would pay if going direct), and it results in a lovely afternoon or eve out where you know half the audience and raises money.

[myBOYSareBONKERS]

Also to mufti days once a term and charge £1

School discos

Easter egg hunt

The school have also signed up to //www.mynamelabel.co.uk and sent letters to all parents

[myBOYSareBONKERS]

My ds school has a film night once a month. They charge £1 for refreshments (drink and biscuit) but NOT to see the film. That way they don't need a licence.

It is a huge fund raiser approx £70 each time.

[jubilee10]

Sale of second hand school uniform - we ask parents to donate school (logo) sweatshirts, t-shirts and fleeces and sell them at a fraction of the price. End of term discos each with a different theme. Christmas fair. Ladies pamper night with activities for the kids so you don't need a babysitter. Summer BBQ.

[Whogivesa]

We used to do bags2school but have recently swapped to Eco kids which does the same thing but pays a little bit more. It doesn't involve storage as parents bring the bags in the morning and the van arrives shortly after that.

We also have christmas and summer fairs, quiz night and family bingo

Also we run a bonus ball type idea, where people 'rent' a number and then there are small weekly cash prizes if that makes sense.

[fortyplus]

I was chairman of our school PTA for a few years and wouldn't have done it if it hadn't been raising money for the school!
In addition to your ideas...
We used to have a Santa's grotto and charge something fairly nominal for the kids to see Santa - the whole school used to do it.
Hire a massive bouncy castle and do a sponsored bounce.
Those fashion shows where mums and children model the clothes used to be really popular.
Halloween disco - get the children to dress up - sell vile jelly sweets that mners will whinge about!
Mother's and father's day tables - ask for donations plus buy a few bits from a wholesaler. Sell the gifts for max £2 and help the children wrap them and make labels.
Ask for donations of DVDs and hire them out for the weekend at 50p a time on Fridays

[Indaba]

Don't mean to be funny but why does PTA have to be about raising money?

Have you asked the school and the parents how they want to spend their efforts?

Personally I think PTA's should be about building school spirit. You may get more interest widening out efforts, rather than fund raising..

Good luck and well done on trying to make difference.

[CreakyBra]

Clarinsgirl - yes members of NCPTA. I enjoy being part of the PTA but have to remember that it's certainly not on the top of other Parents list - as the other recent thread here reminded me!!

[clarinsgirl]

We introduced family bingo night this year - a 'chocolate bingo'. It was so popular that it will be a termly or monthly event next year. Our Spring Fair will also be after school next year and will be much simplified (we've looked at where the money was actually raised last year) and we'll do an Easter Egg raffle, toy stall, tombola and a few other bits and pieces. We've given up on Quiz nights, just can't get parents to come along, but I know schools where this is the main fundraiser so maybe we just get it wrong(?). We've also made a lot of money this year though 'non'events - e.g. blue bag scheme, yellow moon, easy2name etc which are minimum effort and keep a bit of money coming in. Good luck, your PTA sounds very like ours, it's hard work when it all falls on so few... Also - are you members of the NCPTA? Their website has some good ideas on it.

[CreakyBra]

Love the idea of a Summer Ball, Sparkle but there's no way Parents at our school could afford that - people moaned when we put the entrance to the Summer Fair up to 50p per adult! Summer BBQ sounds great too.

I feel that although PTA is there to raise funds it also about the school as a community and including as many people as possible hence Quiz or Bingo Nights - not much cost involved and BYO alcohol.

These are all great ideas - thanks - think our PTA was on a merry-go-round of the same events each year which people probably get bored with.

[sparkle12mar08]

Kids film nights do big money for our PTA, as does the summer bbq (£6 per adult, food on top - but it's a fab night with tonnes of free entertainment!), bags2school, and quizz nights. The Adults Summer Ball is normally the biggest event of the year but not nec the most profitable as it's expensive to stage and this year had to be cancelled due to lack of ticket sales. Sign of the times thought frankly. They hire a posh local venue for a sit down meal and dancing, and do a deal with the local hotel too. Tickest are £40 per person and the rooms £50 per couple. It's very good value overall but too many people are feeling the pinch this year to spend £130 (plus babysitter) on a night out.

[MumblingRagDoll]

Spring fair could be May Fair with a May Queen and King and a maypole....ours was VERY popular in the village as many people said this was the first May celebration they'd seen for years.

It was gorgreous and we had a cake stall and a raffle.

[Thruaglassdarkly]

In addition to some of the ideas on here already, we also do wrapping rooms for Christmas gifts, Mother's/Father's Day too. The PTA buy suitable gifts for around a pound and then charge £1.50 for the kids to select a gift, go to the art room and wrap it. Practically the whole school take part so it raises quite a bit of profit and they have a nice little gift to give too.

There was a summer camp out this year. Families paid to pitch their tents in the school field. Sold burgers, BBQ foods etc and made profit on that too. Went really well.

Another PTA biggie is Bonfire Night. Big fireworks display, attended by people from all over the area, fairground rides, sale of light sticks, hot food etc etc...

HTH

[HappyMummyOfOne]

I second the bags2school, its a great way of having a frequent clearout and raises funds with no outlay. If you schedule for 3 or 4 times a year and publish the dates parents know when to expect the request - if you can do one very late in term people can put all the outgrown uniform in.

Thanks hifi re film licence, thats lots cheaper than we were quoted so i'll have a nosy later.

[CreakyBra]

BagtoSchool

Don't know much about it though. Is it a lot of effort once people have returned the bags? Our School doesn't have a lot of spare space and don't think they'd be happy storing them until they were collected.

[tralalala]

what's bags2school?

[Pelagia]

Our school does Bags2School - as a parent I love it - I can support the school but its not costing me anything. I do want to help school but I don't have bottomless pockets and hate to be the baddie whose children can't go to the magic show/have a lolly etc etc.

[hifi]

licence is a temporary events notice, TENS, go to your local council web site
the auction is anauction of promises, people offer to babysit, bake cakes for a celebration, cook a meal for 4 people.hair/make up for an evening, gardening,de cluttering,c v writting, loads of stuff that anyone can do. the babysitting tends to go for around £25.also people offer holiday homes/camper vans.local artists donate art work, we also have loads of items donated from parents places of work,sports equipment. a great one this year was a day at the stock exchange.

[muminthemiddle]

I can't remember the name of the company-something like bags2school. All you do is give all children (and staff) a bag supplied by the company and they fill it with unwanted clothing etc and when the company take them away you get paid.

Hold an Easter egg raffel.

bodyshop/virgin vie parties held in the village hall always went well.

[CreakyBra]

My word hifi that is serious fundraising - makes ours seem rather pathetic - we raise about £ 5000 a YEAR! Really impressed through. Where did you get the prizes for the Auction of Promises?

Love the idea of hiring your local cinema - I don't think that people would support it our school so was thinking in the school hall one Friday and serve drinks popcorn etc.

Welshbyrd where do you get all the 'stuff' for bingo - can you hire it or buy it?

[HappyMummyOfOne]

Hifi, do you get yours direct from the council then re film licence?

When we looked into this before it was at least 75 but being a village school its a lot for us.