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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To just bung the school twenty quid?

60 replies

NapQueen · 25/05/2017 15:46

Dd came home from school last week with a sponsor form for a Dance a thon. Its to raise funds for a refurbishment of the school playground. And tbf it needs it as the current stuff got installed 25 years ago when I attended.

The dance a thon is the entire school, for 30 mins. So I feel like id be asking for sponsor money for what is essentially her pe lesson that week.

Additionally its a very small community, very very small place so id just be re-asking people who are probably already sponsoring other kids for something I dont think is sponsor worthy.

Aibu to just give the school twenty quid for their playground fund? If the school had just said "donations welcome, this is what it is for, give what you can, if you can" then surely that makes more sense than essentially asking the kids to beg money from the neighbours?

OP posts:
Floralnomad · 25/05/2017 16:28

When mine were at school we did the same as pp , child was sponsored to an amount I wished to donate by other sibling , me ,dad , pets and then I'd shove my sisters and my mum down as well . I loathe sponsored events .

kaytee87 · 25/05/2017 16:29

I duno, as a kid I used to quite like getting sponsored for things. Made you feel quite proud of finishing whatever it is. My mum & dad would sponsor me, my gran & grandpa and I was allowed to ask the neighbours.

BonfiresOfInsanity · 25/05/2017 16:30

Our school always asks for the money to be sent in with the sponsor form. Surely we have to wait and see if they complete the task they are supposed to be sponsored for before coughing up. I smell a scam. Hmm
Grin

Notso · 25/05/2017 16:30

I think the list everyone but give the money yourself is pretty standard. I hate asking people for money.

Crackedidiot · 25/05/2017 16:31

I hate sponsorship forms with a passion. I know the reasons behind them but in my experience they just lead to oneupmanship games with parents who work in large offices collecting whole forms full of names and thus a large amount of money against those who dont take part or just give a token amount. In my old school there were actual praises for the full forms :( Great way to make kids feel inferior .

Im of the bung a few quid in and to hell with the list of names camp.

FortyFacedFuckers · 25/05/2017 16:32

I tend to just put me & dp down for £5 each or £10 each if it's a particularly good cause.

ShatnersBassoon · 25/05/2017 16:39

I hate sponsored events, and always just chuck some money in an envelope to send in. I make it look convincing though, with loose change instead of a £20 straight from my purse, and I enjoy making up the names of all the generous sponsors Smile.

TiredMumToTwo · 25/05/2017 16:43

I would just sponsor for £20 or £10 each from me & DH

Nousernameforme · 25/05/2017 16:45

i keep saying it but can't work out the joanne card one

ALemonyPea · 25/05/2017 16:52

I hate sponsorship forms with a passion. Ds3s school have at least two a term, it's tiresome.

Yanbu at all.

LateDad · 25/05/2017 16:53

I know for a fact that "David Blessed" and "Roger Atkinson" sponsored on DD recently .... (whistles innocently)

MacarenaFerreiro · 25/05/2017 16:54

I would. Our school does an annual charity sponsored walk (not for a school charity) and I never fill in the form. Just send cash in an envelope.

PyongyangKipperbang · 25/05/2017 16:54

The one thing I learned from helping out in school is that sponsored events means a lot to the kids. We had a similar thing for the playground, but it was footie based. All the kids were really proud of the new equipment that they had paid for Wink

So bung them £20 and put names on the forms of people from your facebook!

Iamastonished · 25/05/2017 16:56

DD was always bringing home sponsorship forms for stuff. As we don't have any family within several hours of us I just used to just put my name on the form and sponsor her £10.

HerRoyalNotness · 25/05/2017 16:57

I do this all the time, I'm not going around the neighbours asking for money.

We have jump rope for heart, a fun run and one other throughout the year.

Interestingly the school sent a survey out this month to ask if we like the current fundraisers or if we want to do something called collect checks.

I think just bung the school $100 at the beginning of the year and be done with it. As for examples the fun run thing is hosted by an outside company. They get a cut of whatever is raised which seems bonkers to me.

Want2bSupermum · 25/05/2017 17:02

I'm in the US and two years ago a group of us parents set up a charity for parents to donate to. The charity pays for all school related activities and projects. Parents are happier to donate as they get a tax deduction. We also hold town wide events to raise money for everything from theatre productions, travel abroad and sports.

Oblomov17 · 25/05/2017 17:03

I can't bear it either. Never ask anyone. Just slip them a tenner and be done with it.

darkedonwashing · 25/05/2017 17:05

Joanne Card

D'you wank 'ard

Want2bSupermum · 25/05/2017 17:05

Town wide events are things like parents throwing a street party and the $5 entry per person going to the charity. We have a big silent auction once a year. In total, in a town of about 70k people, we raise about $250k a year. Corporate donations make up a lot of this as so many employers do a match.

HerRoyalNotness · 25/05/2017 17:05

That's a great idea wanna. Was it difficult to set up?

GinSwigmore · 25/05/2017 17:06

no user you need lovely teens doing their best Liam Gallagher (Do you wank hard)

PedantHere · 25/05/2017 17:07

I make up names and so,it the total amount I plan to give between the names.

I was very tempted to do that but then the school wouldn't be able to claim Gift Aid.

HerRoyalNotness · 25/05/2017 17:07

250k!! I don't know why schools are pissing about with these sponsorship things then.

jannier · 25/05/2017 17:20

The point is not just to raise funds but to make the children feel that they have done something positive to help their community rather than just throw money at it for nothing. Its earning something and a life lesson just like scouts packing your bags at a supermarket. It would be easier to just rattle a bucket take less organisation and manpower but does not teach children anything. In a society where children are used to just getting its good to see tem actually contributing and making an effort.

TheMysteriousJackelope · 25/05/2017 17:21

YANBU.

I just complete those forms for myself and put a set amount (like twenty quid) on.

The worst was the 'Boosterthon' my DC's local elementary school used to do. We already paid the PTA $180 at the start of the year on the understanding we wouldn't have any further fundraisers. This was a great plan as the PTA knew at the start of the year what their budget was. Then they decided on bringing in a professional fundraising company to raise funds via a 'Boosterthon' sponsored walk/run. The fundraisers went into each classroom at the start of the day to give the children pep talks and question who had got sponsors and who hadn't. I was livid. It was bad enough they went back on their word about fundraising (they already got close to $150,000 via corporate sponsorship and the start of year payment plan) but they were putting 5 and 6 year olds on the spot about their sponsor numbers. Naturally the 'Boosterthon' company took their cut of the funds raised too.