Schools sugary fundraisers

[LovelyBath77]

The school keep sending home these leaflets about being Sugar Smart but at the same time they have asked parents to fundraise which is taking place by parents holding daily sales of sweets, ice cream and cakes and the proceeds go to the school

Is this not sending mixed messages to the children?

It's hard to avoid as directly outside the school- don't think they would tolerate an ice cream van there daily but as this is to raise funds for the PTA it is deemed OK.

And now we are asked to bring in more cakes for a cake sale next week! It is too much...or AIBU?

I agree. DS's school have a huge sweet stand at every event, plus regular cake sales, and every birthday they bring in cakes. Pudding is always a cake or a biscuit. He gets more sugar at school than he does at home.

I wouldn't mind if it was an occasional thing, but it is every day! and it has been like this for several years now. Why not do a sponsored run or something?

I agree DDs school seems to hold regular fundraising cake sales ansnthen lectures about healthy lunches. I also wonder about the actual profit from these events when they are selling cakes for 20p that cost parents far more to make or buy

*and then

It's like they tell the children 'don't eat sugar it's harmful' in their leaflets, and at school and then ply them with the same!

So that is basically telling them to eat what they have been also told is unhealthy. Bit confusing for them.

It’s ridiculous. I was particularly irritated by a cake sale for ‘ money for starving children’. The teachers really didn’t see the irony.

It’s a lazy way of fundraising and confusing for the children.

Personally I think children ought to learn that they give to charity (either with their time or pocket money) because it benefits the charitable cause and not to get a cake or certificate of virtue.

And it teaches bad habits, nutritionally and otherwise.

I really loathe it when reasonably well off adults set up a Just Giving page to fund raise for whatever ludicrous vanity project floats their boat. One of my colleagues does 2 or 3 events a year. It almost always involves an exotic destination and vast expenditure on his kit etc. He was most put out when I asked whether he raised more than he happily paid on the latest kit etc and very sulkily pointed out that he was giving his ‘ time’. I pointed out that I didn’t expect to be sponsored on my own holidays.

IMO we all need to learn that giving to charity should be because it is the right thing to do and not for any personal benefit. And it starts with not paying 20p for a cake that probably cost at least twice that and that the school is telling them that they shouldn’t eat in the first place.

Totally agree! DC school are big on healthy eating, have had how to stay healthy homework recently but then go & ask parents for cakes for a charity bake sale!! It's ass backwards.

I think I will mention it to the school. I have in the past and been told it takes time to change things.

Please remember in most cases the PTA is an entirely separate entity from the school.

PTA doesn't have to toe the government line like schools do.

If you have an issue then you probably need to speak to the PTA, not the school, who will roll their eyes if you complain to them as it has bugger all to do with them.

If you want to change it, then volunteer to help run the PTA and introduce different ideas. I'm sure they'll be glad of extra bodies as most run on the work of a very few.

Our school is doing the exact same thing, and I wasn't happy about it either. So I've joined the pta and everytime they do after school cake sales and sweet shops, I buy loads of fruit (strawberries, pineapples, mango, kiwis) and chop it all up sell it in little paper cups.
Every time I've done it, I've sold out and raised substantial amounts of money for the school fund. I get a lot of comments from parents and teachers about what a good idea it is. Tricky though if you don't have the time to do it.

A friend of mine has an expression 'be the change you want to see'
How about you suggest some alternatives? Cake sales are popular and easy, but I agree with you - it gives a mixed message.
DD's school has one a month for the PTA and there would be sweet things for sale at events.

It's the PTA which is separate but the school benefits so let's stuff happen. If you raise it you will be asked to organise some other fundraising events or the school will just have less nice to have stuff. But it is annoying

I agree but cake sales do make the most money. The alternative is selling tat, which no one wants. Our PTA tried smoothies but obviously more expensive to make and they really weren't very nice.

It’s not just the PTA in DCs school but the school itself also have cake sales and sweet stalls to raise money for charity and for school equipment.

The secondary school has something where if you want to donate you can do a direct debit. all voluntary and discretionary. Think that could be an idea. Or sponsored events, like a sponsored walk or run. The children already do that run a mile thing at primary now, anyway..

Join the parent council then you can bring it up and get it changed.

I'm involved with many schools, enough to know they have this dilemma and aren't sure what to do next. They need the funds from fundraisers but some who have tried alternatives to sweet treats don't raise as much. So I'm sure if you had ideas it's worth feeding them in through the right channels

I saw a programme the other day, mother and daughter shopping for a pageant dress (I'm not pro beauty pageants but that's for another thread). She made this big thing about how he mum had cancer and she does it all for cancer charities etc. I thought, week at least it's for a good cause. Then they spent £3250 on a dress for her next pageant that was in Singapore, so as travel expenses on top of that. At the end of the show it did the toner woman had raised nearly six thousand for charity since she started doing pageants a few years ago. Surely that one pageant alone cost six thousand in dress, flights and accommodation!! Charity should be for charity not so you get a reward yourself. Do a run in the park and collect sponsorship or just donate your time or money. Don't do a sky dive that you want to do anyway and then take hundreds out of the amount collected to pay for it. Same goes to Kilimanjaro climbs etc.

Stop labelling food as being ‘good’ or ‘bad’ - there is just food you have to limit ... cakes aren’t all bad - just eaten in moderation.

I have been told by a nutritionist that fruit is high in simple sugar and the acid from the fruit rots teeth and should be eaten as part of a meal...
Nutrition is completely besides the point to a bunch of volunteers who are hard pressed to come up with simple ideas to raise funds for a school for things the school budget can’t and doesn’t cover ...

When we were at primary school we did a sponsored silence, a team orienteering event where you had to collect clues paid to enter, could ever competitions eg predict the fastest team or nicest soup (each clue came with a vegetable and then we cooked veg soup over a bonfire), a sponsored bounce (one of the families owned two bouncy castles they have for free for the day) , we had a few static bikes and collectively cycled around the world. All these things cost little/nothing gain money in sponsorship and encourage healthy activity from the children, win win surely?

Cake sales are nice social events as well though, which i think is good for the school in general. Your kids don't have to stuff their faces! One cake won't do much harm

Fruit contains fibre and vitamins though, it't not just sugar it's the empty calories, as well. I agree found shouldn't be bad or good, but there are issues with 'treats' and food as a reward which can lead to eating problems. and every day is a bit much!

They aren't lovely and social, they are a bun fest hundreds all in the hall scrambling over cakes! maybe different in a small school.

Why don't you join the pta and give them your ideas. It's very well criticising but unless you are taking an active role and giving alternative ideas then I don't see how you can. Our school has 600 children and only 8 members of the pta, with only 2 of these not being teachers. They give up their time to try and raise funds to allow trips, to provide equipment and to give opportunities they wouldn't otherwise experience if it wasn't for the 20p cake raffle once a month and occasional snack shops. Ours do the discos, sports days, days out, tjey have recently donated 10,000 quid for new equipment that the school couldn't afford without the pta. If you don't like how they do it please go and help them Out, most ptas are desperate for support

Will you be joining the PTA to put forward your ideas? Will you donate x amount of hours to help with this?

It's all well and good having your opinion but if you're not voicing it by attending the meetings or contacting the chair then nothing will change.