School booze raffle

[nicegirl73]

I don’t usually post but this really got to me.

My daughter’s CoE primary sent out an email saying the children can come in normal clothes next Friday if they give a bottle of booze for the “booze barrow raffle”

They have defended this because the raffle is for adults and the school needs money,

but I still think it sets such a poor example to the kids. Talk about making alcohol fun.

AIBU? Or is this wrong on so many levels?

Our preschool (not UK) specified that any wine donations for the raffle / auction, had to be of a value of £20 or up so ppl would bid!

Absolute madness.

Sorry that was meant to say especially at a school where parents are taking it home - NOT NOT "even"

@nicegirl73

I don’t usually post but this really got to me.

My daughter’s CoE primary sent out an email saying the children can come in normal clothes next Friday if they give a bottle of booze for the “booze barrow raffle”

They have defended this because the raffle is for adults and the school needs money,

but I still think it sets such a poor example to the kids. Talk about making alcohol fun.

AIBU? Or is this wrong on so many levels?

I am reminded of years ago when I taught in a school that was related historically to someone who allowed no alcohol in his village. The Home Economics teacher sent out a list of ingredients the pupils needed to make their Christmas cake, one of which was ' brandy essence if desired', she deliberately didn't include the real stuff. A couple of parents complained that the use of brandy essence was encouraging drinking.

I've never heard of this and find it really odd. Someone else mentioned it, would a cigarette raffle be ok? To me there isn't a difference.

@saraclara

I like alcohol. I've been known to spend a few pounds at a bottle tombola.

But it does seem odd to say that the children can ONLY come in normal clothes if they bring alcohol in. It should be any bottle. Partly due to cost, and partly because there might be parents who are in AA or some such. Dictating that anyone has to buy booze for the sake of their kids' participation, is a bit off. I'm surprised that few people have picked up on that

As it's a CofE school, I quite like the idea of the tombola stall having bottles of wine and bottles of water up for grabs. Obviously no one will want to win the (cheap) bottle of water over the bottle of (potentially not horrible but let's face it, if it's donated to a school, probably horrible ) wine, but it fits with the religious theme.

Also stops people from having to send their kids in with booze if they don't want to, for many valid reasons.

Ach @Irishfarmer - I think there is a difference between a cigarette raffle and a raffle which includes wine amongst other things - But there we must disagree.

Does it have to be wine?

Our school does this and people donate smaller bottles like a pint of cider for example, less than £2 in Lidl.

I think if we let kids be around alcohol more like in France, it wouldn't be such a forbidden fruit so the drinking culture wouldn't be such an issue here.

But who doesn't love a bottle tombola??!!

@NortieTortie

Don't be silly. What else am I going to do with the shit wine our local pizza place sends with orders over £30?

Or the bottle you won in the Summer fayre draw!

But it does seem odd to say that the children can ONLY come in normal clothes if they bring alcohol in. It should be any bottle. Partly due to cost, and partly because there might be parents who are in AA or some such. Dictating that anyone has to buy booze for the sake of their kids' participation, is a bit off. I'm surprised that few people have picked up on that

Yup, agree with that. Lot's of reasons why alchohol might be problematic so a choice to offer something else instead would be better, imo.

I wouldnt like the way the children who donated will be easily identified from those that didnt, as they will be wearing their uniform.

I used to be on the PTA at our primary school. Everything had to be approved by the Head, and I would imagine different things will be appropriate in different schools. The thing to remember is that schools really need extra funds right now and the PTA is a bunch of parents trying to help with that. Things may not always be perfectly executed to your personal taste, but I have yet to hear of any parents moaning about the equipment these funds buy for their children.

@Forgothowmuchlhatehomeschoolin

Does it have to be wine?

Our school does this and people donate smaller bottles like a pint of cider for example, less than £2 in Lidl.

I think if we let kids be around alcohol more like in France, it wouldn't be such a forbidden fruit so the drinking culture wouldn't be such an issue here.

But who doesn't love a bottle tombola??!!

Any tombola. I don't care how shit the prizes are, I bloody love them!

I don’t drink but other people do so I have no problem with this. If I won I’d just keep the booze for when friends are over or give it to someone who does drink.

@saraclara - not sure most people are agreeing it has to be alcohol - a bottle of anything. I have never seen a booze raffle / tombola - it's normally just a bottle of something - so could be olive oil / bath gel / hand soap / washing up liquid / wine / vinegar - probably similar to a lot of the wine donated - sherry / water etc etc.

[quote BasiliskStare]@saraclara - not sure most people are agreeing it has to be alcohol - a bottle of anything. I have never seen a booze raffle / tombola - it's normally just a bottle of something - so could be olive oil / bath gel / hand soap / washing up liquid / wine / vinegar - probably similar to a lot of the wine donated - sherry / water etc etc.[/quote]
But the fundraiser in the OP is strictly booze. Which is very unusual, and I think a poor decision. But few people have acknowledged the difference that makes compared to asking for contributions to a normal bottle stall.

I think it's in bad taste.

The thrill of winning something you could have just bought for less money than you spent on tickets!!! Love it!

I have mixed views on this.

I am teetotal but I have no issue with people who drink,I have wine in the cupboard for cooking, my DP drinks beer etc and so my lack of alcohol is personal and not on moral grounds.

However I do think that we have over normalised alcohol in terms of things like “happy hour”, talk of it being “wine o’clock”, and I’ve even seen posters on here saying that they wouldn’t date/be friends with someone who is teetotal.

Money aside, there will almost certainly be children in the school who are the children of alcoholic parents, and not only does asking them to contribute a bottle of alcohol make it incredibly difficult for those parents in terms of having to provide it, but the talk of a booze raffle must surely be a trigger point to a parent being expected to provide something which might have ruined their own lives and potentially those of the children they are asking for the alcohol.

There’s nothing wrong with having a bottle raffle, people can then decide for themselves what to send in, be that wine/water, without the expectation that it be one or the other.

And let’s face it, if people are going to spend money at these raffles, they will spend money regardless on what they win, because nobody actually donates alcohol worth drinking to these events, and the people buying the tickets know this, because they won’t have donated anything worth drinking either.

Schools need to raise funds but by asking families to donate certain goods in exchange for children wearing their own clothes for the day is wrong
Yeah, it maybe a bit of fun for families who can afford it but come on, it's a fortune for those who can't
The 'fun sponge' group need to take a long hard look at how the other half live
Have some empathy

@nicegirl73

Omg at the replies, no wonder there is such a huge alcohol problem in this country if people’s attitudes are so pro drinking as yours all are.

Yep it's all down to school raffles!

Oh give over and don't be such a twat, jumping on the band wagon @Offmyfence, with raffles you donate what you can and children aren't signaled out for their parents not donating

I can imagine its a great fundraiser.
Finally a raffle that isn't just writing paper sets and tea cosy's :)

Couldn't get upset about it, my DC know I drink wine. its in the house. We have it with meals out. Its hardly a sin.

One of my DC pre-covid went on a school trip to Germany and they visited a vineyard and she bought me a bottle of wine home, as did lots of other DC (teachers had to hand it directly to us on their return).

And for those saying only the DC who brought in alcohol would be in non uniform. I know of no school ever that excludes anyone like that. Its non uniform across the board whether they bring in absolutely nothing, their £1 or their six pack.

Totally normal at our CofE school, I think it’s a great idea

We used to do two tables of tombolas, one for "booze", and one for "everything else in a bottle". They both made loads of money, and covered the bases for those who, like you OP, had a problem with alcohol.

Shock horror, we also did a Chocolate Tombola for the kids. What a terrible example. This was actually always the biggest problem because of so many kids with nut allergies. We had to police the donations, and put anything unsuitable in a big xmas food basket for the Raffle (another huge money spinner).

Our school was licensed too. What would you do about that? We had mulled wine at the Xmas Fair, wine and beer at Quiz Night, mulled wine/wine or Pimms (season dependent) during intervals of school plays, Pimms at Summer Fair. Made a fortune.

And yes laughing at the idea that school raffles are causing a nation of drinkers