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Original poster

School sponsorship forms - is it ok to just attach a tenner or is that missing the point and not entering into the spirit?

60 replies

WideWebWitch · 13/03/2006 09:23

The spirit of sponsorship of course is touching up friends and family for money which they pay if you do something. Ds's school have given us a sponsorship form (I don't want to say what the thing is but the whole school are doing it and it's a pointless exercise imo: a craft thnig, not making anything useful or doing anything particularly enjoyable) and I have neither the time nor inclination to start tapping people up. We don't know that many people to touch up anyway come to think of it, well, not enough that we'll see this week and we only got the form on Friday.

So my proposal is that I attach a tenner and send it back, since the idea is to raise funds for the school and this achieves that objective. But what's the mumsnet verdict, is this anti the spirit of sponsorship and getting involved or is it fair enough? Votes and comments please! I hate all this stuff, am v grumpy about PTA fundraising things and would much rather hand over £100 at the beginning of each year if it bought me NOT going to cake sales/fayres/other stuff. All comments very welcome!

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 13/03/2006 09:25

I made up 6 sponsors recently for DS1 (7) and just paid the money myself :o I did make him do the challenge though.

Hulababy · 13/03/2006 09:25

If worried about them thinking you're not int he spirit, just split the money up into a few relative's names on the form. Then when it is due in, send the money. They'll never know anyway!

iota · 13/03/2006 09:26

I hate sponsored events and just put family names down and put in a few quid - our school does sponsored events for a charity.

On the other hand I do do a lot of PTA stuff to raise funds for school

Original poster
WideWebWitch · 13/03/2006 09:27

I don't mind if they don't think I'm in the spirit of it really (I don't think I mind, no, I don't). So hang on, is it ok to make up people but not ok to just say fkit, not doing it, here's a tenner? So you'd all feel too guilty about just attaching money and make up relatives, is that right? Grin

OP posts:
iota · 13/03/2006 09:28

ditto hula Smile

moondog · 13/03/2006 09:29

I don't think anyone actually sposors per mile/per egg carton attached to useless 3D sculpture/per baken bean added to bath anymore.
It does defeat t
he point rather dosn't it?
I'm with you-hate pointless events like this.

I've suggested to my school that we have a sponsored litter pick up in the village and will insist on ben sponsored per bag.

Original poster
WideWebWitch · 13/03/2006 09:29

So does everyone do this? Have I uncovered a great sponsorship scandal which is that there are no sponsors anywhere in the world, just parents making up names? Ha ha ha!

OP posts:
iota · 13/03/2006 09:29

I don't invet relatives, just put family names down - family don't live close enough to badger them IRL even if I wanted to

Hulababy · 13/03/2006 09:29

I wouldn't feel guilty as such, but would want to make sure there was no come back or any comments made about it to Dd I guess.

ghosty · 13/03/2006 09:34

I'd only make up the sponsors for DS's sake, not the school's sake ...
But I know what you mean WWW, I am very grumpy about fundraising and PTAs too ... I go to stuff for DS but would be happy just to chuck them the money at the beginning of the year. Oh, hang on, that is what we do do in NZ ... just wrote a cheque for $320 to the school (a 'donation' but if you don't pay it they send you reminders ... LOL Grin) and we still have to sit through awful country dance shows and buy disgusting home made cookies handled by who knows what ... eeeeewwww ...
FWIW the teachers all hate it too - I know I did when I was teaching ...
Sigh ... but it's for the kids see? We do it for the kids don't we? Grin

Original poster
WideWebWitch · 13/03/2006 09:34

Ha ha Ghosty. So everyone does make up sponsors? Blimey! How funny!

OP posts:
Nikkinoo · 13/03/2006 09:46

WWW I will not go round begging for sponsors. I find it embarrasing. Hardly know anyone anyway to ask.

I spend quite alot on putting in for ficticious people.

Although when I was at school I usd to go round neighbours and stuff, getting 10p for various sponsorships, asnd it was exciting at the time. But I also used to go round 'haloweening'. Kids cant do this type of thing nomore.

People spend loads on charities now comic relief etc.. Its too much

RedTartanLass · 13/03/2006 09:50

PML ....uncovered a great sponsorship scandal ....Grin Grin

coppertop · 13/03/2006 09:51

Tbh ds1's school are so grateful when people send any money in at all that they don't really care how many names are on the form. At the last sponsored event the school held, less than a quarter of the pupils bothered to get any sponsors at all.

If I want to give £10 I just put mine and dh's names down with a fiver next to each.

Enid · 13/03/2006 09:52

I don't bother making things up, I just attach the money and say it is from the 'Enid family'

LIZS · 13/03/2006 09:52

Thank goodness we're not the only ones. Have been known to put £20 in then touch the grandparents for a contribution !

gomez · 13/03/2006 09:56

I just send the cash in - I don't pretend to get sponsorship from family/friends.

Like you WWW I would much prefer to gave a donation at the beginning of the year to absolve all future responsibilities in respect of cake making/Christams Fairs/PTS Events etc.

batters · 13/03/2006 09:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

yoyo · 13/03/2006 10:03

My children will ask their grandparents to sponsor them but noone else. I attach the money and send it back.

SoupDragon · 13/03/2006 10:07

I made up the sponsors mainly so DS1 thought he was being sponsored to do the challenge. Otherwise he may have asked "what's the point if you're just going to pay" and I wouldn't have been able to answer him :o

SoupDragon · 13/03/2006 10:08

They were Real People though, not made up Wink

spidermama · 13/03/2006 10:10

I think that's fair enough WWW. Also a tenner is very generous. I know I sound mean, but why should you give up time and money you could be spending with your kids in the way you choose and not in the way the school chooses.

Honestly I could spend absolutely all of my time doing things the schools have suggested for my four, but I believe there's such a thing as family life and it starts as soon as my kids leave the school gate.

Original poster
WideWebWitch · 13/03/2006 10:10

Well, and what a good question that would have been Soupy?! Ha ha!

OP posts:
Hallgerda · 13/03/2006 10:16

I share your grumpiness about sponsored events, WWW. I get very irritated by events with a target of a certain amount per child - don't the PTA realise family wealth might not be directly proportional to the number of children in the family? I give a fiver as I have three children and thirty pounds is more money than I wish to fork out at a time in charitable donations.

I think the old fashioned sponsorship ideal only really worked when children had no more than one sponsored event a year, and then only at secondary school age. They then sponsored each other out of their pocket money.

I suppose I could go around trying to find people to sponsor my children for pointless events, but those people would almost certainly have children whom they would then expect me to sponsor when they did a pointless event, and I'd be expected to spend more money than I have spare.

If you're starting a fete worse than death clique, I'd like to join!

milward · 13/03/2006 10:23

I just fill in the form from us & that has been fine.