PTA-UK FUNDRAISING, NEWS AND UPDATES CASE STUDY FUNDRAISING pssst... Give your Grotto some sparkle

and a theme - the more magical your grotto, the more successful it will be. Weston Village Primary School PTA in Crewe is pulling out all the stops and creating a magical Narnia theme. Children will climb through an old wardrobe and be transported into the snow-filled land of Narnia!

Promote your grotto and fair by transform think about decorations S

anta’s Grotto is without doubt the festive centre- piece of your Christmas Fair. Whatever space you

getting the kids excited. Personalised letters from Santa should do the trick. Use an advance booking system to ensure your grotto runs smoothly. Stuart Greenfield from Norbury Hall Primary School PA in Stockport, recommends 12–15 children meeting Santa every 15 minutes. To keep children entertained

Shhhhh Santa... A

Secret Santa shop gives children the chance to choose and wrap their own presents for Mum,

Dad, Granny and Grandad. You’ll need a lot of pressies. Some PTAs collect these by running a non- uniform day in exchange for small gifts. And you’ll need a range of male and female gifts. These could all be different but a minimum of five different presents for each gender is recommended including books, cuddly toys, jewellery, toiletries, mugs, diaries, socks, magnetic shopping lists, pashminas, screwdriver sets, gloves, hats, tape measures, calendars, ear muffs, hot water bottles and covers, ear phones, key rings, candles and CD

28 PTA-UK Magazine November 2012

whilst they are waiting you could show a festive film but you will need the appropriate licence to do this. Think about how much to charge

per child and what gift to give. Work out how much you want to spend per present, your profit margin and the cost you will charge. On average, PTAs charge between £1.50 and £2.50 and spend between 75p and £1 on each present. Chocolate selection boxes, pound shop purchases and books are all recommended presents. Check out PTA-UK’s Suppliers’ Directory too, for organisations that specialise in grotto gifts. And remember, you can raise additional funds by charging to have photos taken with Santa.

holders. If you have to purchase these, supermarket special deals, eBay, pound shops and online wholesalers are recommended. Some PTAs arrange for children (or rather their parents) to fill in a form and pay in advance for their gifts. PTAs charge between £1.50 and £2.50 per present. Obviously, if these are all donated, it’s pure profit. Alison Manning, from Our Lady’s RCP School in Dartford said “We ask parents for any unopened or unwanted gifts and we scour the 99p shops. We have three separate tables with gifts to the value of £1.00, £2.00 and £3.00. The teachers help the children wrap the presents – it’s one of our best stalls”.

...the inside t Fair – PTA-U Christmas Fa

One PTA uses a big sheet of cardboard that goes over the top half of the door to their Secret Santa room - children can get in underneath but the parents can’t see in. The kids love it and it adds to the excitement.