FUNDRAISING – Summer fair alternatives
Music festival Diffi culty rating: ★★★★★
What is it? Bring Glastonbury to your school with your own lineup of live music and a festival atmosphere. How does it work? The key to a music festival is securing acts. Research local bands online and ask local venues to put you in touch with acts. Ask parents whether they’re part of a band and would like to perform, and nearby secondary schools may have pupils who are keen to take part, too. Hire any equipment you may need such as marquees, lighting, generators, staging and a PA system. A few people may need to camp on site the night before to keep an eye on equipment. Music festivals usually feature multiple areas, so how about setting up one stage in the main hall and one outdoors?
Beat the rush Bear in mind that
summer is the busiest time of year for outdoor events suppliers, so the earlier you order the better. Visit pta.
co.uk/suppliers for our directory of trusted suppliers.
Grand ball Diffi culty rating: ★★★★★
What is it? With black ties, a sit-down dinner and fl owing champagne, it’s a spectacular way to raise a considerable profi t and will be an appealing treat for parents. How does it work? Book a venue, catering and any entertainment. Research local hotels or golf clubs and see if you can negotiate a charity discount. Using an external venue means that food, drinks, music and service is taken care of, enabling PTA volunteers to enjoy the evening. Source a live band to get everyone in the celebratory spirit, and consider booking a magician or comedian. Hold a silent auction at the event to boost profi ts further, and have some interval games, such as ‘roll a pound’ or heads and tails, in between courses.
Colour run Diffi culty rating: ★★★★★
What is it? A colour run is a sponsored fun run with a difference – bucketfuls of brightly coloured powder! How does it work? Offer different course lengths for different age groups, and sell tickets that include extras such as coloured powder, a bottle of water and a T-shirt. Encourage runners to seek sponsorship. Invite a local sports instructor to lead a warm up, and have colour stations at various places along the route where volunteers can throw powder over the runners. The powder is made from cornfl our and non-toxic dye, and washes away easily without staining clothes or the ground.
Raise even more!
Incorporate some of these extras into your event to boost profi ts... Raffl e: Acquire a lottery licence so you can send tickets home in the run up to the event. This will remind people about your event and encourage them to come along. Seek prize donations from local companies, and hold the draw later in the event to keep people hanging around! Refreshments: Decide whether you want to do the catering yourself or get a caterer in – doing it yourself means more profi t, but a caterer means less work. Read our guide to catering at events at
pta.co.uk/licences. Silent auction: Source prizes such as goodie hampers and tickets to local attractions. Attendees can bid on these items ‘silently’ on paper bidding sheets during the event, making it easy to run. Stalls: Run stalls that tie in with your event, such as adding a festival vibe to campovers with glitter tattoos or selling tutus at your colour run. Charge a pitch fee to outside providers. Games stalls go down well at any event – see our ultimate guide at
pta.co.uk/fairs.
Key points to consider
● Wet weather: What will you do if it rains? Can you move the event indoors? Make your wet weather policy clear to external stallholders and ticket holders. Read our tips for wet weather contingency plans at
pta.co.uk/events. ● Safety and security: Carry out a risk assessment. Consider how stewards will communicate with one another, and appoint fi rst aiders. Think about any possible parking issues and inform local residents about potential noise. ● Tickets: How much you charge involves balancing your need to raise money with how much the average family can afford. Sell tickets in advance and consider early bird offers and discounts for young children. ● Publicise: Put up posters in local shops (editable posters are available at
ptaprintshop.co.uk). Display roadside banners a few weeks before the event – contact your local authority to seek permission. Send a media release to local papers and radio stations.
pta.co.uk SPRING 2019 37
IMAGE: DAWN MARROW
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