YOUR SCHOOL NEEDS I
f you’re looking to recruit volunteers to support your school then parents, grandparents and carers of pupils are an obvious
place to start. However, approaching members of the wider community could result in offers of help that will enrich school life in a number of ways. These include: Mentoring: Invite helpers into the school to aid pupils with their learning, for example as reading partners. This could be for a regular slot each week or on an ad-hoc basis. Bear in mind that a DBS check may be necessary. Visit
gov.uk/dbs to find out if this will be required for your particular circumstances. Speaking to pupils: Everyone has a story to tell, so see who in your community is able to share theirs with your pupils. It may be business owners talking about how they got to where they are, grandparents discussing what life was like when they were young, or hobbyists sharing practical skills. DIY and maintenance: Hold an open day at the weekend where you invite volunteers to come into school and get their hands dirty by painting, repairing, gardening and building. Play music and provide plenty of refreshments to make it an enjoyable day. If there’s a particularly skilled job that needs to be carried out, see if you can get a tradesman with a link to the school to volunteer their services. Volunteering at events: You can never have enough manpower at school events, so advertise widely for people to set up, tidy away, run stalls, and more. It’s not simply a matter of
finding out how people could help – you also need to make sure they know that they can be of use. When appealing for support, always make it clear what a difference this could make to the school and pupils. People will always be more willing to help when they know they’re appreciated and really do matter.
22 SUMMER 2019 FundEd
When it comes to boosting dwindling funds, donations of money and material items are clearly important, but people giving their time is equally valuable, says Heather Park
PARENTS Parents are a fantastic resource for a school, not least because they have the biggest incentive for wanting to help – their children. Begin by auditing your parents to find out more about them. What skills do they have? Where do they work? What connections do they have? Make them aware of different
ways in which they can help, with varying levels of commitment. Show them that helping out needn’t be time-consuming by collating a list of quick-and-easy tasks. This could be reading with a child once a week or being a guest speaker in assembly. Ensure they know how important
their input is, and always thank people to keep them coming back.
Success story ‘We decided to offer parents a takeaway curry to reheat and enjoy at home. Through my glamping company, I have a registered food business, which meant my kitchen could be used for preparation. We bagged up the orders and the food was stored in my large fridge until an hour before collection time, when I transported the food to school in polystyrene containers. Everyone loved it, and we raised around £500! It’s a great way for parents to support the PTA without the time
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