Fundraising success


activity and enhance the physical and mental wellbeing of children. I applied to Alpkit.com online. The process was quick, simple and clear and they awarded us £300. I also applied to The Henry Smith Charity online – and we were generously awarded £1,190. Both awards were made within a month of the application. This additional £1,490 meant that the cost of the entire trip, which took place during the last week of the summer term, was covered and the school was able to buy all the children ice cream and chips on the day. Our children have very inquisitive


minds, and the beach, with its changing landscape of sounds, images and smells, ignited their imagination and curiosity about the world around them. The weather was wonderful, which enhanced their mood and vitamin D levels (with protective measures in place, of course). For many, this was the  wonders of being at the seaside, splashing around in the cold water and feeling the sand between their toes. The generous donations we received made this wonderful day possible, leaving our children with treasured memories they will revisit time and again. Chane Hepper, school business manager, Downsell Primary School, Leyton, east London (375 pupils excluding nursery)


‘Our fundraising portfolio provides ongoing enrichment for our pupils’


Lansbury Make It Happen (LMIH) is the registered charity for our special needs school in St Helens, Merseyside. Since we have 222 pupils, ranging in age from three to 16, with varying additional needs (and all with an EHCP), we have a wide variety of things we fundraise for on an ongoing basis. Every project is about helping our pupils  enriching lives, by supporting them on their journey into adulthood. Our last project involved updating


two of our four playgrounds. Our pupils’ needs change with each cohort and we currently have a high proportion of children who are autistic, so we wanted to add trim trail equipment in our internal quadrangle, with a sensory circuit for movement breaks. We also upgraded the wheelchair-friendly swing and roundabout in our accessible playground. With this work completed last


year, we’re now fundraising for our  improvements. The school has a rolling programme of upgrades so we would like to purchase small


amounts of equipment quickly and show the impact it is having. 


and we are about to support further with computers. IT enables many of our pupils to have a voice. Some   to the Pupil Voice in deciding what to purchase, as well as supporting their educational needs. We also look out for equipment that is adapted to meet differing needs, for instance devices for communication, VR headsets and interactive screens for assemblies. We are very aware of the issues around online safety, so have invited Merseyside Police to come in and talk to the children about this. Our ongoing fundraising raises


between £2,000 and £5,000 a year. Particularly with lockdown, a lot of people began asking for ways to donate online rather than in cash. So to better coordinate and publicise our fundraising, we decided to use the crowdfunding platform InvestMyCommunity. They do a really good job, showing us how to make the best use of the


FundEd SPRING 2023 7


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