Help with planning, boosting attendance and maximising profit
‘Our winter wonderland fair raised over £10,000’
‘Our school has over 1,000 students and although it can be challenging to engage with staff and parents at such a big school, the PTA is thriving. In normal times, we spend half the year planning our main event – the Christmas fair. Our aim is to never be out of pocket, so we try to attract external stallholders and attractions who will pay us to attend. We choose a theme we know will draw a crowd – last year’s theme was “winter wonderland”, and the highlight was a roller disco. We use
stallfinder.com to contact potential
stallholders and charge £35 per stall. Last year we took over 60 bookings and had two separate market areas, along with a food hall. In September, we started making decorations
and advertising the fair. To encourage visitors from outside the school community, we booked a full-page advert in our local paper, and our old girls Facebook group helped spread the message. PTA members made most of the decorations
and upcycled as much as possible. We made icicles from recycled polystyrene, and Christmas stockings and tree decorations from old uniform. In November, we held a contributions day where pupils could come to school in their own clothes in exchange for prize donations, which we used to make up nine huge hampers for raffle prizes. Every year, we ask the department that will
benefit most from funds raised to help provide games and attractions. Last year’s beneficiaries, the design and technology department, created a Santa’s workshop that went way beyond our expectations. Staff made a life-size sleigh and created a “Splatterpult”, which used a reindeer’s head device to catapult sprouts through Santa’s mouth. They also made a “countdown to Christmas” clock, and Christmas lights made from recycled milk cartons. The indoor roller rink could
accommodate up to 70 children at a time. We used a company called Rollermix, who split the profits 70/30 with us. Parents could book online and Rollermix also offered boot hire. The fair was a huge success and raised over
£10,000 from 1,100 visitors. To reduce waste, we will sell our handmade decorations to another school so they can hold a winter wonderland fair as soon as that’s possible.’ Lynn Gadsby, PTA chair, Tonbridge Grammar School, Tonbridge, Kent (1,200 pupils)
pta.co.uk AUTUMN 2020 39 Events
In 2020 we’re hoping to run a Christmas disco if it’s
safe to do so. We’re also working on a way to
reopen our second-hand uniform shop to new joiners.
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