Cover story
and parents alike. Rachel Khan, chair at Friends of
Culvers House Primary School started taking online requests for uniform when playground sales were suspended. ‘We take requests – not orders – via a Google form on our website and I sort it all on Fridays. Items are bagged, and go home with children after the weekend. Parents receive an email informing them what we had and giving our bank details for if they want to keep things. If they don’t, they drop them back into our Friday morning donation box outside the school office. Donations are shut in the box after drop off on Friday and I sort them the following week. If a parent can’t do a bank transfer, we’ll send an online invoice so they can pay by card. Sales are booming and it’s far less chaotic for me.’
What does the future hold? The way PTAs interact with parents, members and schools has been permanently transformed. Having taken the plunge, adaptable PTAs understand how they can use the new methods to best serve their schools. Although 83% of PTAs we spoke to have raised less than usual since the start of the pandemic, very few have stopped altogether and the trend is towards fundraising once more. On our PTA+ Facebook group, resilient PTAs are discussing fundraising targets and wishlists, and asking how they can extend their supporter base. Whatever the autumn term brings, it’s clear that hardworking PTAs are finding creative ways to blend the new with the old, ready to face the challenges this year will bring. At Newbridge Primary School,
Charlotte Morris is hoping a planned fair will go ahead this term. ‘We’ve managed to get by so far and to meet our ongoing funding expectations. But we have a five-year plan to raise funds for bigger projects and we’re hoping to rely partly on events to achieve that. So far, if we’ve encountered something we can’t do face to face, we’ve asked ourselves: how can we still do this, but in a new way? We didn’t have a choice – we’ve had to adapt to survive.’
22 AUTUMN 2021
pta.co.uk
Yes 37%
43% No
Not yet, but we are considering it 20%
Since March 2020, has your PTA set up an online fundraising platform?
So far, if we’ve
encountered something we can’t do face to face, we’ve asked ourselves: how can we still do this,
but in a new way? Charlotte Morris, Newbridge Primary School PTA, Bath
JOIN THE CHAT PTA Ideas and
Advice Network
THANK YOU To all the PTAs who spoke to us and took part in our survey.
Where next? l Charity Digital helps charities accelerate their missions
using digital technology.
charitydigital.org.uk l Digital Candle is a free service for charities who’d like a one-hour call with a digital expert.
digitalcandle.org.uk l Ensure you’re getting the best from your emails with customisable templates and scheduling from a range of companies including
mailchimp.com,
sendx.io and
activecampaign.com l Discover what works for PTAs on the PTA Ideas and Advice Network
facebook.com/groups/PTAnetwork/
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