EVENTS – Autumn fundraisers
Golden time A
s the nights draw in, there’s plenty of cause for celebration. Dark skies are perfect for stargazing,
scarecrow trails are an autumn staple, and The Great British Bake Off is an excellent excuse to get baking. While we still need some clever thinking and precise planning to make sure everyone’s safe, there’s no doubt that this season is set for fun galore.
Autumn craft evening The beautiful colours of autumn are
the perfect inspiration for children’s creativity. Run it as an after-school event, offering a selection of crafts for the children to enjoy. When choosing crafts, look at what materials you have available and what you can fi nd outside: pinecone hedgehogs, leaf art, pebble painting and air dry clay pumpkins are all good options. Or plan it for later in the year and encourage the children to make Christmas gifts for their families. Charge a small fee to enter and include snacks and drinks to fuel pupil’s artistry without anyone needing to handle cash. For adults, try willow weaving as a
pine needle-free alternative to wreath making. Find a local expert to run the event and guide attendees through the process.
Space and
Make your mark at the start of the year. Heather Park chooses her favourite events that celebrate the season
Bonfi re night Hold a campout-style evening where
Alternative: Package craft materials in paper bags and send them home with the children. Post a tutorial video online – either free or accessible with a small charge – for people to follow, and ask them to post photos on your social media.
stargazing event Celebrate World Space Week (4-10 October) with a space and stargazing event. Start the evening in your school hall, with a talk from an astronomy expert about observing the stars. If you don’t know of anyone local, contact the Federation of Astronomical Societies (
fedastro.org.uk) for help sourcing a speaker. Engage the audience with experiments, demonstrations and a space quiz. After sunset, head outside for the
main event – stargazing. Ask guests to bring folding chairs and torches, plus telescopes and binoculars at their own risk. Add an extra activity, such as a space-themed treasure hunt, to engage fi dgety little ones and provide entertainment in case of a cloudy sky. Alternative: Encourage families to stargaze from home and share their discoveries on your social media page. Run a competition to create the best launchable rocket, with video entries of lift-off.
families can gather around the bonfi re. Wet parents’ whistles with beer from a local brewery and tempt them with a barbecue or hog roast – ensuring you have a vegetarian alternative – with ginger cake for pudding. Before sunset, hold friendly games, such as a football match or den-building competition. Run dream-catcher workshops or friendship bracelet making so there’s something for everyone. After dark, add music for a festival atmosphere. Keep it simple with a relaxed sing around the bonfi re, or go all out by asking local acts to perform. Alternative:Hold a virtual concert on Facebook by compiling video performances from local acts. Families can enjoy the music while they sit around their own bonfi res and fi repits. Sell food and drink that can be delivered beforehand.
Scarecrow trail Your whole community can enjoy a
scarecrow trail. Once you’ve set a theme (try book characters, sustainable scarecrows, or even the adventures of your school hamster!), source scarecrow makers by leaving sign-up forms in local shops or posting on social media. The only outlay for the PTA is printing and advertising costs, plus any prizes. When you’ve found enough
makers, create a map plotting the location of all the scarecrows. For an extra challenge, assign questions or clues to each display and ask visitors to work out the answer. Enter correct guesses into a prize draw. Alternative: Share photos on social media for anyone who can’t visit the trail in person. They can vote for their favourites through ‘likes’. Run
pta.co.uk AUTUMN 2021 45
IMAGES: ANDREAOBZEROVA, MIFLIPPO, M-GUCCI, AMIRAGE/
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
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