EVENTS – Christmas fairs
‘We kept the costs down to help everyone feel included’
gates of our DIY Christmas fair last year, we knew we’d done the right thing – despite wondering if we were mad when we fi rst raised the idea! It wasn’t without controversy: no
W To market the fair, we used
Facebook, the School Gateway platform and our WhatsApp groups so people could book their grotto slots in advance. On the day of the Grinchmas
fair, it snowed heavily. That sounds like a bonus but quite a few children didn’t make it to school at all. Some families headed straight home and sadly the numbers attending were down on what we’d hoped for. After costs, we raised around £400. It wasn’t our most profi table fundraiser but certainly one of the most fun – both to plan and attend! For those who made it, there was a lively, happy atmosphere, with lots of laughs. Judy Rossiter, head chair of the Friends of Horizon Primary Academy, Swanley, Kent (220 pupils)
entrance fee, free face painting and nail decorating, and simple food where the charge would only cover costs – not the best business plan for a fundraiser. But we were aware that, in our little village primary school, people were really feeling the pinch of soaring living costs and that Christmas would be a time of stress for many parents. The main aim was for everyone to feel included and to make sure no one felt pressured to spend money they didn’t have. So instead of splashing out on
event costs and professional help, we DIYed it. We made the prep fun and kept it down to one day, encouraging volunteers to join in and holding the fair after school the same day. We had thought that doing everything ourselves might be more work, but in fact, it was just ‘different’ work. We divided up the school rooms;
one classroom housed face painting and nail decorating, and another hosted the disco: we brought in fairy lights and disco balls from home, created a gorgeous grotto and put
atching the excited faces of the children pouring through the
together a playlist instead of using our usual DJ. We sourced some amazing raffl e prizes from local businesses. In the covered outdoor area, we created a Christmas market where people could gather for food, hot chocolate and mulled wine. One parent generously made
cookies for us to sell. Another arranged a wreath-making workshop the week before and created a huge garland for our entrance gate from the leftover foliage, which was auctioned off at the end. The PTFA launched a second-hand
uniform stall at the fair. The parent who ran it now collects, washes, irons and sells pre-loved uniform, meaning parents get almost new clothes cheaply and the PTFA makes some profi t. We placed a discreet donation
bucket on the door for those who felt able to donate – and happily, those who could did. The true miracle was that we
made almost as much money as previous fairs. The children loved it as much as usual and there was far less pressure on the families. We’ll defi nitely be doing it this way again this year – why wouldn’t we? Leila Leach, vice president of West Wittering Parochial CE Primary School, West Sussex (96 pupils)
pta.co.uk AUTUMN 2023 39
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