EVENTS – Cultural events
Throw a midsummer ball
Last summer we held our first ball, to raise money for new computers. A local wedding venue gave us a charity discount, and a company came in to set up the crockery and glassware for us and created a beautiful balloon arch. We opted for a ‘mini’ theme for dinner, with mini fish and chips, mini burgers and mini mac and cheese. We hired a DJ and covers band, and held a raffle and a silent auction. It was a great evening and we raised £3,000. I wrote to Rishi Sunak and invited him, telling
him we thought the government should be helping us buy the computers. He couldn’t attend, but he gave us a raffle prize: a signed bottle of House of Commons wine. The Mirror published the story that he’d only sent us a £10 bottle of wine, and when a company in London saw the article, they came forward to donate all the computers we needed! I’ve invited Rishi to our next ball but haven’t yet received a reply. Melissa Wise, PTA chair, Leyburn Primary School PTFA, North Yorkshire (180 pupils)
Organise a jazz night
We used to organise a summer ball, but it was quite an expensive night out for parents and we wanted to try something else. A friend is in a jazz band, so I asked if they’d consider playing for an evening at the school. As it was summer, we held the event outside, and we put out covered tables and chairs with canopies overhead and lots of tea lights. A local business provided ‘grazing cups’ with olives and nibbles, and we ran a bar. The band played two sets with a break in the middle, performing contemporary songs in a jazz style. We had perfect weather, and the music complemented the event perfectly. The organising was minimal – I took most of the night off and listened to the excellent music. Even the headmaster enjoyed himself and had a couple of glasses of wine! We’ve held our jazz night twice now; we charge £10 a ticket. The first year we raised over £2,500 and the second time we made £1,500. Jacquelyn Baker, chair, The Skinners’ School Parents’ Association Tunbridge Wells (1,098 pupils)
midwife, an actress from the Royal Shakespeare Company, the head of diversity and inclusion at BBC News and the singer Kamille. We get everyone through our contacts and they all do it for free. Even people who have quite a high profile seem honoured to be asked to speak to a group of girls in south east London. We hold the events in the school hall, but we always emphasise in our publicity that it’s not just for people connected to the school. We’re careful with ticket pricing because we don’t want to lose anyone, so they’re essentially by donation, with a suggested price of £8 for an adult and £4 for a child. We have a bar and cake sale on the night, and in the past we’ve managed to get sponsorship from local businesses, which has helped us raise up to £1,500. Anna Thompson Onitolo, PTA deputy chair, Sydenham School PTA, London (1,500 pupils)
pta.co.uk SPRING 2024 35
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