why you’re making the change. For example, if you decide you’re only going to serve vegetarian food at an event, explain that it makes preparation easier, it’s cheaper, and it cuts the event’s carbon impact. Get people thinking.’ Start with one or two campaigns
that you think will work and go from there, developing your plans as momentum builds. Here are some event ideas and initiatives you can implement right now:
● Second-hand uniform sales – Families don’t need to buy new items when so many good-quality garments are in circulation already. Ask for donations of outgrown uniform and sell it on to other parents. List items on your Facebook page or use a dedicated online
marketplace (see p7 for details). ● Prizes – If you’re awarding prizes for sponsored activities, avoid sweets wrapped in plastic or cheap plastic items that will go straight in
the bin. Instead, choose books, colouring pencils or vouchers for
local shops or services. ● Sustainable crafts – Build a fundraising event around items that people already own. For example, a craft evening based on upcycling things commonly found in the home. Fielding Primary School PTFA (see below) previously ran a sustainable craft stall at its fair. ‘T-shirts were turned into bags and hairbands, fabric offcuts and stuffi ng were made into fabric monsters, and old greetings cards were turned into new ones,’ says
events coordinator Mary Horesh. ● Paper – With so many online alternatives available, you should rarely need to print anything these days. Newsletters, forms, treasure- trail maps and event fl yers can all be easily produced, distributed and
fi lled in online. ● Recycling – Many products are hard to recycle at the roadside, so give people the opportunity to
reduce landfi ll while raising funds. Read about St James’ CofE School’s
ECO HUB, opposite, for ideas. ● Printed products – Eliminate single-use plastic by selling school- branded reusable products. When offering items, explain why a drinks bottle or canvas bag will make a difference. This will get people into the right mindset, ready for when events recommence.
CASE STUDY:The waste reducers
‘As a four-form entry school, our fundraising events led to huge amounts of waste. With pressure from parents and a supportive leadership team, we decided to review how we could reduce
waste, using the following criteria: ● Reduce: lower the amount
of waste produced ● Reuse: use items repeatedly ● Recycle: use materials to
make new products ● Recovery: recover energy
from the waste ● Landfi ll: dispose of waste
to landfi ll safely. We gradually built up a range
of strategies, which was crucial to our success. We began by using up our stock of single-use items, recycling them where possible, before replacing them with reusable alternatives – our reusable cups alone have saved more than 1,000 disposable cups from going to landfi ll.
28 SUMMER 2021
pta.co.uk To overcome out-of-control
recycling stations, we set up recycling reward stalls at events, rewarding visitors with small prizes and house points for delivering and sorting recyclable items, with no reward given for non-recyclables. This eliminated the need to sort waste, while teaching the community. We’ve added the green policy
to our PTA meetings, where we discuss how each fundraiser can become sustainable. This is particularly benefi cial for new volunteers and ensures everyone knows our aims. The kids have loved getting
involved in recycling, and the feedback from parents and teachers has been positive. Everyone is so happy with what we’ve accomplished.’ Mary Horesh, events coordinator, Fielding Primary School PTFA, Ealing, London (962 pupils)
Get people on board People are what make change
happen, so raising awareness in your community is essential. Before Culvers House PTA
introduced its eco code (see right), it started making smaller changes, such as buying reusable decorations for discos instead of balloons and investing in reusable plates and cups for events. ‘Demonstrating that this change could work made it much easier to pledge to avoid single-use plastics altogether,’ says secretary Rachel Khan. ‘A gradual build-up instead of an immediate overhaul gives you proven successes, without overwhelming supporters and volunteers.’ Alex Green agrees: ‘Society is
changing, and it’s becoming easier to encourage people to take action against climate change. In schools, it’s something the children can drive. There’s a real increase in students wanting their schools to be eco, so bring it into PTA discussions.’
IMAGE: MONKEYBUSINESSIMAGES/
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
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