FUNDRAISING – We did it!
‘Our book shop fundraiser had a fairy-tale ending’
Once upon a time, there was a primary school where the children loved to read. One day, their parents in the PTA decided to organise a pre-loved book shop for them. The idea of a book shop fundraiser
was born after a conversation with a group of fellow parents. We admitted that, although delighted by our children’s bookworm tendencies, it was expensive to provide enough books to keep up with them. As a PTA, we wanted to encourage this love of reading while helping parents with the cost and raising funds for the school. Inspired by our school’s beloved owl mascot, we named our shop The Owl Bookshop, which pleased the children no end. Dedicated PTA volunteer Vicky
Lay took the lead on The Owl Bookshop, working with fellow members Allie Buckley and Clare Barton. They devised a plan where every family was asked to contribute five pre-loved books to the shop. We sorted them by reading age onto appropriately named stalls: the easiest reads were on the ‘Owlet’
stall, the next level was for ‘Fledglings’, and the most advanced were for ‘Owls’. Entering the school hall on the day, I was greeted by piles of exciting books of all kinds. Every book cost £1. When the
children paid, they received more than conventional change. For fun, we had chocolate coins and dairy-free alternatives to give away too. While the younger children excitedly accepted, some of the older ones were more savvy and asked how much we were charging for the chocolate. While I waited for the takings to
be counted, I looked around the hall: some children were sat reading, already hooked by their new finds; I overheard a group planning to share a series so they could all have a turn; some children had even purchased books for their siblings! At last, the suspense was over. We had raised £330 to put towards a new climbing wall in the playground – the happy ending I had hoped for. Claire Summerfield, Chair of Harwell School Association, Harwell, Oxfordshire (230 pupils)
‘We raised funds by celebrating inclusivity’
As part of our fundraising for a new outdoor classroom, we decided to organise a fundraiser that celebrated everyone’s individuality and called it Dare to be Different Day. We emailed parents a list of possible
dares: would pupils dare wear a tutu or a glittery cape? Might they brave a crazy hairdo? We added some simpler dares too, such as wearing trainers instead of school shoes, to encourage everyone to join in. Completing one dare cost 50p, and the biggest dare-devils could pay £3 to try all seven ideas. The teachers kindly offered to collect this cash for us at the start of the day. Staff members liked the idea of accepting difference and this helped get them on board. Some even planned lessons on inclusivity to teach on the day. The most popular dares were crazy hair and wearing pyjamas to school. We organised it on a Friday so the children could enjoy their hair dye and tattoos at the weekend. We were thrilled to raise £297. This financial success and overall popularity of Dare to be Different Day has been very encouraging. The teachers asked us to keep it in the school calendar, and we happily agreed. Claire Pickett, co-chair of Friends of Castor Church of England Primary School, Peterborough (180 pupils)
pta.co.uk SUMMER 2022 37
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