4-PAGE EVENTS SPECIAL SECTION – Autumn term success stories
HALLOWEEN DISCO ‘Everyone loved our spooky disco’
Richard Brigg, chair, Moorside Friends, Moorside Primary School, Lancaster (610 pupils)
Tell us about your event… The school ran a Halloween disco, and the Friends brought it to life with spooky games and decorations.
Who was involved in planning it? The staff were in charge and retained the duty of care, but the Friends focused on the fun, going to town with props and visuals.
Did you need many volunteers and what did they do? School staff handled the risk assessments and they signed the children in and out. We set up the decorations in the foyer, and parent volunteers made a guest appearance as Ghostbusters.
Did you run any other stalls alongside the disco? The Friends ran a tuck shop at the back of the hall, selling the usual treats, and operated a candyfl oss stall. In addition, we made a ‘Shoot
the Ghost’ game, which uses Nerf guns, and cost £1 a go.
What were the highlights? When pupils came to the spooky welcome desk, they immediately saw all the props. I built a coffi n with a lid that opens, and a skeleton pops up, inspired by something the headteacher saw at a local steam railway Halloween event. The children turned up in some
really creative costumes and spent time appreciating each other’s
outfi ts. Our DJ led dancing games and got the kids going. Parents loved it, posting some truly heartwarming messages on our Facebook group.
How much did you raise? Some 90% of pupils came to the disco, and we raised about £600. The headteacher joked that more people turned up than we have in our school community. We hold the disco every year, and it used to run at a loss, but we now have a DJ with a connection to the school and the money from the stalls is all profi t.
CORNBANK HOEDOWN ‘Beyoncé inspired our hoedown’
Susan Cochrane, treasurer, Cornbank School Parent Partnership, Midlothian (306 pupils)
Tell us about your event… We held the Cornbank half-term hoedown, a Wild West-themed disco with hay bales, line dancing and dressing up.
Who was involved in planning it? We’re a small but mighty PTA, and our team organised everything. The hoedown theme came from a conversation about Beyoncé’s album and how country music is so big at the moment.
Did you need many volunteers and what did they do? We had help from the school senior leadership team and about ten other volunteers. Like many PTAs, our volunteer numbers are limited,
34 AUTUMN 2025 School Fundraising
which makes it quite a challenge, especially since we ran two different sessions. Of our 306 students, 250 attended the hoedown. A former parent who owns a disco company volunteered his services, too.
Did you run any other stalls alongside the event? We ran a stall where we sold sweets from a wholesaler, which was a huge hit with the children. We also sold friendship bracelets and other fun items. Tickets cost £3 and included glitter tattoos and unlimited drinks of squash.
What were the highlights? One of the teachers at the school taught the pupils a line dance routine, which they performed beautifully on the day. A member of the school staff who is a keen line
dancer turned up fully kitted out and looked fabulous.
How much did you raise? We made about £700, which will go towards building shelters that the school will use as outdoor classrooms. The Parent Partnership also funds trips, and we regularly refresh outdoor equipment such as balls, hula hoops and skipping ropes.
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