FUNDRAISING – Third-party challenges
Chloe, Louise, Aime and Anna at parkrun
‘Parkrun removed the stress of our
Cut through the red tape
To counter the hassle of organising a fundraiser, a number of PTAs are turning to third-party companies, reveals Nuala Calvi
F
undraising can be a time- consuming business. Even with a good idea, it’s often a whirlwind of organisation and
administration wrapped in a layer of stress. So, it’s no wonder many schools and PTAs are choosing to take advantage of fundraisers organised by third parties. This approach saves them time and hassle while still generating a healthy amount of money. These fundraisers might involve
entering a team of parents and teachers in a well-known event such as the London Marathon, Great North Run, London to Brighton Bike
Ride or a Scottish Kiltwalk. Alternatively, your team could sign up for a more exotic challenge, such as a skydive or mountain climb, organised by a professional challenge company, many of whom offer discounts for charities. Some organisations, such as
Large Outdoors, offer the option of ‘open’ events – challenges scheduled on set days throughout the year. Charities including PTAs can book as many or as few participants onto the fundraisers as they want, removing the pressure to sign up a minimum number of people. Its day walks, which include
sponsored run’ My husband’s a runner and a member of our committee. He came up with the idea of participating in our local parkrun as a way for us to raise money that wouldn’t take up a lot of time. Fundraisers usually involve so much planning and organisation, but this was something where we could just show up on the day and take part. Parkrun set up the course with signs to follow and marshals in hi-vis vests to guide everyone along the way. They also provide fi rst aid support along the route in case anyone needs assistance. Signing up is very straightforward; you just go online and get a barcode. We had a total of 18 runners and set up a joint JustGiving page, so that no one was under pressure to get individual sponsorship. Most of the participants were staff, and I was reluctant to join in, but I eventually got talked into it! As our nursery is called Rainbow
Day, we wore rainbow colours and face paint. We also carried collection buckets. I was pushing my daughter in her buggy, so it took me about an hour to complete the course. Some people fi nished in far less time. Overall, we raised £500, which is a huge amount of money for us to make in such a short time. We now hope to do it every year! Chloe Goldsmith, parent cooperative chair, Rainbow Day Nursery and Pre-School, Lowestoft (60 pupils)
Chloe’s husband Alex during the run
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