There are a variety of ways to get involved with the school community and to help FoBS fundraise for the school.
Come along to events
We hold a variety of events at the school and in the village across the academic year. It’s a lovely way to meet and get to know other members of FoBS and fellow parents. We love it when you are able to attend events and the children love it too!
Volunteer
Volunteers are needed for all events - many hands make light work! Class Reps will always ask for volunteers when planning an event; be it for help with organisation or adding your name to the event rota.
We are also eager to tap into your expertise, experiences and skills; for example, if you are a photographer or graphic designer, or enjoy gardening, DIY and painting and would be happy to lend your hands to give back at one of our Community Days or lead a club or in-school sessions. Or perhaps you could come and speak to the children about your job, travels or an interest.
Volunteering is the primary way in which FoBS needs your help, even for just an hour or so at our school fairs.
Share your ideas
If you and/or your children have any ideas regarding future fundraising events and initiatives we would love to hear from you. Please share them with your Class Rep or contact us on pta.balcombe@gmail.com to let us know.
Sponsorship
We are always seeking sponsors to support our fundraising. Perhaps you have a business or contacts that we can partner with in some way?
We have a Just Giving page as an alternative way to raise money to help our children. We realise that everyone is busy – with many parents working long hours – and cannot easily give up time or be available to help organise charity events or attend fundraising activities. We hope this simple option of a Just Giving page will encourage donations.
You can help the school through Just Giving in lots of different ways:
- You can set up a monthly standing order – if every family donated just £2 per month, we could raise over £500 with GiftAid donations every year, if you could donate £5 a month it would soar!
- Even if you can’t attend events, you can make a one-off donation any time.
- If you are taking part in a race, charity event, sponsored fundraiser, you could link to our page and collect donations for Balcombe School.
- You can speak to your company about making donations – there are tax benefits for businesses if they make charitable donations and many companies have a designated charity fund; FOB’s is a registered charity on Just Giving - Balcombe School PTA. Our registered charity name is Balcombe C E School PTA.
MatchFunding
Friends of Balcombe School is a registered charity. Our registered charity name is Balcombe C E School PTA.
There are many employers that recognise the contributions their employees make to charities by “match funding” the amounts they raise for charity. This could mean matching the amount raised at an event, or your class stall, or providing a one-off or regular donation. It's a quick and easy way to raise more money for our school, further information can be found here.
Please reach out to your employers to ask if they offer a match funding or similar scheme, not all companies advertise the fact they do. Please email ptatreasurer.balcombe@gmail.com if you can help or would like to know more.
Voluntary Donations
If you would be happy to make a one-off or regular donation, please email ptatreasurer.balcombe@gmail.com
We also welcome donations of new items that can be used for prizes at our events and fairs. Anything you are able to provide is wholeheartedly and gratefully received.
Ways to earn donations when you shop:
We are registered with the following companies so that when you spend we receive donations from them directly.
Stikins
It is a requirement for children’s school uniforms to be labeled with their names and we all want to avoid missing items.
By purchasing your child’s name labels via Stikins they provide us with a 30% commission. Go to https://www.stikins.co.uk/name-labels/ and quote the school reference number 1118 when placing your order. No sewing or ironing required, simply sign up and get stikin'!
EasyFundraising
EasyFundraising is a website that donates a percentage of your online spend, provided you access the online shop via EasyFundraising rather than your usual search engine. You can set up a donation reminder on your desktop. There is NO cost to you other than the cost of your purchase. Please also consider asking colleagues, friends and family to help in this way too.
Follow these 3 easy steps:
-
Join: Head to EasyFundraising, via this £5 bonus referral link and sign up.
-
Shop: There are nearly 3,000 retailers on board, so pick the one you want and start shopping
-
Raise: After you’ve made your purchase, the retailer will make a donation to Balcombe Primary School automatically at no extra cost to you.