September 2021

Hello, and a warm welcome from the PTA to all the children starting at Beaver Road Primary and their parents and carers. We're excited to meet you.

This newsletter explains a little more about the PTA and the volunteers running the charity.

**NEW** Read on to find out about our first fundraiser - Christmas cards! Can your company help us match fund this event? Please let us know via email at beaverrdfundraisers@outlook.com.

In November we will run an AGM. Nominations are open for a new chairperson to take over from Sam and Kate. Please contact us if you're interested or complete the nomination form here

We hope to run second hand uniform sales soon. Please put aside any good quality items. We will let you know when and where to take it in our next newletter.

You can contact us to find out more about getting involved and with ideas to raise money at beaverrdfundraisers@outlook.com

Best wishes from Sam & Kate


What is the PTA?

The Parent Teacher Association is a charity and its purpose is to raise money for things the school budget can't afford. We are run by volunteers and function separately to the school. We have a constitution and our purpose is to improve the life of every child at school.

Over the last three years we've hosted lots of fun events and raised around £50,000 with a view to spending the majority on outdoor play equipment. This year we helped the school make up the budget for the castle in the year 1 playground and the new playground in early years. What else have we bought?

  • SENCO equipment for special needs learning

  • Yr 1 role play areas

  • £1,200 of reading books, and £500 of books about diversity

  • Children's first aid training

  • Resources for the Year 6 business project

  • Art equipment

  • AV system for the junior school

  • Online safety education

  • Forest school visits

  • Sports equipment for playtimes and PE

  • Christmas entertainment from theatre groups

  • Nursery reading corner

How do we raise money? School discos, movie nights, pizza parties, book sales, second hand uniform sales, treasure hunts, summer fun days...

We also raise money with Amazon - customers can donate money each time they purchase something using the Amazon Smile app - read on for details! We've raised £500 this way.

The Committee

****STOP PRESS**** AGM

In November we will host our AGM. Full details will be in our next newsletter. In the meantime, nominations are open for a new chair to take over from Sam and Kate. Think this could be you? Please email us so we can help you understand what's involved: beaverrdfundraisers@outlook.com or complete the nomination form here before 22nd October.

Co-Chair: Kate Peacock. Kate is mum to Eliza in year 4 and is a primary school teacher

Co-Chair and communications: Sam Crowe. Sam is mum to Thomas in year 4 and Nicholas in reception. Sam is a freelance PR consultant

Parent Partnership Champion: Nia Horan. Nia is an early years teacher at Beaver Road and runs the gardening club

Treasurer: Lauren Fulton. Lauren is a qualified accountant and financial analyst. She has two daughters - Esmé, in reception and Harper in year 1.

Volunteer committee member: Gemma Martin. Gemma is mum to Honey and Pearl with a background in nursing. Gemma looks after fundraising campaigns that involve specialist suppliers.

Volunteer committee member: Siobhan O'Leary Donkin is a digital programmes manager and is mum to Denna in reception and Maggie in year 3. Siobhan will help run larger events.

Volunteer committee member: Catherine Furay is a consultant anaesthetist. Catherine is mum to Florence in reception, Matilda in year 5, and Alexander at Parrs Wood. Cath will look after second hand uniform sales.

**Our first fundraiser! Christmas Cards**

Christmas cards are back! Create your design and order by 5th November

We're launching our first major fundraiser this week: personalised Christmas cards. We aim to make around £1500 with this initiative.

This week, your child will come home with a form so you can design and order your cards at home.

How does it work? Watch our video explainer

Step 1. Create your design. We recommend doing a design on a separate piece of paper and then gluing it to the form within the margins (pictured). There are lots of ideas here

The more colourful the better. You can do paper collage, paint, drawings, use sequins, pompoms, cotton wool, buttons, goggly eyes, just make sure anything glued to your design is stuck fast.

Finally, mark the Christmas tree so it's clear which way around the design should be printed - landscape or portrait.

Step 2. Go to https://xmas.cauliflowergroup.co.uk/ to register. You'll see the boxes to input a unique code and school code (pictured). These can be found in the top left corner of the form.

Step 3. Order and pay for items. This will take you to the order page. Select the items you want to order - cards, mugs, gift wrap, gift cards and then head to the checkout and pay. You can add more than one child to your order using their unique form codes.

Step 4. Complete the name and class of your child on the form and tick the box to say you have ordered. This must be completed as names will be printed on the items so we know which ones are yours.

Step 5. Return your form to your teacher with the design securely GLUED to it. Do NOT use staples, cellotape or paperclips OR fold or crease the page as this will effect the end result when it's printed.

You must return the form to your teacher by 5th November. If you have more than one child then each child must return their individual form to their teacher so they can go into special class envelopes.

The PTA will then send away the designs to Cauliflower Cards by secure courier. When items have been printed they will be sent to school and distributed to the children to bring home in time to send for Christmas.

Thanks to Siobhan O’Leary Donkin and Gemma Martin for volunteering to run things.

A perfect and special way to tell friends and family that you are thinking of them.


CAN YOUR COMPANY MATCH FUND THE MONEY WE RAISE? Lots of companies help their employees double the money they raise for chairty. Does you company do this? There's a list here. Please get in touch if you can help us boost what we raise via beaverrdfundraisers@outlook.com

Raise money with Stamptastic and Stikins

We've teamed up with Stamptastic and Stikins to offer you two ways to raise money for the school when you buy 'no sew' name labels.

Stamptastic will donate 15% to us when you buy a personalised stamp and ink pad from its shop. Simply put the school postcode, M206SX, into the discount box when you check out. You'll receive a discount voucher to use on your next purchase, which is handy for all the great crafts and gifts they also sell. https://stamptastic.co.uk/

Stikins makes sticker labels that won't come off in the wash. Stikins will donate 15% when you buy a set of personalised labels from its online shop. Just put 1542 in the school fundraising box. www.stikins.co.uk

Our orders arrived within 48 hours!

WAYS TO DONATE WHEN YOU SHOP

Stamptastic donates 15% of all personalised name stamp and ink pad orders to us. Enter the school postcode M206SX at the checkout in the promo code box.

Amazon Smile

Amazon Smile will donate a % of what you spend to the PTA when you make purchases online at smile.amazon.co.uk or in the smile Amazon app. Just nominate Beaver Road PTA as your SMILE charity.

We've had around £130 income from this over the spring. THANK YOU!

**NEW Stikins donates 15% on purchases of personalised name stickers when you put 1542 in the school fundrasing box at check out. Packs of label;s start at £6.80 for 30. Packs of 60, 90 and 120 available too.

The Giving Machine donates a % of what you buy online from top retailers

Simply set up an account and nominate us as your charity. When you're ready to shop select the retailer you want to buy from and it will redirect you to the retailer's website. This is then tracked and your purchase earns us commission. Find out more here.

Keep in touch: Beaver Road Primary School PTA on Facebook *** @BeaverRoad_PTA on Twitter *** beaverrdfundraisers@outlook.com

PTA committee: Kate Peacock, Co-Chair & parent - Sam Crowe, Co-Chair, communications manager & parent - Lauren Fulton, treasurer and parent - Nia Horan parent partnership champion and teacher - Gemma Martin, Siobhan O'Leary Donkin, Catherine Furay volunteer committee members and parents