Summer final total for 2022

Welcome to our final newsletter of the year!

Thank you to everyone who came to fun day, and enormous thanks to our volunteer parents, grandparents, carers and teachers who made stuff, loaned things, set up and ran stalls and cleared away. They worked so hard and did a lot of problem solving in the heat to make sure everyone had a good time.

Special mentions must go to James at Back's Deli who ran the BBQ, the team at Pasha for falafel, Alex from Bisous Bisous and chef Phil for being Bake-off judges, Danielle at St Pierre Groupe who provided all the BBQ bread free of charge, Gascoigne Halman who sponsored the Crazy Golf, Emma Forrester who sponsored the raffle, parents who have asked their employer to match fund - Glenn Colville, Tony Meredith and Matt Savage, Gareth Howard who provided the tunes and Jim Cooper who created the angry birds and boat race games.

Thanks must also go to all the year 6 children and parents who have supported the PTA over the years and are now leaving Beaver Road. We wish you enormous luck.

We're absolutely thrilled to announce that the summer fun day raised just shy of £7,500.

This includes the raffle sponsored by Emma Forrester of Travel Counsellors and expected match funding by Tony Meredith and Glenn Colville. Read on to find out if you won!

This brings our total for the year to approx. £25,000.

It means we have enough in the bank to contribute to more playground renovations. We'll be in touch to share what we will buy as soon as it's agreed.

Spending news: This week we've commited to buying £400 worth of early years books on a two for one offer so in effect school will receive £800 of books. These will be shared across year 1 and reception where there is a huge need for more resources. We'll also fund specialist workshops for Black History Month and pantos at Christmas.

Here are just a few of the highlights from the day!

Notice of resignation from Sam

After almost four years of being chair of the PTA, and in line with the constitution of the charity*, I am formally giving notice that I will step down at the AGM in the autumn. It’s been a joy and a privilege to raise money for the school. I’ve done it with some incredible people in particular Kate Peacock as co-chair, and past committee members Gemma Martin and Dawn Cheshire and the current elected committee Siobhan O’Leary Donkin, Lauren Fulton and Mrs Horan. I owe them a great deal.

The total sum we have raised together is close to £100,000. We’ve bought castles, musical instruments, projectors and books, gardening and PE equipment, digital safety training and everything in between, as well as Christmas pantomimes and entertainment. Best of all, we’ve created some really positive experiences for children, which is what I believe the PTA is all about.

If you’d like to be chair (or even co-chair with a friend), then we will hold elections in the autumn at the AGM.

I’m happy to speak to anyone about what’s involved and the minimum requirement. If you’re interested then my advice would be to start slow as Kate and I did. One small event a term is enough - a movie night is tried and tested, well loved and raises in the region of £2,500. That’s a lot of happy memories, play equipment and learning resources. You can make a real difference very quickly.

If no one is elected then Lauren and Siobhan will care take the money and see it is spent wisely but they won't run events. It's possible to be involved and run one event in the year and not be chair - talk to us if you think you could commtit to that.

In the meantime, THANK YOU to the senior leadership for helping the PTA achieve its goals, and to everyone who spent a pound or volunteered to help get my crazy ideas off the ground during my time as chair. You’ve helped change so many lives, without probably realising it.

Best wishes for the summer! Sam Crowe

Raffle winners!

Glenn and Tony have run the draw using electronic tools to randomise and automate the selection.

Congratulations to everyone who has won a prize in our raffle. Contact beaverrdfundraisers@outlook.com to claim your prize.