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Parents Association
Parents’ Association
Welcome to Sacred Heart’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA)!
We are a group of parent volunteers who work to raise funds to support our school in providing equipment, resources and experiences for the benefit of all our children.
The PTA Committee, working closely with the school, organise a programme of events and activities throughout the year, which we ask our school and local community to support. While many of these are focused on fundraising, we also organise fun activities for the children at school (Christmas party and visit from Santa, discos and so on), and aim to bring families together to foster a great community spirit within our school.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do we need to raise money?
School budgets are extremely tight and there is simply not enough money for our school to provide all the experiences and resources that they would like without some additional help from parents. Think school trips; online subscription services (Numbots/Purple Mash etc); playground equipment; school books, stationery, library books; sensory equipment; computing equipment (iPads and PCs for the IT room). These are just some of the things that money raised by the PTA has contributed towards and continues to fund.
In 2022/23 we hope to use money raised to help improve our school hall and related equipment, as well as supply upgrades to computing equipment.
Who decides what the PTA does and spends money on?
The PTA consists of parent volunteers. We have two co-chairs who are the main points of liaison with the school and meet regularly with the senior leadership team to understand the school’s priorities and areas of need. The programme of events is largely made up of things that have worked historically, but we are always interested in new ideas.
We welcome suggestions from all members of our Sacred Heart family. Please join in, share ideas, skills and get involved in any way you can – we can only do this with your help!
How can I find out more?
We communicate with parents through class reps (your class WhatsApp groups), through the school newsletter, and on our closed Facebook page (“Sacred Heart Families”). Through these channels we will let you know about committee meetings (all parents are welcome and encouraged to join if possible) as well as about upcoming events, and how you can help. We also host regular coffee mornings.
How can I help?
Our success is completely dependent on support from parents and caregivers. This can take many forms: it might be donating an hour or two of your time to run a stall at a Fayre, or approaching local businesses to ask for donations/prizes, or getting your employer to support fundraising efforts through matched funding. Please keep an eye out for messages from your Class Rep asking for support and help if you can.
Your time and effort will benefit your children, improve their educational environment and allow you to make new friends within our school community.
There are also some very low-touch ways you can help straightaway. Please see below for ‘Easy Ways to Help Right Now’.
How do I get in touch?
If you have any feedback, questions or would like to get involved, please get in touch by any of the following means:
- Email us on sacredheartschoolpa@gmail.com
- Talk to your Class Rep or message via your WhatsApp group
- Leave a note with the school office marked to the attention of Emma Giacon / Tanya Joseph, Co-Chairs of Sacred Heart’s Parents Association
Easy ways to help right now
Buying Online
Sacred Heart benefits when you purchase online via “Easyfundraising” (just use the link below and shop as normal). There is no additional cost to you and for every order placed, a donation is made to the school. Please set up your account selecting “Sacred Heart School Whetstone - Parents Association” as your chosen charity.
https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/sacredheartwhetstone/
Company Matched Funding
Some companies offer employees the chance to boost their fundraising by “matching” the money they raise. Matched funding (which may be called a different name by your employer such as “Pound for Pound”) is when your employer pledges a sum of money to a charity of your choice. In the past, banks, building societies, insurance companies, supermarkets, utilities providers, telephone companies and car manufacturers have offered to match fund, however, these schemes are not exclusive to the major corporate giants. If you work for an independent company, they may be interested in charitable giving through match funding too.
Please ask your HR department or your employer if they have a match funding policy and if so, please let us know, as it is very easy to set up and is an important source of income for our school.
200 Club
The 200 Club is a lottery where parents can pay a minimum of £5 a month to be entered into a monthly draw. There are 3 cash prizes amounting to £200 in total. Please see the link below for the 200 Club Application Form.
Sponsorship
Local individuals and companies are very welcome to advertise their services to our school community in our Summer and Christmas programmes and/or place a banner on our school fence. It’s an incredibly cost–effective way of advertising your product and services to our families and neighbours, knowing you are supporting the local school at the same time. Please contact us on sacredheartschoolpaevents@gmail.com for more information.
As well as the above sponsorship opportunities, the below companies also support our fundraising on an ongoing basis:
Martyn Gerrard – Main Sponsor:
For every property sold or let for staff, parents and friends of a child at Sacred Heart, Martyn Gerrard will donate a % of the sales/letting fee to the school. So, if you are looking to rent, buy or sell, please contact:
Warren Price
0208 349 0996
Labels:
Avoid your child's belongings getting lost while raising funds for the school. Order via any of the two links below, input the school ID and they will make a donation to the school for every order placed:
Order via the STIKINS and input the School ID 17343
Please click here to go to STIKINS website
or
Order via My Nametags and input School ID - 65737