It’s that time of year – school Christmas fete time

School Christmas fetes are fast becoming as traditional as Nativity plays.

Christmas fetes and markets are a great way for pupils to prepare for the festive season, but they’re also a valuable source of fundraising for the PTA.

Parent Teacher Associations are having to think of new ways to raise funds that don’t seem like a constant request for money. In recent years, schools have invited craftspeople or artisan bakers to take stalls or tables as a way of increasing the appeal (and the revenues) of their events.

Traditionally the PTA would raise funds for ‘extras’ not provided by the schools main income… things that make learning fun

They’d also be used to cover the expense of school trips, such as sending the youngest year group to the local pantomime.

But that’s no longer the case.

Schools are increasingly turning to the PTA to fund some of the basics, including pens, pencils and exercise books.

In fact, over 1,000 schools are now turning to crowdfunding sites or Amazon wishlists to cover the costs of basic items.

But it’s still one more request for money, at a time when many families are feeling the squeeze. After all, the only people a school PTA can engage with is the parents, so it’s us who bear the brunt of the requests.

Yes, it’s all for our children’s education, but donations for raffle prizes, buying raffle tickets, cake sales, quiz nights… it all adds up!

If only there was a way for parents to help schools financially, but without costing them a penny.

There is…

The me:now Schools Programme

The me:now Schools Programme helps schools by donating 40% of subscriptions directly to the PTA. Here’s how it works:

1. We sign your school PTA to the Schools Programme and give the PTA all the details about the me:now app, along with a unique code.
2. The app helps small businesses (the people we use all the time like hairdressers, local restaurants, dog groomers or physiotherapists) to contact customers when they have a diary gap or cancellation.
3. The parents give these details to the their favourite local businesses.
4. When a business signs up using the school’s unique code they get two months free use of the premium tier (30 adverts a month to help fill appointments/tables/sessions).
5. If they stay on the premium tier past the two free months we donate 40% of the subscription fee to the PTA – if they continue to stay on the free tier* we’ll keep donating to your child’s school.

And it can seriously add up.

10 businesses = £1600+ a year

25 businesses = £4000+ a year

It’s one of life’s few win-wins. It doesn’t cost parents anything, the local business benefits, and so does the school.

What’s the catch?

There isn’t one. The team at me:now have seen first hand the impact school cuts are having and want to help.

The me:now app is already helping small businesses stay in business – so why not help local schools as well?

Our belief is that no school should have to cut breakfast or afternoon clubs to balance their books.

We want to help fund these through our schools programme, then more parents can fit work around school times without it impacting their incomes.

If your child’s school has a PTA then send them this post and ask them to contact us to register their school.

*max 12 months per business