The Playground Project

At South Malling we are incredibly lucky to have such fantastic grounds. Over the years these have been improved and altered to fit the evolving needs of the school and its children. The Friends have raised money for many of these improvements, including the Red Rabbit and nursery play areas, the play equipment on the playground and, most recently, the outdoor learning area and the recycled picnic benches.

Over the next four years, the school wishes to replace and revamp the outdoor spaces so that they can be better used by all children – providing allocated space for those who, for example, wish to play ball games and other areas for those who wish to spend some peaceful time outdoors. Some of the suggested spaces can be seen here.

This will be a BIG project and will push our fundraising skills to the max! Don’t think that you can’t do anything – we can all do something. From running a marathon to buying something from a cake sale, it will make a difference. We need everyone to be involved.

Stage 1:

The first and most important challenge was to raise £20,000 to replace the playground surface and play equipment which had reached the end of its natural life. Through your efforts and those of the fundraising team, we did it!

Stage 2:

We are now looking at revamping the school field, replacing the trim trail and providing an all weather area.

What can you do?

Make sure that you know what’s going on

If you’re not already part of a class WhatsApp group, get in touch with us or with your class rep so that they can add you. Keep an eye on the Friends' pages of the school website, look at ClassDojo and follow the school on facebook or the Friends on Instagram.

Involve your families, friends and workplaces

Ask them if they are willing to sponsor the school as they reach each stage of the journey or create your own individual challenge and ask them to sponsor you. We all have busy lives but every one of us can make a difference, no matter how small.

Find out about match funding

If you work for an organisation that has a match funding policy, any money you raise could be matched by your employer. Companies may match the fundraising total for an event, or for the stall that their employee is working on. Usually, the employee will need to supply them with a letter from the Friends detailing the date and nature of the event, together with the total raised.

We understand that the high street banks, building societies, supermarkets and large corporations are likely to do match funding, but 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.

We would be grateful if you could see if your employer has a match-funding scheme, or if they are willing to match fund any of our events.

Get fundraising

Spend some time thinking about how to fundraise. Find something that suits your lifestyle, personality and passions.
As friends, family and colleagues to help you. What about your faith group, exercise, sports team, neighbours? Will your employer match your fundraising?
Set a date and time. Are there any other local events on at the same time? When is your target audience free? Is weather important?
Set a target and budget. Targets encourage your supporters to give you more. We can’t reimburse you so if there are costs involved, be careful that the amount you raise will not only cover them but be worth the effort involved.
Keep it safe and legal.
Set up an online sponsorship page here.A printable sponsorship form is at the bottom of this page.
Let us know what you’re up to.
Talk about it – let everyone know how you are getting on and why you are fundraising. Use social media and word of mouth. Tag the Friends and we will help you spread the word.
Pay the money in. Don’t forget Gift Aid. This could increase donations by 25%.
Say thank you. We all like to be appreciated. A note to everyone to let them know how you got on and how much you raised will go a long way.
Enjoy yourself!

Ideas

if you would like to do something independently, here are some ideas to help – just make sure that anything you do complies with the COVID restrictions in place at the time:

Film Night. Hold a movie night - sell tickets and popcorn and help raise money for a great cause;

Cake sale: Who can resist freshly baked cakes? Create some amazing bakes and sell them from your front gate.

Quiz night: All you need is a quiz master, some friends and some quiz questions. Charge everyone a small entry fee to show off their brain power.

Give something up: A sponsored period of no sweets, devices or arguing! Anything goes.

Swishing Party: Have your friends and family bring their unwanted clothes, accessories, whatever needs swishing. Everyone pays an entry fee and swaps away. Boost your money with a raffle or cake sale.

Car wash: Wash your neighbour’s car for a small fee. Just make sure you’re safe doing so.

Make something: Are you a keen crafter? Why not sell some items and donate your profits to the Friends?

Keep it Simple: Raise money from something you are already doing. Games nights with friends? Selling or buying things online? You can raise money from practically anything.

Run, swim, walk or cycle. Take part in an event or create your own. There are plenty of opportunities to get your kit on and get fit whilst raising money.

Keep it safe and legal

Insurance: If you organise an event that involves the public and any way, please make sure that you are covered by public liability insurance. This could be included with venue hire or can be purchased from most insurance companies. We do not accept liability for any events run in aid of (but not by) the Friends.

Street collections: Obviously we are not advocating this – collecting on the street or door to door needs a license and could be dangerous in certain situations. If you are collecting on private property (for e.g. a cake sale), please ensure that you have the permission of whoever owns it.

Food: There are various food hygiene procedures which you must follow if you plan to sell food. Please see www.food.gov.uk for food safety law guidelines.

Always remember:

Ensure that children and others are safe. Take time to assess risks.
If you are going to be dealing with money, take care with personal security and make sure that there are at least two of you with the money at all times.
Assess the risks involved in your event and minimise or eradicate them.
Contact the police or local authority if you are planning on holding an event in a public place.
Remember that the Health and Safety Act applies to volunteers as well as employees.
Please consider first aid and fire safety requirements.

Donate

If that all seems like too much effort, you can donate directly or raise funds through online shopping using GiveasyouLive.

Don’t forget

Include your surname on any online payments or bank transfers;
To collect any sponsorship – make sure that all money has been paid in within six weeks or your event.
Send us paper sponsorship forms so that we can claim Gift Aid and make the money go even further.

Get in touch

If you have any suggestions as to how we can raise money or who we can approach for additional sponsorship and grants. friends@southmalling.e-sussex.sch.uk