The Friends of Ferncumbe

Chairs’ Report - 2022 / 2023

The Friends of Fernucmbe are pleased to report another successful year of fundraising, from various social events and activities during the academic year 2022-2023. We are very grateful for all the hardwork and commitment given by our trustees throughout the year: Mal Gardner, Jenny Bradley, Monica Panzaru, Lucy Lilley, Siobhan Skinner, Tracey Webb and Heather Reid. Also a special thank you to our final member, who for work reasons is remaining anonymous in this report.

We also thank all the parents and staff who have volunteered and helped out in any way and worked with us across this year. A big final thank you to all the parents who support us during the events by attending and donating money. The Friends of Fernucmbe are aware of the current cost of living crisis affecting many families, so we’re more grateful than ever for your generosity. We feel we have an exciting range of events across the year that are both enjoyable and raise essential funds for the school. The majority of funds raised are used to secure the enrichment activities which give a wonderful selection of diverse opportunities and experiences to the children.

In the Autumn term sadly our annual Friends BBQ was cancelled due to extreme weather conditions, fortunately we were still able to sell out our Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the playground and Hatton park bus stops. We then had a new event selling preloved Christmas jumpers (and more doughnuts!) in the playground after school one Friday in November. This new event went well, encouraging the children to think about recycling as well as saving money. The children all worked hard creating Christmas card designs in school which parents were then able to buy and this year we also offered a school calendar which seemed very popular.

In the Spring term our first event was the annual Parents Quiz. Parents who attended all threw themselves into the competitive spirit, but we were quite pleased to find that this year the winning team was actually the teachers table. Of course no one can complain about being outsmarted by those who are teaching our children! Thanks again to our wonderful Quiz Master Mike for leading this popular evening. Over half term we had another virtual balloon race, which kept the classes and individuals entertained whilst watching their progress with baited breath! Finally the highly popular Easter bingo was held just before the Easter break. This sell out event is such fun for the children and adults alike. Thanks to everyone who donated an easter egg or prize on the non-uniform day. Many that were left over after the event were given out at school, so children who couldn’t attend the bingo were given a chance to play for a prize too.

Our second ‘Break the rules’ day was the first event of the summer term. This was so popular last year that many children had been asking since September when this year’s would be! School council and staff once again helped choose the rules and it was lovely to see children showing their individuality in what they chose to wear. We were thrilled to be able to finally bring back the summer fete for the first time since the pandemic. The children helped choose the Ferncumbe-on- Sea theme and each class had their own stalls or games to run. It was very well attended and great to see so many people getting involved and enjoying themselves. It took many volunteers, both staff and parents, for which we were very grateful. We feel the incredible profit raised at this event reflects the work that was put in.

Other money has come from an ongoing sponsorship event that was run from Spring to Summer, with some children setting wonderful targets for themselves and taking ownership of raising money for their school. There were also donations from Amazon Smile and Paypal. Some companies offer match funding which can really boost what we earn for each event, so please could all parents, especially those new to the school, check if the company you work for may offer this.

This upcoming academic year we will be able to use the profits to fund the enrichment sessions once again and hope to offer donations to the school Christmas events and for science week. We will also look for other exciting opportunities to provide financial support which benefits the children. Full details of our fundraising and spending is available on the annual Treasurer’s report. If you would like any more details or would like to find out more about what we do or how to get involved please email: thefriendsofferncumbe@gmail.com.

This was our first year chairing the committee and we are grateful for the support from last year’s outgoing Chairs as well as all the advice from school, especially Tamson, in planning and running the events. We look forward to another successful year and look forward to welcoming some new members and volunteers. Thank you

Ellen Reid and Sarah Hoskin