Welcome to Stow-on-the-Wold PTFA

 

CHAIR’S REPORT FOR STOW SCHOOL PTFA AGM

Welcome everyone to this year’s AGM. Thank you for coming. At the end of my 1st year as PTFA chair, I look back with an overall sense of satisfaction and pride for what we have achieved. It has been a busy year for the committee. Continuing on from last year’s committee, we had two clear objectives, which we’ve worked very hard to achieve: • To raise money to support the school in providing our children with important additional education equipment, and helping out with the cost of coaches for school trips. • To improve the profile of the PTFA with a view to encourage more parents to become involved in the committee’s work I’m very pleased to report that the Committee has achieved its first objective. As the Treasurer’s report detailed we have raised £10,818.01 over the past year which is a fantastic amount. We have put 5% of this amount into out playground fund. Of course, we raise money in order to spend it on appropriate items required by the school to support our children’s education, and on the important extra’s that enhance their school experience. To this end, in the past year the PTFA has paid for school buses to the Pantomime and Young Voices, we have continued to support children’s participation on school trips by paying 50% of the transport costs. In addition, the PTFA has bought a new competition sports kit for when our children play at inter-school sporting events and have paid for the Life Caravan. Our last purchase of the year was a container for the playground which will be used to store PE equipment and other larger items. Our main fundraising activities have again been centred on the summer and Christmas fairs, the grand raffle, the quiz night, sports day and bingo night which have all generated a healthy profit for the PTFA. The Disco’s and this year’s Easter egg hunt are always very popular with the children. I feel that this year we have struggled a little with achieving our second objective which was to encourage more parents to become involved. We’ve worked very hard to create a more positive and inclusive image, but we have still found it difficult to get volunteers at the larger events. Our aim has been to develop a transparent, inclusive and dynamic PTFA committee that all parents, irrespective of their background, feel welcome to join and want to be involved in. We have a small group of parents who do attend the meetings and help out regularly. We do rely heavily on parents for donations and help and I would like to thank you all for that. I am hoping the new committee will encourage new people to become more involved. Let’s not forget the motivation that lies behind this year’s committee objectives. Ultimately, the PTFA is here to provide a service to the children at this school, as at the end of the day, it’s all about our children. I would like to thank the committee members; Lucy, Rachel, Amy, Emma and Melinda for their continued support to me, as Chair, over the year. There has been some challenges along the way, but it’s been a hugely rewarding experience. I would like to thank every single extended member of the PTFA for their time and effort they have put in to help organise all the events. Without any of you the PTFA would fail to exist. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Scutt and staff for all the continued support towards the PTFA. I wish next year’s Chair and committee every success in their fundraising endeavours. Clare Stubbs