Planning a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Summer fete is a great way to get parents involved, raise money for your school goals, and throw an unforgettable school community event. A summer fete is usually the big PTA fundraising idea to focus on in the school year. To have a successful fete, you need to plan well, involve volunteers, and come up with creative fundraising ideas.

In this blog post, we will share some top tips to help you put together a summer fete that'll wow parents and raise funds for your school.

1. Make a Timeline:

Start planning early and make a detailed timeline for your summer fete. Break the tasks down into smaller steps and set deadlines for each. This will help everything get done on time and save you from last-minute stress.

Think about stuff like booking the venue (unless you're using your school grounds), finding vendors, spreading the word about the event, and getting any permits or licences you might need. Check out our Summer Fete Planner for some tips.

2. Get Volunteers on Board:

PTA events always need a group of committed volunteers to make things happen. We suggest having a main team, your fete committee, who can stay all day at the fete. The more people in this team, the better, as you can share out the jobs and make sure everything runs smoothly. The success of any PTA event heavily relies on the involvement of dedicated volunteers.

We suggest contacting parents early and asking them to sign up for different tasks and duties. See if you have any parents with hidden talents. Do you have any parents who are great at face painting? Or someone who is can run a penalty shoot out game?

You could create a volunteer sign-up sheet or use an online platform to keep everything organised. Give everyone clear jobs like looking after stalls, setting up and packing down, serving food, or sorting out the entertainment.

We're big fans of Volunteer Signup. It's a free online tool that lets you create sign-up sheets for events. It's easy to use, works on mobile, and doesn't have any annoying ads or spam. Plus, volunteers can sign up without needing to register and you can keep track of the hours.

3. Team Up with Local Businesses:

Reach out to local businesses and see if they want to join forces for your summer fete. Ask if they can sponsor the event, donate prizes, or set up stalls to showcase their products or services. Working with local businesses, like your local restaurant or beauty shop, not only boosts the fete's attractions, but also builds a real community vibe.

Local estate agents often support local school summer fetes. One way they show this is by plugging your event on their for-sale signs. It's a win-win as they get a bit of free advertising, while also spreading the word about your event to the locals. They usually pay per sign, which can help with the fete costs.

Our top tip is to get in touch with your local estate agents early, as there are likely to be loads of other schools in your area with the same idea.

4. Keep it Safe and Secure:

Make sure everyone attending your event is safe by doing what needs to be done. Once you've got your plans all sorted out for your fair - the activities, the food, the stalls and so on - make sure you've thought about the risks for each of them. Write up a thorough risk assessment and then book a meeting with the head teacher to make sure you haven't missed anything in your assessment.

If you're planning to have fun stuff like fairground rides or bouncy castles, ask the company you're hiring from for their risk assessments and insurance documents. You can add these to your own risk assessment and event plans.

Make sure you have all of your licences in place prior to the event as well. If you are planning on selling alcohol or running a raffle, you will need to check what licence you need to have in place. Usually, for these types of events, you will need a TENS licence and a small lottery licence, but it is best to check with your own local authority on what is required for your event.

Top tip: The typical timeframe for obtaining a TENS licence is 10 working days. Be sure to include this in your event planner to avoid missing the deadline.

5. Spread the Word about the Event:

Get a plan together to make sure your summer fete is packed. Use all the tools at your disposal like social media, school newsletters, posters, and emails to let everyone know about it. Make some cool looking flyers and posters that showcase all the fun stuff on offer like entertainment, food, and special activities. Tell the parents to invite their friends, family, and neighbours to get even more people to come to the fete.

6.Book your main attraction early

Make sure to book your main attraction early! It's a smart move that'll guarantee you get exactly what you want. Plus, you'll be able to pick the date and time that works best for you. Talk about stress relief!

You definitely don't want to miss out on the highlight of your event, so booking in advance is a must. It'll also help you plan your schedule and make sure everything goes smoothly. Don't forget, June and July are busy for summer fetes, so get on it ASAP! Providers are swamped during these months, so don't wait around.

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So there you have it! The ultimate guide to planning a tip-top summer fete for your school. Just remember, the key to a successful fete lies in early planning, rallying a team of dedicated volunteers, and building strong relationships with local businesses. But most of all, remember to have fun while you're at it, because that's what summer fetes are all about!

Get planning, and get ready to host a summer fete that'll have your community buzzing and boost your school's funds. Good luck, and happy planning!

Check out our blog post on our top summer fete activities. If you want more ideas on school PTA fundraising ideas then check out this blog here.

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Photo 1 by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

Photo 2 by Nik on Unsplash