Friends of Saddleworth School
Who are Friends of Saddleworth School (FOSS)?
Friends of Saddleworth School (FOSS) are Saddleworth School’s parent teacher association. We are a group of parents and carers, teachers, staff and members of the local community raising money for Saddleworth School.
Our current committee 2023/24 is:
Chair: Carol Oldham
Secretary: Nicola Holcroft
Vice Chair: Julie Cohen
Treasurer: Angela Reece
Co-opted members: Chrissi Robertson, Vicky Dunning, Carol Moody and Rachel Dunkerley
You can contact us at friendsofsaddleworthschool@gmail.com
All parents, carers, teachers and staff are automatically members when they join our school and members of the wider community are welcome to join too.
What do we do?
Friends of Saddleworth School (FOSS) aims to:
- Arrange events and activities that raise funds for equipment and projects in school to enhance the education of the students.
- Plan social gatherings that provide enjoyment for students, their families, and the broader community.
- Foster strong relationships among staff, students, and all others connected with the school.
How do we raise funds?
Throughout the academic year, Friends of Saddleworth School (FOSS) arranges a variety of events which raise money for school funds and just as importantly enable students, parents, and teachers to have some fun together. A wide range of activities are held during the year and include something for all – parents, carers and the wider community as well as the students.
What do we spend money on?
Friends of Saddleworth School (FOSS) have raised many thousands of pounds, which over the years has been spent on improving equipment and resources to enhance the student’s education and school facilities. Money raised is for the ‘extras’ not provided for by the school budget, that make the student’s learning experiences so much more fulfilling and exciting. School usually has ‘wish list’ of items that they would like us to purchase. Sometimes this will be as a result of the students asking for something; at other times it will be for resources to improve a particular area of the curriculum or school environment.
For example we have paid for; books for the library, new dictionaries for modern languages, hire of inflatables for the schools alternative sports day, rucksack covers for D of E, kit for sports teams, table tennis tables, we have given a donation to year 11 for their prom. The list goes on.
We always endeavour to spend our funds in ways that will benefit all students across all areas of the school and curriculum.
Where and when do we meet?
The FOSS committee usually meet once a month at Saddleworth School. Everyone is welcome
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) is held in October each year, and this is an opportunity for all parents to come along and hear in more detail about events run and funds raised, and how the money has been spent. It is also the occasion when we elect our new committee.
Forthcoming meetings:
- March planning meeting – Wednesday 20th March 6.30pm at Saddleworth School
- April planning meeting – Tuesday 16th April at 6.00pm at Saddleworth School
For security reasons we ask you to let us know if you are coming to a meeting. If you wish to attend a meeting please email us at friendsofsaddleworthschool@gmail.com
Please see our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/friendsofsaddleworthschool.foss for full details of up and coming meetings.
How can I get involved with Friends of Saddleworth School (FOSS)?
There are lots of ways you can help and support Friends of Saddleworth School (FOSS). Don’t worry though it doesn’t have be a huge time commitment.
It doesn’t matter if you can’t help on a regular basis, just an occasional hour or two to spare to assist at an event is very much appreciated it really is a case of ‘many hands make light work’. You can sign up to our volunteer list at https://forms.gle/EMvRqkVYc4v6S6Tf8
If you feel able and have a bit more time to spare, you can join our committee and help plan events. Anyone can join, no matter what skills or experience you have, you will be welcomed.
How can I help Friends of Saddleworth School (FOSS) raise funds for school?
Why not come along to one of our events, raise money with Easyfundraising as you shop online, or join our Lucky Numbers lottery? Every penny counts!
Events:
Every year we put together a calendar of fundraising events.Forthcoming events include:
Second hand Indoor Market – Sunday 24th March 9am-1pm at Saddleworth School
Entrance £1 Adults, 50p Concessions
Booking stalls now at https://buytickets.at/friendsofsaddleworthschool
Please see our Facebook page for full details of our planned events https://www.facebook.com/friendsofsaddleworthschool.foss/
Easyfundraising:
Use Easyfundraising to shop with over 3,300 retailers including Amazon, Argos, John Lewis, ASOS, Booking.com, eBay, Boden, and M&S. Every time you shop, you’ll raise a free donation for Friends of Saddleworth School every time, it’s that easy! Find out more: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/friends-of-saddleworth-school/
Lucky Numbers:
If you are interested in winning some money and want to help raise funds for school, Friends of Saddleworth School (FOSS) run a Lucky Numbers Club which is just £12 per number per year.It’s really easy to join, simply pay through ParentPay and you’ll get a lucky number for the year. Numbers are issued in the Pupil Bulletin and if your number comes up that month you win a cash amount. How much you win depends on how many sign up for each month but it can be up to £100! To join Lucky Numbers please visit your Parentpay account
Business funding and donations:
If you have your own business or work for a business you might be able to support us with match funding. Please ask your employer if they have a match funding scheme. Alternatively, would you be able to donate items to us for raffles, auctions or general fundraising? All support of any kind is very gratefully received.
Share your contacts or skills:
Do you have useful contacts or skills that we might be able to call upon? We sometimes we do shoutouts on our social media for specific types of help, please keep an eye out and let us know if you can assist.
Spread the word:
Please share information about our fundraising events with your friends and family, so they can support us too. Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/friendsofsaddleworthschool.foss/ Twitter @FossSaddleworth and Instagram @friendsofsaddleworthschool
Share your ideas and feedback:
Please share your good ideas about how we could raise funds and feedback on our fundraising events. Your ideas and views are really useful and are valued. You can contact us at friendsofsaddleworthschool@gmail.com
