Some of you may wonder what is involved in a group like
Friends of Barnsley Christian School. Who are we? What do we do? Where does the money go? Is it worth getting involved? What does 'getting involved' look like?
Who are we?Basically, anyone who is interested in the welfare of the school can get involved. A long time ago, we were known as the PTA (Parent/ Teacher Association), but in the end, we felt that this excluded grandparents, aunties, uncles, former pupils and friends in general... so we changed the name and now anyone at all who cares about the school is welcome to be involved in whatever capacity you feel comfortable with.
What do we do?People probably associate us most with fund-raising, and this is an important aspect of the group. A lot of the events we run involve buying tickets, not because we have a fetish for producing tickets or charging for events
per se, but as a means of generating income which we use to buy equipment or fund events for the children in school. We sometimes run things that are solely involved with raising money (such as the Go for Gold scheme to help with the Sports Hall project, where people brought in unwanted gold and we used the expertise of some parents in the jewellery business to trade this in for money), but it's important to note that although fund-raising is an integral part of our activities, it's not the only thing we care about!
We also care about the family atmosphere of school, about the social side of things, about putting on events where people can get to know each other and interact together in a more relaxed and informal setting. Talent shows, quiz nights, Murder Mystery plays, auctions, Beetle Drives and all those kind of things do raise money, but they are also ways of getting to know staff and other parents and spend time with people in a more relaxed way. Food tends to be an important part of those events because we know that people chat over eating and get to know each other that way!
Where does the money go?The money is ploughed back into the school; we are a not-for-profit organisation and no Committee member is paid for the work we do. We are all volunteers, giving freely of our time and talents. Recent projects have looked at refurbishing the building, namely the Science Lab. and Sports Hall. This project lasted 5 years and cost over £19,000, raised entirely by the generous support of parents and friends.
The Sports Hall as it used to look
The Sports Hall as it currently looks
Is it worth getting involved?Well, I suppose that depends on each individual's point of view, but I've never actually met anyone who regretting being involved with
FBCS!
What does 'getting involved' mean?That depends entirely on the individual. It might mean baking a cake now and again for a Bake 'n' Take. It might mean turning up at some of the events, buying a ticket, buying a cake, entering a competition. It might mean coming along to planning meetings and offering suggestions. It might mean thinking of ways to raise money. It might mean offering your particular talents in a certain field to help the school. It's entirely up to you how much or how often you are involved.
So... those are the 'nuts and bolts' of being involved with
FBCS! If you're interested in finding out more, come and talk to me (Julie Turner) at school or have a word at the school office. You could also phone school (01226 211011) or email us (admin@barnsleychristianschool.org.uk)
