Five Pre-school Fundraising Ideas UK Schools Can Use Right Now

During the pandemic many pre-schools have been forced to shut their doors in order to ensure the safety of their students. With the average parent spending £252 per week to send their child to nursery, this has meant that a lot of pre-schools have faced a drop in their income, with some even facing closure due to the huge financial impact the pandemic has had on them.

Fortunately there are many pre-school fundraising ideas in the UK that parents and institutions can use to keep their doors open and continue to provide care for children.

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Is pre-school in the UK?

All 3 and 4-year-olds in England are entitled to 570 hours of early education or childcare a year. This is often taken as 15 hours each week for 38 weeks of the year. This can be at nurseries, playgroups or even with a child minder. However for many parents who work, they will need their child supervised for longer periods each week, in those instances they will need to pay for the extra childcare. 

When the government announced the Pandemic in March 2020, pre-schools were forced to close resulting in a huge loss of income. Although the government put in place a number of funding and financial measures to support organisations – both public and private – during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, many preschools still struggled under the financial strain. As a result they were forced to become creative with fundraising ideas for their pre-school.

Fundraising ideas for pre-schools

1. Appeal to parents

For many parents, finding a preschool that suits their child and makes them feel safe is something that you can’t put a price tag on. By appealing to the parents of the children who attend your pre-school, you may find that they are willing to donate to your cause if it means keeping the pre-school doors open.

2. Put on a virtual fundraising event

Just because you can’t hold an in-person fundraising event doesn’t mean you can’t fundraise online. Why not host a zoom quiz or host online drawing classes for the kids stuck at home and ask for a small donation in return?

3. Let your local community know that you need help

Now that the government has eased restrictions in the UK allowing bars and restaurants to open again, why not ask if they will let you put a poster up in their establishment to let people know that you are raising funds. Pre-schools are a vital part of the community – if they close, many parents can’t work.

4. Appeal to pre-school alumni

Pre-schools hold a special place in the hearts of all who attend them. It can be a good idea to appeal to previous students of the school and let them know that you are fundraising – especially if any of them can join virtual events, or even host their own.

5. Online crowdfunding

For all of these fundraising ideas, crowdfunding on sites such as GoFundMe could work for you. It’s a safe and easy way to collect donations from your community, with an easy fundraising site to direct well-wishers to.

Supporting Peapods Nursery School through COVID-19

In May a fundraiser was launched for a pre-school called Peapods in South Oxfordshire to help it survive during the pandemic. After the fundraiser was launched many parents and even grandparents were moved to donate. The fundraiser has raised more than £4,000 so far.

Help save the heart of the village – PreSchool

One dad from Weston-Super-Mare decided to launch a fundraiser for his daughter’s pre-school after learning that they were struggling. Appealing to the local community, he described the pre-school as the “heart of the village.” He has raised just over £3,000.

St Andrews Pre School

Staff at St Andrew’s pre-school in Sussex were devastated when they discovered that a colony of mice had made themselves at home in their storage area during the lockdown period. After clearing the space they realised that £17,000 worth of damage had been done, so they turned to GoFundMe. They have launched a fundraiser with the initial goal of £15,000. All money raised will go directly to improving the education, development and enjoyment of the children that go there.

Help fundraise for a preschool in your area

If you would like to help fundraise for a preschool or nursery in your local area that could do with a helping hand why not set up a GoFundMe?

It couldn’t be easier to set up a fundraiser, share the link on your social media platforms and start racking up donations from supporters.

Unlike other fundraising platforms, there are no hidden fees on Gift Aid with GoFundMe.

Our experts are on hand to offer 24-hour help and advice and you can use our mobile app to check in on your fundraising progress on the move.

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