Fundraising

WHY SUPPORT CHARTERS SCHOOL?

Charity Number - EW10993

Charters School will be 70 years old in 2028 and whilst we are proud of our history and reputation as an exceptional School offering a rich and diverse education to our students, we continually look towards the future.

We provide an education for each and every student which is unparalleled in breadth and quality of opportunity, but in order to maintain this we need facilities to match our vision. Similar to most state schools we have funding for our core purpose but there is little remaining to enhance or improve school facilities or to support those families who may need a little extra help.

WHY DO WE NEED TO FUNDRAISE?

As an Academy our annual operating costs are funded through central government and this covers our core purpose, but if we want to invest in our buildings and technology, or to continue to enrich the curriculum, we have to look for additional outside sources to help, either through grants or our community for regular or one-off gifts.

Fundraising enables us to make improvements to our School, and provide opportunities for our students, that would not be possible otherwise.

HOW DO WE FUNDRAISE?

There are a number of fundraising channels for Charters School including those listed below. If you are a parent/carer who would like to make a regular donation to school funds, a member of the local community who would like to help at one of our fundraising events, or a business that would like to sponsor a team or event at our school, please find out more below.

Should you require further information, please contact our Marketing Team who will be happy to help.

REGULAR MONTHLY DONATIONS

Our Fund the Future scheme is the backbone of our School fundraising and it is a regular monthly giving scheme for donations of any size (although one-off donations are very welcome too!). Regular donations make a lasting impact on our School and our students, whether it is £5, £20, or £100 a month. The focus is on the short-term urgent needs of the School. In the past we have raised enough funds to replace three of our minibuses and last year we focused on our outside spaces, building two new all-weather shelters so that our students could enjoy the school site throughout the year. 

GAUGE YOUR GIFT - £1 CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

We recognise that many families generously support the Wish List and Christmas Draw each year, while others already donate funds regularly through  Fund the Future, and for this we are really grateful.  We know family circumstances differ, so would like to create a culture of giving at a level that suits each individual.  We value each and every donation and I hope that by telling you £1 a month will make a real difference, it will inspire you to begin a regular monthly donation.

The impact of a small donation from every family will be transformative and will allow us to better support our students; this could be paying for workshops to help students cope with exam stress or purchasing innovative resources which are currently outside our reach.  Please ‘Gauge Your Gift’ and donate at a level that you are comfortable with by using the link below. This quarterly donation allows supporters to donate a minimum amount of £3 a quarter; We have over 1700 students on roll at Charters, and if families donated £1 a month for each of their children, we would raise £20,400 in one year.

By donating through our CAF Donate page we are able to gain an additional 25% from donors who are UK tax payers, so please do remember to tick the box as you make your donation. 

Gift aid infographic

We also have a Unity Fund and all donations raised here are used as a discretionary source of financial assistance for our disadvantaged students. The fund aims to support students whose families may be experiencing financial difficulties.

Full details regarding the Unity Fund and an application form to request funding can be viewed here.

The two branches of regular giving allow our community to support both facilities and our students.

You can begin a regular donation to either our Fund the Future or Unity Fund by clicking on the buttons below.

Donate Here (2)

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Thank you for your support.

The Conditions Improvement Fund

All academy schools are entitled to apply for this Government Fund once a year. Money from this Fund tends to be allocated for projects which have a Health & Safety or Capacity issue. For example, our new windows were funded by a successful bid to CIF.

Capital Campaigns

These fund major building work or refurbishments and are ‘one-off’ targeted Campaigns for a specific large-scale development. An example of a successful Capital Campaign is the refurbishment of the Science Lecture Theatre which was made possible due to a grant from The Wolfson Foundation in 2018. We tend to run a major Capital Campaign once every 4 – 5 years depending on the needs of the School.

Regular Giving/Fund the Future/Unity Fund

Our Fund the Future scheme is the backbone of our School fundraising and it is a regular monthly giving scheme for donations of any size (although one-off donations are very welcome too!). Regular donations make a lasting impact on our School and our students, whether it is £5, £20, or £100 a month. The focus is on the short-term urgent needs of the School. In the past we have raised enough funds to replace three of our minibuses and last year we focused on our outside spaces, building two new all-weather shelters so that our students could enjoy the school site throughout the year. 

If you are able to support the school by making a regular financial contribution it would be much appreciated and will directly benefit the students. Any contribution is entirely voluntary, and even £5 per month from those who can afford it, would make a huge difference.

By donating through our CAF Donate page we are able to gain an additional 25% from donors who are UK tax payers, so please do remember to tick the box as you make your donation. 

Gift aid infographic

We also have a Unity Fund and all donations raised here are used as a discretionary source of financial assistance for our disadvantaged students. The fund aims to support students whose families may be experiencing financial difficulties.

The two branches of regular giving allow our community to support both facilities and our students.

You can begin a regular donation to either our Fund the Future or Unity Fund by clicking on the buttons below.
 

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Thank you for your support.

 

Charters Community Group

Instead of having a PTA we have chosen to run a Community group instead. The idea is that the work of fundraising is shared between those who have the time and energy to create events and initiatives which benefit our school's students. We feel that 'many hands make light work' and this has been demonstrated beautifully by the volunteers who have helped raise funds at the Summer Festival in 2023 and help to manage our Pre-Loved Uniform sales.

If you have a few hours to spare and would like ot meet like-minded parents and carers, please contact our Marketing Manager for details of our next meeting.

Legacy Giving

Leaving a legacy to Charters School is one of the most significant ways to leave a lasting impact for the education of future generations of students. A legacy gift creates a lasting testimony of a connection with the School and allows you to support the school financially in a way that you might not otherwise have been able to do. We are hugely indebted to our supporters who have made a provision for the School in their Wills. Those who advise us of their intention to support the School in this way are recognised as benefactors and acknowledged legacy supporters and we keep them in touch with the School, should they wish to do so.

FAQ can be viewed here.

Major Giving

A major gift is a donation of £10,000 or more made by an individual, group, foundation or corporation in support of a specific area. Major gifts are often bespoke arrangements between the donor and School and can come in many forms. They are often pledged over a number of years to be most convenient to the donor. In recent years, major gifts to Charters School have taken the form of alumni donations to the Maine Centre, and staffing costs to support vulnerable students by the Sunninghill Trust. Local company, Diversified, donated and installed audio equipment in the Wolfson Science Lecture Theatre and the Winston STEM Block free of charge.  In the past, some major benefactors have chosen to remain anonymous.

Please contact our Marketing Manager for more details.

Sponsorship & Advertising

Local businesses are able to raise their profile within the wider community by sponsoring events, teams or faculties at the School. Past sponsors have included Buckinghams Estate Agents, Orlando Attractions and Ascot Travel House who have each sponsored a minibus, Osborne Heath and Dormy House who have sponsored rugby and football teams and Gracewell of Ascot who has sponsored presentation evenings.

There are also opportunities to advertise in the School’s annual production and Gala Dinner programme.

A full list of sponsorship opportunities can be found by clicking on the image below:

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Volunteering

Many alumni, parents and friends would prefer to donate time instead of funds.

In the past they have participated in many aspects of school life such as:

  • Careers activities and speakers programmes
  • Mentoring
  • Helping at school events

If you would like to know more please email recruitment@chartersschool.org.uk

 

Stickins Name Labels

LABEL UNIFORM

We suggest that each piece of uniform is clearly named so that items can be found quickly and easily if mislaid. Any un-named items that is not collected from lost property at the end of each term are donated to charity.

You could help raise funds for our school by using name labels from Stickins. They are quick and easy to use as there is no sewing or ironing involved and if you quote fundraising number 4071 when placing an order, Charters School will receive a small commission. 

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ORDER HERE

 

The Giving Machine

Giving Machine

You can now find Charters School on TheGivingMachine, a great fundraising site that lets you raise donations for Charters School whenever you shop online. It’s easy to use and doesn’t cost you (or us) a penny!

TheGivingMachine is a fundraising charity setup to help other charitable causes raise money online. By signing up and shopping online via TheGivingMachine you will generate a free cash donation for us. With over 2,200 of your favourite retailers, including Ebay, M&S, Tui, Sainsbury, John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners, you are bound to find what you need and generate a donation.

To start raising free donations go to https://www.thegivingmachine.co.uk/causes/charters-school
and join – it’s that easy.

To make sure you never miss a donation download the free Shop&Give mobile app and the free desktop reminder app https://www.thegivingmachine.co.uk/shop-and-give/

Plus, click the Daily Bonus Donation button to raise a free donation every day – no purchase necessary! Find out more here https://www.thegivingmachine.co.uk/news/view/daily-bonus-donation/

Or donate directly to  Charters School via the Donate Now button on https://www.thegivingmachine.co.uk/causes/charters-school

Thank you for your support.