Friends of Langton School (FoLS)

Who are we and what do we do?

FoLS stands for Friends of Langton School and we are the PTA. Basically, we’re just a small group of busy mum’s* who get together every now and then, to come up with fundraising ideas, then organise events and activities, to raise money for the school to spend on enhancing our children’s learning experiences.

* All parents and carers are welcome, it just so happens it’s all mum’s at present! Come on Dad’s, Grandparents, carers – everyone has ideas and a few minutes a term to spare each term, so let’s encourage some diversity.

How does FoLS operate?

It’s a registered charity, so there are some formalities to follow. We have a Chair, a Treasurer and a Secretary, and we hold an AGM to elect this Committee and to go through the accounts, but otherwise it’s all quite relaxed and informal. We meet when we feel we need to, either at school or in a local pub, usually aligned with upcoming events or activities, or where a decision is needed on some spend or purchases, etc. By being a parent or carer of a child at Langton, you are automatically a member of FoLS and are entitled to input, contribute or vote – we do this for everyone’s children, not just our own.

What events and activities do FoLS organise?

The activities vary slightly year on year and we’re always keen to try new things, but generally we organise two discos per year (Valentines & Halloween), a summer fete and a Christmas fair, then we also coordinate personalised Christmas Cards and bake sales, etc which bring in extra money, as well as coordinating the Uniform Swap Shop to ensure old uniform gets reused as much as possible. We’re always looking for new ideas for easy to organise, fun fundraisers – to maximise the return for our efforts! We’re also always short on time, as everyone is, so anything we can do easily we will!

What does the money get spent on?

We work with the teachers to decide what the money is needed for and how it is best spent. We make sure spending is fair across all years. FoLS raised more than £4,500 last year and used money to subsidise school trips for every pupil, as well as swimming lessons and bikeability which we believe give useful life skills to everyone during their time at Langton. We also bought ukelele’s, new sports kit, lab coats, EYFS equipment and forest school resources. Hopefully you can see where your children are benefitting from this, and by organising fundraisers we’re providing some fun along the way, rather than school having to constantly ask us for money to buy new things they need.

How can you get involved?

We have a Facebook group where we post about upcoming events, and we have a WhatsApp group where we discuss ideas and plan for events, etc. Everyone is welcome to join these groups, there’s no official sign up and no obligation to contribute or attend meetings, etc. We just appreciate anyone doing what they can, when they can to help.

If you have any ideas, resources, etc that you’d like to share, either grab one of our friendly faces in the playground, message us, ask to join the group(s) or come along to a meeting, even if it’s just to listen or for a quick 5 mins to share some thoughts. We know how difficult childcare can be, so children are very welcome at the meetings, there are usually a few there so they often entertain each other while we chat. If you pitch an idea, we’d love you to stay involved and help us execute it, but if you don’t have time then leave it with us and we’ll work something out.

We really do appreciate any help we can get, so the more people who come forward, the more we can do and the less stressed we’ll get along the way!

What is coming up?

We have a few events lined up for the first half-term, as below:

· Friday 27th September, from 3.00pm onwards – Macmillan Coffee afternoon, with cake sale. This is an opportunity for parents, staff and children to chat over coffee and cake, and active FoLS members will be on hand to welcome new (and existing) parents, to discuss what we do. We will be asking for donations of cakes or bakes, to be brought into school on the morning of the event, and all monetary donations will go to Macmillan.

· Friday 4th October, 2.30 – 3.30pm – FoLS AGM and first meeting of the school year. Committee members will be elected (Chair, Treasurer, Secretary), income and expenses for the past year will be shared and forward plans will be discussed. Anyone with an interest in what we do should come along to this if available, no obligation to contribute but if you have anything to offer, in terms of skills, resources or ideas, this is a great place to share details. Full agenda will be circulated nearer the time, and if anyone is interested in stepping forward for the role of Chair, Treasurer or Secretary please email langtonfols@gmail.com in advance of the meeting.

· Halloween Disco – plans yet to be agreed, given the school hall will be out of action at the time this will normally take place, we are looking at alternative locations or timings. To be confirmed.

· Uniform Swap Shop – this runs throughout the year, so if you have any outgrown uniform you no longer need please place it in the boxes by the door or give it to Nikki Stibbards. If you need any uniform items just ask Nikki – she usually has a good amount in stock, so can help on most occasions – we don’t like to see things go to waste! You can arrange all of this via the email or Facebook pages detailed below.

The new Committee will be introduced on this page and our Facebook page after the AGM, so look out for those updates, but hopefully we’ll see you at the upcoming meetings and events in the meantime.

Contact details: Email: langtonfols@gmail.com

Facebook page: Friends of Langton School