Loughries Integrated Primary School PTFA – Annual Trustee Report 1[st] August 2023 – 31[st] July 2024
NI Charity Number – 107579
September 2023
The Ards 5 Mile run was on the 8th September – the PTFA were allowed to help with the water station for the runners in Loughries, at the top of Finlays Road. We had lots of help from Loughries children too and it was a lovely evening. It was great to see so many from the school community running and helping raise funds for us.
PTFA also assisted with initial plans of the proposed Teddy Bears Picnic event at school on 16th September 2023. Unfortunately the event had to be cancelled so in it’s place the PTFA provided picnic packs for all children who had signed up – and delivered them locally.
25th September we had our AGM & saw us deliver our first cheque to school towards the cost of new Interactive whiteboards of £2132.50. This covers 1 full whiteboard of the 4.
October 2023
Halloween Fun Night. We held our annual fun night once again. Like last year we outsourced the hot food but had 2 vendors this year instead of 1 – The Griddle with Burgers & Fries and Pizzas from Guiseppes.
There was an inflatable, party games, face painting and refreshments. We had a great turn out from school families and some new faces.
November 2023
We launched a raffle to win your Christmas Tree – with the tree kindly donated by Coulters Trees in Millisle. We drew this at the end of the month.
On Saturday 18th November we held a bag pack in Tesco Newtownards from 9am to approx. 3:30pm. This was a good way to promote the school and also raise some funds towards PTFA costs. We were low on volunteers to help throughout the day and perhaps with more support we could have raised a higher amount. We did manage to get just over £690.
December 2023
The Christmas Fair was held for the 2nd year running and we had a full list of vendors once again. We advertised this on Facebook, through the school, via save the date flyers and also with a banner put at the Church in the weeks leading up to the event. Sadly it still didn’t really get the support that it deserved. I think it could be a struggle to get vendors to come to this again next year.
We arranged the P7 Leavers Hoodies this month also and got them delivered in to school before term finished. These were once again subsidised by PTFA.
PTFA members helped out at the Lapland at Loughries Event to serve refreshments.
The whole school including all staff were taken to the Pantomime – all costs once again covered by PTFA funds for both tickets and transport. The Lyric Theatre option was chosen this year and logistically it proved to be a much better option than the Grand Opera House.
PTFA finished the term by providing a selection box for every child (or non dairy equivalent gift) as well as giving a further cheque of £500 to Mrs Thompson towards the Interactive Whiteboards costs the school had incurred.
The rest of the year activities slowed down for PTFA however we did continue to facilitate the following :
Easter Eggs (and relevant alternatives) were provided to all pupils by PTFA.
P7s were given a small token gift of sweets and a letter the day before their school results came out.
Fun day took place in June and was a great success – along with the Stena Raffle we were able to run once again.
Refreshments were served at Sports Day
P7s all given a £15 voucher each to wish them well and congratulate them on all their successes at LIPS.
Sally Forbes, Adel Gilmour, Coleen Matovu