Friends of Elstree

The Friends of Elstree Committee brings together parents and school staff to organise a programme of social and fundraising activities for the benefit of the whole Elstree community.

At the beginning of each term the Committee organises coffee mornings for all parents which provides a great opportunity to get to know one another and to catch up after the holidays. Year group events for the whole school are held throughout the year including the Welcome Back Drinks Party at the beginning of the academic year, the Elstree Gift Fair in October, a Bonfire and Fireworks party at the beginning of November and a summer fete in June as well as supporting many other school events. We also have a fantastic Summer Social in June.

Fundraising

Friends of Elstree are also committed to fundraising in order to contribute to School projects and our chosen charity.

Last year thanks to the incredible generosity of the Elstree Community, we were able to invest over £9,000 in School projects that will be enjoyed for many years to come.

These included:

The Electronic Cricket Score Board
A New Jetty and SUPs
£1,000 to fund a Pre Prep project (the exact details of which are currently being voted for by Pre-Prep parents)
The Stretch Tent

The Elstree Community also supported the West Berkshire Food Bank via a very large Harvest Collection and a donation of £3,112.80 raised by The fabulous Gift Fair Committee.

This year Friends of Elstree would like to help to build a rope bridge in the low ropes course, as well as a set of wooden swings for the children to enjoy. We will update you on the progress of these projects again next term and very much hope to add others, if funds allow.

Along side these projects, Friends of Elstree would also like to support the charity Daisy’s Dream. Established in 1996, Daisy’s Dream is a wonderful local charity offering a professional support service which responds to the needs of children and families affected by life threatening illness or bereavement. They work predominantly in Berkshire and the surrounding areas, but have recently extended our team and are now also offering their services in Cheshire East. Originally set up to meet the needs of children who had been bereaved, over recent years they have expanded their service to encompass families where there has been a serious illness diagnosis.

In the past money raised in our events has helped Ufton Court Educational Trust, Juvenile Diabetic Research Foundation (JDRF) and The Mary Hare School. Ufton Court Educational Trust is an innovative charity that aims to change children’s lives through challenging and inspirational learning outside the classroom. They aim to raise aspiration and achievement of all children and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. JDRF fund type 1 diabetes research to improve lives and one day eradicate the condition for good. The Mary Hare School is a school for deaf children based in Newbury. They take children of both primary and secondary age and are the largest school for the deaf in the UK, taking both day and boarding pupils.

Getting involved

Each year group is represented by a parent on the Committee who meet regularly during term time to plan events. The Friends of Elstree Committee always welcomes new members, whether new to the school or those who have been at Elstree for some time. We are always interested in new ideas and feedback on what we are doing and of course practical help at each event is welcomed. We would be most grateful for your support!

We also work very closely with Elstree Pre-Prep Friends.

Elstree Pre-Prep Friends Committee

Joint Chairs – Charlie Yarrow, Nicki Williams
Treasurer – Zdenka Blackwell
Rosie Sydney Smith
Selina Hughes
Dani Hill
Lydia Clark
Sarah Ames

Elstree Pre-Prep Reps

Nursery – Charley Carter, Niamh Saunders
Reception – Alice Owens, Ginny Lort
Year 1- Natalie Prior, Irini Papavergos
Year 2 – Maninder Bal, Tash Hooper, Harry Ruck-Keane

The Reps are a friendly face at pick up/drop off and are fantastic source of information, providing reminders about upcoming events taking place at School. We very much hope that everyone has now been added to their year group WhatsApp and that you know who your Rep is. If in doubt, please email friends@elstreeschool.org.uk for more information.

For more information about the Friends of Elstree Committee or to get involved please contact Becks Mills by emailing friends@elstreeschool.org.uk.

bonfire night (21)