Santa Claus will visit William Tyndale Primary School as they host their first ever ‘Santa’s grotto’ to raise funds for the replacement of all the school’s windows.
The Family and Staff Association (F&SA) are expanding their fundraising efforts with this festive event. Yuliya Prychyna and Katia Mariniello, F&SA co-chairs, explained that upgrading the outdated windows is vital for reducing the school’s energy consumption amidst rising costs, and for delivering on the school’s green strategy.
The school is currently getting quotes for the cost of replacing the windows, but Yuliya estimates it will be over £200,000. The F&SA will not fully cover this, but will do what it can to help – Katia says they aim to raise £25,000 this academic year.
The school, on Upper Street, will open the event up to children who live within walking distance for the first time.
The event will run from 10am-6pm on 9 and 10 December. Groups of eight to ten children will get 10-15 minutes with Santa, where he’ll read a story, chat and take pictures with them, and give them a present.
“It’s a ticketed event, of course, because we need to raise money,” Katia said. The entry for one child and one adult will cost £10 in total. Arts and crafts, and “treats and hot chocolate,” will be provided while they wait to see Santa, Yuliya said.
Though they’re mainly expecting children aged 3-8, Yuliya said the older kids are “more than welcome to be Santa’s helpers,” assisting with arts and crafts. The F&SA want to “involve the entire school population,” she said.
To lower the budget and maximise the fundraising purpose, the co-chairs asked parents to donate decorations to create the grotto in the school, and to volunteer to help run this all-day event. Yuliya said they’ve had an amazing response, with lots of parents happy to help with Santa’s visit.
“It should be a nice event for the community,” Katia concluded.
The co-chairs explained the F&SA will also use the money they fundraise for other projects, such as school trips, and a book for each child at the school as a Christmas present.
The F&SA also ran a ‘Winter Warmers’ film night for the first time this year, on 19 November. The forty tickets, popcorn and hot chocolate, were all free.
Yuliya said: “We try to divide all the events we’re organising into something that is for the community, and then others which are specifically for fundraising, and it’s nice to have a healthy balance of both.”
News reporter for Islington Now and freelancer across other outlets. ENO Responder 23/24. Ex-Editor-in-Chief at The Tab Cambridge.