PTA Podcast
Hello fellow PTA volunteers! I thought I would start a podcast to chat about the trials and tribulations of being a PTA Chair. Fundraising for schools is hard, and I want to try and give an honest view of how I am finding my role as a volunteer. Come and join in the conversation, hear what I have been up to in my PTA, and let me know how you are getting on.
Episodes
37 episodes
Ep 38 - All about the numbers
In this short episode, I share a marketing idea with you - a different way that you can send out messages to parents. Instead of sending out more blocks of text, try and entice your parents to make small changes to support your PTA by focussing...
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Episode 38
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17:31
Ep 37 - Welcome to 2026!
Welcome to 2026! This episode is quick catch-up from me - I give you a brief update on my PTA activities from December and my plans going forward. I also pull out my highlights from the recent issue of the School Fundraising Magazine which has ...
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Episode 37
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38:38
Ep 36 - PTA Book Club introduction
Welcome to the PTA Podcast Book Club! This is just a little episode to introduce you to some PTA books that I will be talking about on my podcast. I have found some books which mention PTAs as part of their plot and I thought it would be fun to...
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Episode 36
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12:43
Ep 35 - A chat about grants with FundEd
Would you like to explore making grant applications a bit more? Or try reaching out to local businesses? Then this is the episode for you!In this episode, I chat to Richard Manville, the managing director of Community Inspired. His socia...
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Episode 35
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1:06:07
Ep 34 - A Christmas pep talk
This episode is split into two sections - some self-care tips for those of you feeling a bit overwhelmed with your Christmas fundraising, and then a little pep talk to remind yourself how great you are and how much your volunteering means to th...
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Episode 34
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39:39
Ep 32 - Cake sales Part 1
I think a cake sale is one of the foundations of fundraising - a very simple, straightforward event which keeps the money ticking in to your PTA. In this episode, I share my experiences of cake sales over the years I have been organising them. ...
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Episode 32
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57:39
Ep 31 - How to organise a Progressive Supper
Have you heard about a Progressive Supper before? This is a brilliant evening event which is perfect for the winter or spring months, and combines fundraising with a way of strengthening your parent community at school. In this episode, I chat ...
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Episode 31
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1:21:02
Ep 30 - PTA Podcast Playlist
Welcome back to a new school year!In this episode, we have a little catch up about summer holidays and what my PTA is working on at the moment. A new edition of the School Fundraising magazine has just come out, packed full of ideas and ...
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Episode 30
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44:50
Ep 29 - PTA Podcast Summer Fête Game!
Please note, I can't reply to texts, but I can to emails - hello@ptapodcast.comIn this episode, I give you a little catch-up on recent events with me, and announce that my son Patrick and I have ...
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Episode 29
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31:51
Ep 28 - Summer/Winter Fair Survival Guide!
Please note, I can't reply to texts, but I can to emails - hello@ptapodcast.comIn this episode, I share my tips on how to get through the organisation of a big event like a summer or winter fête....
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Episode 28
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1:04:37
Ep 27 - A chat with PTA+
Please note, I can't reply to texts, but I can to emails - hello@ptapodcast.comIn this episode, I chat to Carol Rogerson about the PTA+ website which is a unique resource for all things related t...
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Episode 27
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1:00:33
Ep 26 - Improving your event planning
Thank you for your message! Please note, if you text me I cannot reply directly to you, but I can if you use my email address below.In this episode, we have a look at the concept of marginal gains - a way of making tiny changes to variou...
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Episode 26
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1:00:30
Ep 25 - Our BIG library fundraising project
Thank you for your message! Please note, if you text me I cannot reply directly to you, but I can if you use my email address below.In this episode, I give you all the details about my proudest and biggest achievement when I was Chair of...
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Episode 25
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1:09:46
Ep 24 - Communicating with parents
Thank you for your message! Please note, if you text me I cannot reply directly to you, but I can if you use my email address below.In this episode, I reply to Evie who texted me and asked about Instagram. That made me think about the di...
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Episode 24
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41:18
Ep 23 - A chat with Superkind about online sponsorship
In this episode, I chat to Keren Mitchell about his website called Superkind (https://superkind.org/) which PTAs can use to gather sponsorship money and really put the children at the heart of fundraising. I...
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Episode 23
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37:35
Ep 22 - My Chair's Handover
In this episode, I share my experience of doing a handover to the next PTA Chair. It was all very straightforward in the end, as most of it is electronic now! Are you doing a handover, or will you have one coming up in the future? Have you had ...
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Episode 22
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29:19
Ep 21 - What happened at my AGM and EGM
In this episode, I update you on what happened as I tried to step down as Chair of my PTA. As you know from Episode 19, I was dreading my AGM with no one wanting to step up to the role. So this is my story about what happened and how it went. I...
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Episode 21
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42:48
Ep 20 - Festive Giftwrapping fundraiser
In this episode, I chat to my friend Eve about her gift-wrapping business and an idea about a festive fundraiser with a difference. Why not give a gift-wrapping evening a try to get parents together for a social occasion? We talk through how th...
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Episode 20
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37:01
Ep 19 - Happy New 2024-25
In this episode, I welcome you back to my podcast after I had a break over the summer. I'm juggling a few things already, including organising the AGM in the next few weeks. I'm wanting to step down as Chair at the AGM but no one so far wants t...
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Episode 19
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22:39
Ep 18 - 10 easy stall ideas using A4 paper
In this episode, I share 10 easy ideas to create a stall at a fair, using only A4 paper - something everyone has access to. These ideas can mostly be created the day before and might help to cut down on a bit of the stressful planning ass...
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Episode 18
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58:13
Ep 17 - Fundraising in a small school
In this episode, I share my experiences of fundraising in a small school, looking at the pros and cons of being in a smaller community. I also talk about how my PTA tries to overcome the challenges, although it's not always possible!Ple...
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Episode 17
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51:01
Ep 16 - Easter fundraising part 2
This episode is a little review of my own recent Easter fundraising as well as a catch up with Emilia about her Easter fun day and how it all went. Please rate and review my podcast so other lovely PTA volunteers can find it too!
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Episode 16
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42:12
Ep 15 - Easter Fundraising in Sweden
In this episode, I chat to Emilia about her fundraising plans for her daughter's school in Sweden. She explains how school fundraising works in the Swedish school system and how she has placed the children at the centre of her plans. I also giv...
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Episode 15
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1:13:48
Ep 14 - Colour Run and Sports Day
In this episode, I share my experience of running my first Colour Run (yes, the one that had to be postponed 3 times!). I also touch on what fundraising we tried at our annual Sports Day.Please rate and review my podcast so other lovely...
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Episode 14
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36:24
Ep 13 - Low-effort fundraising ideas
In this episode, I share the low effort and low cost fundraisers which have worked well for my PTA. Perhaps there are some new ideas in here for your PTA to try? I mention cake sales, non-uniform days, secondhand uniform sales, sponsored events...
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Episode 13
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1:20:47