FRIENDS OF BELHAM
Friends of Belham (FoB) is run by school parents and guardians to organise events that bring the school community together, and to raise funds that support the school and enhance the education of all pupils.
All parents and guardians are automatically members of FoB, as are teachers and non-teaching staff. We have a committee of elected volunteer trustees who run the admin side of things, as we are a registered charity. Class representatives help to organise and run events, communicate with their year groups, and help to make decisions at meetings. Our meetings are open to all. |
If you have an idea for an event, a skill to offer, or just want to get involved, please do get in touch at friendsofbelham@gmail.com, or speak to any committee member or class rep.
We communicate through weekly 'Friends' Friendly' newsletters that are circulated with the school's Belham Buzz; find these on the News page. We also use the WhatsApp groups that every school year has to spread the word. We don’t run the groups but contact us if you wish to join the group for your children’s year(s).
Friends of Belham is a registered charity, number 1168767. The committee are the trustees of the charity and are elected annually by the members at an AGM. The constitution, accounts, and annual reports may be requested for inspection by any member.
We communicate through weekly 'Friends' Friendly' newsletters that are circulated with the school's Belham Buzz; find these on the News page. We also use the WhatsApp groups that every school year has to spread the word. We don’t run the groups but contact us if you wish to join the group for your children’s year(s).
Friends of Belham is a registered charity, number 1168767. The committee are the trustees of the charity and are elected annually by the members at an AGM. The constitution, accounts, and annual reports may be requested for inspection by any member.
ETHICAL POLICY
FoB believes that we should champion ethical behaviour and apply our values in any activity we undertake, in addition to meeting our legal and regulatory requirements. Our ethical policy sets out FoB's values and provides a framework of ethical standards through which we will assess business partnerships, procurement, funding, and proposed events/activities. This document covers, among other things, inclusiveness, sustainability, and how we interact with our supporters and with the school.
Ethical Policy (pdf)
Ethical Policy (pdf)
OUR NEWS AND EVENTS
School Summer Fair
Saturday 17 June
CALL OUT FOR VOLUNTEERS!
At the moment, we don’t have enough volunteers for the fair to go ahead – and we do not want to cancel. We need YOU to make it happen. The summer fair is one of the most popular and fun FoB events in the school calendar – and one of our biggest when it comes to fundraising. So PLEASE PLEASE sign up to volunteer on the day. We are only asking for 1 HOUR of your time. Some years are almost there when it comes to getting enough recruits to make their zone of the fair work. But other years/zones, need quite a hefty volunteer surge. We’ve listed the current volunteer needs by year – and the contact/link you need to offer your services. If you want to save the fair, sign up today.
Reception: Arts and Crafts. 6 more volunteers needed. Contact Zoe
Year 1: Drinks 9 more volunteers needed https://signup.zone/JqXHicpgSpbazBmRY
Year 2: Music/ Entertainment 15 more volunteers needed https://signup.zone/4R8Hg7e8q9snv3wDS
Year 3: Hot Food and Face Painting 10 more volunteers needed https://signup.zone/yvzktZEjiAAcAToo4
Year 4: Bakes and Popcorn 22 volunteers needed https://signup.zone/fSLxgz3tdjFxJjRRT
Year 5: Games 22 more volunteers needed. Contact class rep.
Year 6: Stalls/ Young Enterprise Stall https://signup.zone/4yfHxxo44fHpTPXMa 22 more volunteers needed. Contact class rep.
PLANTS NEEDED!
Please donate cuttings or any extra plants from your garden greenhouse or plot you can spare. We will leave a box in reception for plant drop offs from Monday 5th June. We are super grateful for your help!
MUSICIANS AND BANDS
Are you or your child a musician or in a band? We want you for our summer fair open mic slot. Come and show off your musical prowess on 17th June. Email your interest to friendsofbelham@gmail.com
Saturday 17 June
CALL OUT FOR VOLUNTEERS!
At the moment, we don’t have enough volunteers for the fair to go ahead – and we do not want to cancel. We need YOU to make it happen. The summer fair is one of the most popular and fun FoB events in the school calendar – and one of our biggest when it comes to fundraising. So PLEASE PLEASE sign up to volunteer on the day. We are only asking for 1 HOUR of your time. Some years are almost there when it comes to getting enough recruits to make their zone of the fair work. But other years/zones, need quite a hefty volunteer surge. We’ve listed the current volunteer needs by year – and the contact/link you need to offer your services. If you want to save the fair, sign up today.
Reception: Arts and Crafts. 6 more volunteers needed. Contact Zoe
Year 1: Drinks 9 more volunteers needed https://signup.zone/JqXHicpgSpbazBmRY
Year 2: Music/ Entertainment 15 more volunteers needed https://signup.zone/4R8Hg7e8q9snv3wDS
Year 3: Hot Food and Face Painting 10 more volunteers needed https://signup.zone/yvzktZEjiAAcAToo4
Year 4: Bakes and Popcorn 22 volunteers needed https://signup.zone/fSLxgz3tdjFxJjRRT
Year 5: Games 22 more volunteers needed. Contact class rep.
Year 6: Stalls/ Young Enterprise Stall https://signup.zone/4yfHxxo44fHpTPXMa 22 more volunteers needed. Contact class rep.
PLANTS NEEDED!
Please donate cuttings or any extra plants from your garden greenhouse or plot you can spare. We will leave a box in reception for plant drop offs from Monday 5th June. We are super grateful for your help!
MUSICIANS AND BANDS
Are you or your child a musician or in a band? We want you for our summer fair open mic slot. Come and show off your musical prowess on 17th June. Email your interest to friendsofbelham@gmail.com
Camping weekend
Friday 14 / Saturday 15 July
Hi-di-hi Campers! Ticket sales for The Belham Camping Weekend 2023 are already strong. Limited tickets available for camping on Friday only. Get yours soon to avoid disappointment and before they all sell out.
For those who have never been before: the event is held at the South London Scout Centre. It’s a secluded camping field in Dulwich and Sydenham, less than 3 miles from school and the perfect spot for your children to run wild and get back to nature. You can pitch a tent for 1 or 2 nights, or even just come for the day on the Saturday. There’ll be hot dogs, a stocked bar (courtesy of Brick Brewery), face painting, story time and more. Families will need to bring their own tents, camping gear and some food. But don’t worry if you need civilisation nearby. You can order takeaway deliveries to the campsite, or even walk to Dulwich Village for sustenance.
More information about the event, and ticket choice options can be found here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/friendsofbelham/913158
Prices:
NOTE: These ticket prices just cover the campsite and ticketing costs. Please feel free to make a voluntary donation on the check-out form to help raise funds for the school.
Friday 14 / Saturday 15 July
Hi-di-hi Campers! Ticket sales for The Belham Camping Weekend 2023 are already strong. Limited tickets available for camping on Friday only. Get yours soon to avoid disappointment and before they all sell out.
For those who have never been before: the event is held at the South London Scout Centre. It’s a secluded camping field in Dulwich and Sydenham, less than 3 miles from school and the perfect spot for your children to run wild and get back to nature. You can pitch a tent for 1 or 2 nights, or even just come for the day on the Saturday. There’ll be hot dogs, a stocked bar (courtesy of Brick Brewery), face painting, story time and more. Families will need to bring their own tents, camping gear and some food. But don’t worry if you need civilisation nearby. You can order takeaway deliveries to the campsite, or even walk to Dulwich Village for sustenance.
More information about the event, and ticket choice options can be found here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/friendsofbelham/913158
Prices:
- Friday night only, from 5pm - 12 noon on Saturday: £7.50 pp
- Saturday Day ticket, from 12 noon: £2.50 pp
- Saturday night only, from 12 noon: £7.50 pp
- Both Fri & Sat nights camping (from 5pm Fri - 12 noon on Sunday): £15 pp
NOTE: These ticket prices just cover the campsite and ticketing costs. Please feel free to make a voluntary donation on the check-out form to help raise funds for the school.
OUR FUNDRAISING
Winter Fair - thank you!
A BIG thank you to everyone who supported this year’s Winter Fair. It was great to see so many people attend and there was real festive cheer in the air. The fair was a fundraising success, bringing in an incredible £3,850 for the school – some of which came from the sale of nearly 100 Christmas trees. The funds will provide much-needed support for the school, including the creation of a new library space, and free provision of theatre trips/musical instruments for all Belham students. At this year’s fair, we were able to offer free visits to Santa’s Grotto that included a present for each child on Santa’s good list. And rest assured, we’ve been told by Santa that every child who saw him at the fair was on the list! There were also free activities for all to enjoy in the relative tranquillity of the smaller downstairs hall, with a Hanukah game and Christmas crafts co-existing side-by-side.
As with all FoB events, we couldn’t have done it without the support of all those who contributed to the event – both in the run up to the fair and on the day itself. A HUGE thank you to everyone who volunteered, including those who baked cakes, built grottos, prepared food, popped corn, hauled trees, and entertained the kids. A special thank you to Jess for her fabulous design work, John for the exquisite tombola, Rob’s dad for the tasty cider, Flock & Herd for donating the delicious sausages, Gareth James Property for their sponsorship, the wonderful Peckham Rye Sings choir, and the Santa(s) for the, “Ho ho ho's" in the grotto! Last but not least, thank you to the teachers and staff who helped enable the event and keep the school open on the day. And as we endeavour to connect more and more with our local community, we would also like to thank everyone at the fair who kindly donated presents to the Bellenden Big Tree’s collection for the Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers. All donations were very gratefully received.
A BIG thank you to everyone who supported this year’s Winter Fair. It was great to see so many people attend and there was real festive cheer in the air. The fair was a fundraising success, bringing in an incredible £3,850 for the school – some of which came from the sale of nearly 100 Christmas trees. The funds will provide much-needed support for the school, including the creation of a new library space, and free provision of theatre trips/musical instruments for all Belham students. At this year’s fair, we were able to offer free visits to Santa’s Grotto that included a present for each child on Santa’s good list. And rest assured, we’ve been told by Santa that every child who saw him at the fair was on the list! There were also free activities for all to enjoy in the relative tranquillity of the smaller downstairs hall, with a Hanukah game and Christmas crafts co-existing side-by-side.
As with all FoB events, we couldn’t have done it without the support of all those who contributed to the event – both in the run up to the fair and on the day itself. A HUGE thank you to everyone who volunteered, including those who baked cakes, built grottos, prepared food, popped corn, hauled trees, and entertained the kids. A special thank you to Jess for her fabulous design work, John for the exquisite tombola, Rob’s dad for the tasty cider, Flock & Herd for donating the delicious sausages, Gareth James Property for their sponsorship, the wonderful Peckham Rye Sings choir, and the Santa(s) for the, “Ho ho ho's" in the grotto! Last but not least, thank you to the teachers and staff who helped enable the event and keep the school open on the day. And as we endeavour to connect more and more with our local community, we would also like to thank everyone at the fair who kindly donated presents to the Bellenden Big Tree’s collection for the Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers. All donations were very gratefully received.
How we helped the school in the academic year 2021-22
The grand total raised was a fantastic £28,500 which supported a wide range of projects and activities, including:
- complete upgrade of the Makers’ Room (£11,000)
- refurbishment of the Copleston and Reception playgrounds (£3,000)
- the Arts Fund (£5,300) which pays for theatre trips, school performances and musical instruments
- the beehives (£1,500)
- extra sports clubs before school (£1,500)
and many other smaller items for the school.
- refurbishment of the Copleston and Reception playgrounds (£3,000)
- the Arts Fund (£5,300) which pays for theatre trips, school performances and musical instruments
- the beehives (£1,500)
- extra sports clubs before school (£1,500)
and many other smaller items for the school.
Thank you everyone for all your fundraising!
OUR COMMITTEE
THEMATIC REPS
Laura Ford
Sustainability rep |
Libby Sarsfield
SEND rep |
Shereen Davis
SEND rep |
CLASS REPS
Members can speak to any of our volunteer class reps for information on FoB events and fundraising.
RECEPTION
YEAR 1
YEAR 2
Al Roots
|
Sarah Marien
|
Currently vacant
|
YEAR 3
Cashmere
|
Tartan
|
YEAR 4
Velvet |
Silk
|
YEAR 5
Hessian
|
Chiffon
|
Louise Murray
|
Currently vacant
|
YEAR 6
Tweed |
Corduroy
|
Lianne Ludlow
|
Greg Thomas
|
WAYS TO RAISE MONEY FOR US
Uniform labels
FoB works with two uniform labelling companies that give commission on labels purchased through them. Labels have been tried and tested by FoB committee members and are recommended!
FoB works with two uniform labelling companies that give commission on labels purchased through them. Labels have been tried and tested by FoB committee members and are recommended!
EasyFundraising
Sign up here for a percentage of your online shopping to go to FoB.
AmazonSmile
Choose FoB as your charity on Amazon and we will receive a tiny percentage of your spending - it all adds up.
Company match funding
FoB is registered with Benevity. If your employer does company match funding you may be able to get them to match any donations or fundraising you do for FoB. We have parents who have done this and it's a great way of raising money, and making individual donations go further.
Koru Kids
For £50 to FoB and £50 to the family use the code SC1BELHAM in the 'How did you hear about us?' section on the Koru kids website.
Sign up here for a percentage of your online shopping to go to FoB.
AmazonSmile
Choose FoB as your charity on Amazon and we will receive a tiny percentage of your spending - it all adds up.
Company match funding
FoB is registered with Benevity. If your employer does company match funding you may be able to get them to match any donations or fundraising you do for FoB. We have parents who have done this and it's a great way of raising money, and making individual donations go further.
Koru Kids
For £50 to FoB and £50 to the family use the code SC1BELHAM in the 'How did you hear about us?' section on the Koru kids website.
FoB CROCKERY LOANS
FoB owns some items of kitchenware that can be loaned out to parents. We have:
FoB owns some items of kitchenware that can be loaned out to parents. We have:
- c.200 plastic cups
- 48 plastic plates
- 48 glass tumblers
- 3 plastic jugs
- 6 x extra large flasks for hot drinks
CONTACT US
Email FriendsofBelham@gmail.com or speak to one of our committee members.
We'd love to collect a list of skills and equipment, professional and amateur, that could be drawn upon for our events - everything from face painters to access to a van, from musicians to carpenters and bakers - please drop us an email if you can help in any way.
We'd love to collect a list of skills and equipment, professional and amateur, that could be drawn upon for our events - everything from face painters to access to a van, from musicians to carpenters and bakers - please drop us an email if you can help in any way.
OUR MEETINGS
Minutes of FoB meetings for the academic years 2022/23 and 2021/22 can be downloaded below. Please contact friendsofbelham@gmail.com for minutes from previous academic years.