THE AUTUMN TEXT RAFFLE - HOW TO ENTER AND T&Cs

How to Enter:

• Text CLAREMONT to 70215

• You will receive a free bounce-back message from 70215 providing you with instructions to enter the competition and the option to make a donation to the Claremont Primary PTA.

• We suggest a £2 donation per entry should you feel able to make one e.g. £10 for 5 entries, £20 for 10. You can enter the raffle without making a donation too.

What can I win?

There are around 30 wonderful prizes to be won including a weekend pass for two at the beautiful Natural Fit gym in town (a prize that money can't buy!), a family photo shoot at Dee Airey Photography on the Pantiles (worth £360), a 12 month English Heritage Membership (worth £115 with thanks to AXA PPP) and a 50 minute Massage from The Massage Company worth £99! Follow us on Social Media to be the first to hear more about the prizes as they are announced.

FAQs:

When I text in, I get an error message - how can I enter?

Some mobile phone providers don't allow you to participate in text raffles.You can manually enter by emailing claremonttwpta@gmail.com to confirm how many entries you’d like to make and your mobile number. And if you can make a donation please do so here.

When I text in, I get a reply but when I confirm my entry and donation amount, it says there was a problem processing my donation - what do I do?

Some mobile phone providers let you enter but won't allow payment to be taken. If you get a message saying "There has been a problem processing your donation" then do not fear - your entries will still have been registered. To make your donation, please do so here instead.

I want to enter and donate but not pay through my phone bill - how can I do this?

If you do not have bill payers permission, e.g. you only have a work phone, you can enter the raffle by text and confirm your entries with no donation e.g. by replying "FIVE NODONATION" when prompted. Then to make your donation, please do so here.

Detailed T&Cs:

1. The prize draw will be open from noon on 1st October and close at 23:00pm on 31st October.

2. Entry to the prize draw is by texting CLAREMONT to 70215. Please have bill-payers permission before you enter. Text messages cost your standard network message charge (based on your service provider rates – please check with your provider). You will then receive a free bounce-back message from 70215 providing you with instructions to enter the competition and the option to make a donation to Claremont Primary PTA e.g. no donation, £2 (one entry), £10 (5 entries) or £20 (10 entries).

3. For the avoidance of doubt, opting out of the optional donation will not affect your entry into the prize draw.

4. The prize draw is open to all residents of the UK (please note the text service to enter the prize draw does not include Channel Islands or Isle of Man mobile networks). The prize draw is open to those aged 18 or over - parents, guardians, teaching staff, grandparents… all are welcome to enter. Proof of age, identity and eligibility may be requested.

5. Please ensure you spell the Keyword correctly and send your text message to the correct Short Code within the time period that the prize draw is specified as being open. If your short code is invalid, or your text message is received outside the specified time period you will not receive a bounce-back message but may still be charged your standard network message charge. You will not be donating to the PTA nor will you have entered the prize draw. If you enter the Keyword incorrectly but we, acting reasonably, believe that you are trying to find out more information about the prize draw, you will be sent the free bounce-back message, as described above.

6. If you’re a UK taxpayer, Claremont PTA can claim an equal share of an additional £2.50 in Gift Aid from the Government for every £10 donation you make. If you elect to make an optional donation, we’ll send a follow up text to ask if you want us to claim Gift Aid on your donation. If you follow the link in our follow up text you’ll be taken to a Gift Aid declaration - please read it carefully. Find out more about Gift Aid here.

7. There is only ONE prize available to be won per mobile number.

8. The winners will be selected at random on 1st November and contacted as soon as possible on/after that date by Claremont Primary PTA by telephone. Your prize will either be available to be collected from the school office or details sent to you by text.

9. The prize is as stated. There is no cash alternative and the elements of the prize cannot be sold or transferred in any circumstances. For the avoidance of doubt, unless specified above, no other costs or expenses will be covered by Claremont Primary PTA, or any of the prize providers.

10. Claremont Primary PTA and its sub-contractors, subsidiaries and/or agencies cannot accept any responsibility whatsoever for any technical failure or malfunction or any other problem with any telephone network or line, system, server, provider or otherwise which may result in any text not being properly received.

11. The prize draw and text donation service is provided by Donr on behalf of Claremont Primary PTA. If you have any queries regarding the service, please contact Donr at the following email address: hello@donr.com or call on the following Helpline Number: 0333 4444 111 (Monday to Friday 9:00 - 17:30).

And just like that…it's the end of term!

First and foremost, we want to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone who has supported the PTA this year. Whether you donated time, money, presents, prizes, used AmazonSmile or Easyfundraising to raise money for us at no cost for you or did a sun dance for our event days, every contribution has gone a long way. We are delighted to say the target of £29,200 was smashed and the collective effort raised over £30,000* for the school!

The PTA would also like to say a special thank you to Claudine Cerrini who is stepping down after many many years so she can enjoy her last year as a Claremont parent without PTA responsibility. Claudine we will miss you but thank you for all your support not least getting us newbies up to speed on all things PTA. We know you’ll secretly miss organising the Tank Room so you’re welcome back anytime!

Just to recap on this year, we started the year with some socials at the Claremont for old and new reception parents, our first ever virtual Raffle by Text took place in the Autumn and we navigated Covid restrictions to ensure Christmas festivities (and cinema club) could run as normal. After Christmas, the Spring Scavenger Hunt was a hotly contested affair, the Easter bunny helped the children hunt down their eggs, two after school discos were enjoyed by years 3-6, we danced the night away as the sun set on our first Clarefest in three years (raising over £10,000) and ended the year with a bonza Summer Fete which raised over £8,000!

This has meant we have been able to contribute nearly £30,000 to the school for:

IT - £15,000

New Outdoor Classroom - £10,000

Xmas Panto Trip and Lunch - £2,385

Classroom Contributions - £1,400 (£100 per class for teachers to spend as they need)

Year 6 send off (Yearbooks/leavers BBQ) - £ 660

But we mustn’t rest on our laurels! Our next fundraising event is actually taking place before the new term even starts! On Sunday 4th September, the Claremont Dragons are racing in the Tonbridge Dragon Race to raise valuable funds for the PTA! All are welcome to cheer them on, on the day and to donate through localgiving here.

Looking ahead to next year we would love to make it an even bigger and more fun filled year for the PTA - but we need your help to make that happen! If you have enjoyed any of our events this year and think you can help in any way (you don’t need a specific skill - just a bit of enthusiasm!) then we welcome you to join us at the AGM on Thursday 29th September (at school at 7.30pm) or email us if you can't make that date.

We also look forward to welcoming Reception parents at our Reception Parent Social on Friday 23rd September from 7.30pm. We will confirm the venue in September but for now please save the date if you have a little one starting in Reception in September.

We wish you all a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing you at the AGM!

Claire, Natalie, Sami, Sara and the rest of the PTA Committee

*please note all numbers are initial estimates until final accounts are signed off at the AGM in September

PTA by Numbers and Pictures!

Here is all you need to know what the PTA is funding this year, why these contributions are essential to the school and how much we have left to raise and how you can help - we hope the graphics help bring it to life!

The PTA has committed £29,000 to the school this year including the annual contribution of £15,000 to I.T. and an additional £10,000 towards the new outdoor classroom – you can find some photos from the launch of the outdoor classroom at the bottom of this blog.

But why does the school need these contributions from the PTA?

Julie Cook, School Business Manager, tells us below:

Now onto how much has been raised and what is left to raise?

We have been blown away by your amazing support to date this year - Clarefest alone raised an unprecedented £11,800! Thank you to everyone involved. That has helped raised a massive £23,000 already, but we have £6,200 to raise to reach the £29,200 we have committed to the school.

Please help us plug the gap by supporting the Summer Fete on Saturday 2nd July. Buy your tickets from our website now (adults £2.50 in advance, or £3 on the gate. Children go free) and check our blog for how you can help in other ways. We look forward to seeing you there!

If you can't make the fete but would still like to help, please make a one-off or monthly direct donation (with Gift Aid if eligible) through our localgiving page - click here to take you straight there.

Thank you so much!

Outdoor Classroom Launch - Monday 16th May 2022:

With PTA Members Lucy Prior and Natalie Jolliffe (left), Mr Hume (middle), Mrs Roberts (right) and the lucky children of Maple class who had front row seats!

*please note numbers are rounded for simplicity and are all estimates until year end accounts (for year 1/9/2021 - 31/8/2022) are complete and approved at the AGM in Autumn 2022.