Girls' Parents Association

Message from Taryn Mitchell, Summer 2010

Another school year has passed and The Parents Association are taking the opportunity for a well earned break! We have been extremely busy in the last academic year with the usual school key events of May Gala and Craft Fair raising around £10k just across these two events but also assisting with the fantastic Antony for Hair Event earlier in the year.

The school buildings are changing, on what seems a daily basis (the majority of the old Kindergarten area will be unrecognisable to most former pupils now), but the school is definitely equipping itself for the future with an array of fantastic facilities.

Should there be any Old Girls or Boys with children now in the Girls schools or Kindergarten, please do come along to the Parents Association AGM on the 5th October to hear more about what we do, the plans for the academic year ahead and share any ideas you may be able to give us to drive our fund raising activities even further.

Key Date for your diaries for the next academic year, please come along and support the school.....

Craft Fair    27th November 10 - 4.30pm

 About The Parents Association

Bury Grammar School Girls has had a thriving parents association for many years. Formerly called the Guild of Parents and Friends, the BGSG Parents Association (PA) is a formally constituted charitable organisation whose main aims are to raise funds for items outside the scope of current school budgets, for the benefit of pupils throughout the school. It also provides an opportunity for its members (yes, you the parents!) to meet informally on a social basis.

All parents or guardians of students at the school automatically become members of the Parents Association upon the first entry of any one of their children to the school. Each October the PA holds its Annual General Meeting, at which an audited statement of accounts is presented and a committee and executive officers is elected. A programme of events is drawn up for the year and sub-committees formed to organise these. The PA committee meets in the school every month during term time to review progress on fund raising and other activities being planned.

PA Activites And Events

The PA organises a number of events each year. Our two major events are the Craft Fair held in November and the May Gala. The majority of money raised is done at these events but other events of a more social nature are also held. Notably, in the past year the "Antony for Hair Extravaganza" a remarkable fashion show with clothes and hair by local establishments Ninety One and Antony for Hair, the Family Quiz night was held in March with a hot pot supper and was a great success. In addition the PA run a "100" Club which raises money through subscription and offers cash prizes each month.

Allocation Of PA Funds

The PA can raise up to £20,000 each year depending of the number of events held and this money is distributed to the different school departments or other worthy uses within school by means of a bidding process each September. We encourage senior school students to be involved in this process via the School Council and also support the girl's World Challenge and Young Enterprise initiatives. Funds raised in the last year have been spent on a variety of projects including new IT and playground equipment, sound systems in the Roger Kay Hall and student prizes.

How To Get Involved

We hope you would like to join us and make your time at BGS as special as your child's. The are various ways to get involved:

  • Join the PA committee at the AGM in October (Application forms are circulated in September, or just turn up at the meeting)
  • Support the various PA events either by attending or helping with the organisation on the day.
  • Sponsoring or Advertising PA events.

For any further information please contact any member of the PA committee.

We look forward to meeting you!