London Mums Blog

Leave the hubbies at home: How to double your income from charity events

Our PTA financed a fantastic new playground this summer. The new play equipment is extremely popular with the children, but the downside is that we “shot the wad” so to speak. We need money.

Our next major fund raiser is the Winter Ball. It’s “black tie and glamorous frocks” and includes a three course meal at a local golf club, with a band and an auction of promises.

It should be a wonderful event. Tickets sold out the day they went on sale (at £100 a pop). I was one of the lucky ones.

The problem is my husband does not want to go to the ball. And I bet that most of the husbands do not share their wives' enthusiasm for attending this fund raiser.

Class reps: We need you!

I haven't decided if I'm going to the PTA meeting this week. Why?  For every hour spent in a PTA meeting, I end up doing two hours of PTA work. And if I have a glass of wine, it will end up being three hours.

This meeting is the one in which class reps are assigned. So if I get roped in volunteer to be a class rep, it’s not just double the time, but exponentially more time.

I know that if no one else’s hand goes up for one of my children’s classes, the guilt will set in and I'll find my arm defying my brain.

Immediately I'll regret this. My husband's inevitable last words will ring in my ear: "DON'T commit to anything, honey." Oooppps.

I help out primarily for the same reason I do other school volunteer work – to make my children’s education experience the best it can be.

Go on then, be a dinner lady

I volunteer as a dinner lady at my daughters' school.

I did it out of sheer desperation. I had no idea what was going on at that hallowed institution – my daughter offers very little insight.

Before being a dinner lady, this is how our conversations would go as we made our way home:

Me: “how was school today, sweetie?”

Daughter:  (looking around to see if any of her friends were still on the school premises; she spots one) “Hello Ella!”