Raising money for school trips!

Thursday, 10th August 2023

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Overseas trips are invaluable, there is no doubt about that, but they do cost money. We know that many parents and guardians may worry about how they will find the money to fund a school trip and this can cast a shadow on what would otherwise be a really exciting time.

We asked Karen Corfield, former Deputy Head, geography teacher and pastoral lead to share her top tips on how to raise money for school trips. Here is what she had to say;

It may be that your school can allocate some pupil premium funds or have other funds available to use and so, first of all, I recommend speaking with your SLT, Local Authority or EVC.

The best bit of advice that I can give is for you to empower the students. I have found that those students who have paid for the trip either fully or partly by themselves have gained more from the trip in terms of its experience and value. It will set them up for life, they work hard, earn and save the money and then use it for something that is memory laden and often life changing.

Whilst at Discover the World, we can be completely flexible in terms of time frames, from your point of view, it may be beneficial to plan a little earlier. This gives the students a chance to earn the money. For examples, if you gave 18 months’ notice of a trip they would have  six months to raise the deposit required, and then another  9 months to raise the rest.

And now you can get a little creative and give lots of fun ideas; sell clothes that they have grown out of (Vinted is a great and safe app to use), offer to do chores around the house, or for neighbours. Washing and vacuuming cars is a popular one, as is walking dogs, mowing lawn. The list is endless. Another idea could be to ask for money for Christmas and birthdays, rather than actual gifts. After all, what better gift can someone give than the gift of the opportunity to travel?

One question I often receive from parents is what about the kit they need? Walking boots? Waterproofs? To be honest, for the majority of our trips you do not need any specialist equipment. A pair of trainers which are sturdy and waterproof are usually fine. If you do need walking boots for the activities, look on Vinted, Ebay or Facebook Marketplace; there are plenty of boots at a fraction of the initial cost. Waterproofs can easily be picked up from more cost effective retailers; Decathlon, Sports Direct, Tesco or Sainsbury’s all sell okay waterproofs that are fine for the few days they are away.

Some schools organise fundraising events at school, whilst others choose not to. Some don’t like getting other students to pay to do or buy things so that some students could go on a trip. This is why putting the responsibility on the students who are attending the trip and encouraging them to discover how they can raise the funds themselves by using community and family support. That said, if you do decide to go down the fundraising route, check out our eco-friendly fundraising ideas, which can be a great way of combining raising money and having conversations about sustainability in school.

Empowering your students requires them to be pro-active and to set a goal. They may need support, guidance and help along the way, but that’s okay.  I have been pleasantly surprised by the confidence and esteem building that is acquired when students start to realise that this is achievable. It’s bigger than raising money for a school trip; yes, that is the key objective, but it’s what it teaches them for the future that is even more invaluable.

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