This festive season we’re asking the schools in our network to help us make sure more children and young people seeking sanctuary are met with warmth, understanding and support.
Participate in an exciting festive-themed fundraiser and raise money for Schools of Sanctuary – every penny raised helps us to provide tailored support, events and resources to teachers across the UK and keep everything we offer, including the School of Sanctuary award, completely free.
How do we transfer our donations?
This year, City of Sanctuary UK has been selected to participate in The Big Give Christmas Challenge – the UK’s biggest match-funding campaign. This means any donation you, or your school make between midday on Tuesday 2nd December to Tuesday 9th December will be DOUBLED!
You can help us reach our goal by sending your donations to this fundraiser – keep posted to see how to contribute to this fundraiser.
If this doesn’t work for you, then you can still send your donations the usual ways:
- Donate online. Send your donation online, via the City of Sanctuary UK JustGiving page.
- Donate by post. You can send a donation to our address: City of Sanctuary UK, PO Box 384, Leeds LS26 1GJ. Please make your cheque payable to “City of Sanctuary UK” and write the school name on the back.
- Donate by bank transfer. Get in touch if this is the preferred method so that we can share our details with you. If you require an invoice, email [email protected].
Now read on for some exciting festive fundraising ideas…
1. Kindness Cocoa Cafe
Learners or staff set up a hot chocolate stand during break or lunch with optional toppings and a “pay what you can” jar.
How to plan it:
- Ask staff or learners to run a hot chocolate stand during break or lunch and let everyone know your plans in advance.
- People can “pay what they can” but include suggested amounts – perhaps with optional extra toppings like marshmallows or cream.
- Could be done as a one off or each week until the run up to the holidays. Eg: Hot Choc Fridays. Learners can take turns serving – a simple way to bring people together on cold days while raising funds and spreading warmth.
Effort level: Easy Minimal setup, can be done in a week. Note to parents informing them so money can be provided
Resources: 1–2 adults to supervise. Hot chocolate powder, milk, kettle, mugs/disposable cups, allergy advice signage.
2. A Festive Tree of Welcome
The school community create a large festive tree as a visual display of welcome, kindness and compassion, with every decoration representing a donation. By the end of the term, the “Tree of Sanctuary” is full of warm wishes and community contributions.
How to plan it:
- Set up a tree in a central place in school – either a real Christmas tree of a wall display made from paper.
- Set up a stall for learners, staff, community members and families to make their own bauble to add to the tree and ask for a small donation per bauble. Encourage messages and designs about kindness, welcome and belonging.
- Watch the tree fill up over winter – a visual celebration of community goodwill and then learners can take their decorations home at the end of term.
Effort level: Moderate 2–3 weeks to prepare materials and promote it.
Resources: Tree or paper cut out. If using a real tree, baubles or similar decorations would be required. If paper tree, print-out paper decorations. One lead teacher plus some help from the art or display team.
3. Wrapped in love
Create a whole-school patchwork “Welcome Blanket” that can be auctioned or raffled off.
How to plan it:
- Ask learners and staff to decorate or design small fabric squares with positive words, symbols or artwork.
- Provide square templates and simple instructions.
- Stick the squares together to create a whole-school “Sanctuary Blanket” to auction or raffle off.
Effort level: High 4–6 weeks to collect and assemble squares.
Resources: fabric, sewing machine, coordinating teacher or art lead
How will your donation help?
School by school, the Schools of Sanctuary programme empowers schools, nurseries and Sixth Forms to effectively support children seeking safety and foster cultures of welcome that benefit everyone.
£30 helps one UK school access FREE tailored resources, expert advice, events and unique opportunities to improve school practice and ensure children seeking safety feel safe and welcomes in school for a year
£400 enables one UK school to benefit from our rigorous but supportive award process and become a an awarded School of Sanctuary
£1000 can help us open the Schools of Sanctuary award scheme in a new part of the UK by onboarding and training a new Local Lead – meaning tens more schools can work towards the Schools of Sanctuary award and hundreds more children can benefit from safe and welcoming schools
Every penny helps us sustain and grow our networks and ensure every teacher gets the support they need – thank you for your support.