In today’s challenging financial climate, where school budgets are under strain, the funds raised by the PTA become even more important.

The school budget often falls short of meeting essential needs, but through fundraising efforts, we can bridge the gap between a state school's limited budget and essential resources required for our children to flourish.

Examples of this include being able to purchase interactive whiteboards for all the classrooms, creating engaging playground markings for the children to enjoy during PE lessons, and providing wooden play huts for outdoor play. These funds have additionally covered essential IT equipment and licenses, allowing the school to introduce exciting software during computing lessons.

The money raised by my first-ever half-marathon run will go towards mental health and well-being packages for the pupils, to support their emotional social development. This is a big focus area currently and reinforces the school's commitment to their happiness and safety, as well as enabling a holistic environment for education delivery.

The tireless efforts of our small PTA committee truly make a difference in the lives of the children who attend Shinfield Infant and Nursery School and I would be so very grateful for any support on this.