Thriving from ancient roots

450th anniversary year Founder’s Day Fete:
let’s make it a huge success!

Saturday 17th June, 2023

Dear parents,

Founder’s Day is always a highlight of the year, and the Founder’s Day Fete, which is run by the Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s, is an essential part, enjoyed by so many across the whole Elizabethan family. This year’s Founder’s Day on Saturday 17th June will, of course, be very special, since we are celebrating the 450th anniversary of the founding of Queen Elizabeth’s School.

We are, therefore, keen that the fete should be even better than usual: put simply, we want to make the 450th anniversary fete a huge success.

To do so, we need your help. This QE Update has been designed to make it as easy as possible for you to sign up and ‘do your bit’, whether that’s running a stall, buying advertising, putting up tents, or any of the multitude of other tasks that go into making the fete run smoothly.

The fete is Queen Elizabeth’s School’s main annual fundraiser. Thanks to the fantastic generosity of parents and friends we have hit – and indeed exceeded – our £20,000 fundraising target in all recent years (excluding 2020 and 2021, when there was no fete because of the pandemic). This year, we are setting our sights even higher, with a target of £25,000.

But it’s certainly not all about the money. While those who simply come along to the fete undoubtedly enjoy it, dare I say that those who work as volunteers probably enjoy it even more. That’s reflected in the FQE Fete Committee’s aims for the day: to raise money for the School, to make new friends, and to have fun!

My thanks go to all the stalwarts on the committee who work for many months to plan the fete, including allocating the volunteers, booking equipment, handling the marketing and sorting out the donations that come.

Our theme for the whole anniversary year is Thriving from ancient roots. I do hope you will be able to help this year’s fete thrive by lending your support.

My thanks in advance,

Neil Enright

Headmaster

Founder’s Day Fete: behind the scenes

With more than 50 stalls, a range of entertainments, a refreshment marquee, meat & vegetarian barbecues, international food tents and the playing of the Stanley Busby Memorial Cricket Match, the fete is always an impressive event – and this anniversary year, we want it to be bigger than ever!

Running the fete is certainly a significant logistical challenge. There are 16 gazebos and temporary staging to be put up, and the Main Building to be decorated, to say nothing of advertising & marketing and of countless smaller jobs before, during and after the fete itself.

Fortunately, the 22-strong FQE Fete Committee combine many years of experience of planning and delivering a successful day. Good preparation is key, so the fete ground (the Stapylton Field in front of the School) and the stalls are made ready the day before. Much of the pricing, sorting and labelling is also done on the Friday. From 8.30am on the Saturday, fete volunteers, helped by the prefects, are again hard at work, toiling through the morning, while the Founder’s Day Thanksgiving Service takes place at the parish church and as staff and boys return to Queen’s Road for the roll call and reading of the School Chronicle in front of Main Building.

Everything is carefully co-ordinated so that by the time the fete opens at 1pm, visitors can simply turn up and enjoy the fun. Then, all too soon (although there is a later finishing time of 5pm this year), the fete is over and the big clear-up begins.

How you can help

1. Run a stall; enrol for set-up & clear-up duties, counting money and general help

Choose from dozens of stalls or sign up for other hands-on duties on the day of the fete, or for set-up on the day before. Everything needed to run your stall will be provided – we just need you on the day!

2. Help with donated items

If you wish to donate items for stalls, or can act as a drop-off point for donated items, please contact us.

3. Buy advertising space in the brochure

Our brochure is a great advertising opportunity. If you would like to find out more about buying space, either for yourself or your employer, let us know.

4. Donate vouchers

If you can donate vouchers for the vouchers stall, please get in touch. These might be: for meals at a restaurant or restaurant chain; for drinks; for days out or experiences or entry to a particular attraction, or for shops.

5. Host a board advertising the fete

The estate agent-style board will be put up outside your house for three weeks.

6. Donate to the JustGiving page now

Your donation at this stage will help cover the fete set-up costs.

7. Get matched funding from your employer

Matched giving or funding is an informal arrangement between a company and an employee. Usually, a company pledges to give a sum of money matching the amount its employee has raised or donated to a charity. If you can obtain matched funding from your employer, please let us know as we will try to put you on a stall that makes most money!

8. Help design the 450th anniversary-themed decorations for the fete

Those with professional or other relevant experience are particularly welcomed.

9. Anything else?

For all general volunteering enquiries not covered elsewhere in this email, please email us.

10. And finally…

Don’t forget to encourage your family and friends to come along to the fete and spend lots of money!