Friends of the Manor (FOTM)
What is FOTM? FOTM, as it is affectionately known, stands for ‘Friends of the Manor’. It is the Parents’ Association for The Manor and is an integral part of School life.
Who are Friends of the Manor? We all are! As parents you are automatically members. There is a small annual subscription of £6 per family levied by the school on our behalf.
What are the aims and objectives of FOTM? FOTM is a registered charity in its own right. Under its constitution, FOTM is committed to raising funds for projects which would not normally be funded by the school. Examples of previous projects include the Reading Pavilion, Gym Bars, and the PA system in the Main Hall.
FOTM works with The Manor to organise social events which will benefit either the school and ultimately its pupils, and/or external charities – particularly those benefitting children. We organise a series of annual fixtures including our Fireworks Evening, Gift Fair and Quiz Night, also the FOTM Ball in alternate years, as well as regular charity coffee mornings and other events.
How does FOTM work with The Manor? FOTM relies upon the support and co-operation of all the staff when organising events, to complement the School calendar, and particularly liaising closely with the Headmaster, the Bursar, administrative, grounds and catering staff.
How is FOTM organised? FOTM is overseen by an Executive Committee (EC) elected at its Annual General Meeting. Its officers are the Chair, Secretary and Treasurer and they are the Trustees of the Charity. The EC has a series of Sub-Committees – The Second-Hand Uniform Shop (SHUS), the Gift Fair Committee, and Ball Committee. Other events are run by the EC or sub-committees convened as needed.
Additionally each class has a volunteer Form Rep. As well as organising social events within their year groups, the Form Reps form a vital information channel for FOTM – recruiting volunteers to help and generating enthusiasm for FOTM events.
How can I get involved? We are grateful for any amount of time that you can afford to give to help. It is entirely up to you whether you would like to be a more active member or not.
- The EC meets regularly, at least half termly, with additional meetings near big events as needed. Meetings are usually held at school in the evenings and kept informal – we welcome observers and can co-opt new members during the year!
- SHUS runs the shop at the top of the Manor House. Regular sales are held during the year. SHUS tries to have a rep from each year on its committee, and volunteers are always welcome.
- The Gift Fair Committee concentrates its work in the run up to the event in the autumn term.
- The Form Reps are organised at the end of one academic year for the following one. Most Manor families will find that one parent will be a form rep at some time as they move up the school.
- We also need an army of volunteers to assist on a casual basis before, during and after our events for just an hour or so, or more if you are able.
- Some Committee Members or other helpers may offer to manage particular aspects of FOTM business, such as catering, publicity or decor.
Joining in, in any of the ways described above, gives a genuine opportunity to become more involved with the School. It is a great way of meeting people throughout the Manor community, members find it an enjoyable and rewarding experience to be part of a successful organisation.
FOTM wholeheartedly welcomes new members. We recognise how important it is for us to continue to evolve and innovate to ensure that we continue to succeed in organising popular events for the benefit of our children and families, the School and the wide community.
Full details of how to become involved are available from:
- Sarah Wilkinson – Chair, markandsarahwilkinson@gmail.co.uk
- Tim Benton – Treasurer
- Kristel Horwood – Secretary
or by contacting a committee member or individual class representative.
RAISE FUNDS FOR FOTM EVERY TIME YOU SHOP ONLINE!
FOTM now has a webshop portal from which you can link directly to many of your favourite online retailers. Simply go to www.buy.at/FriendsoftheManor and click from there to the retailers. Each time you purchase from a retailer from the FOTM portal, FOTM gets a referral fee, typically this is 2-5% of the value you spend, but can be more. The price you pay is unchanged.
To view our Constitution please read here.