Coloma Parents Association (CPA)
What we do
The Coloma Parents' Association (CPA) raises funds for Coloma to purchase learning tools and equipment for the benefit of its pupils. At the same time, it provides parents with a fantastic opportunity to become involved in the life of the school, have fun and make new friends. As a parent of a Coloma pupil, you are automatically a member of the CPA. Over the last ten years, the CPA has raised nearly a quarter of a million pounds for the school.
We:
- Raise funds for Coloma
- Engage in activities which support Coloma
- Foster relationships between staff, parents and others associated with Coloma
Annual General Meeting
The CPA Annual General Meeting was held on 27 January 2016.
Mrs Martin and CPA Chair Karen Hopley thanked the committee, parents, teachers and friends of Coloma for their support and help during the year, and presented Mrs Martin with a cheque for £15,000 raised by the CPA in 2015 (pictured).
Karen announced that in future the CPA will focus on three key events annually: the Christmas Fair, the May Ball and the Summer Fair. She said that while suggestions for other events will always be encouraged, additional parental support would be prerequisite for them to be considered.
Karen added that she hoped that fewer better events would encourage greater parental and student participation.
Forthcoming CPA meeting and event dates
The May Ball
6th May 2017
Our May Ball will be held at Coloma on Saturday 6th May. Further details can be found on the Flyer here.
400 Club Review
The 400 Club is the CPA lottery. It costs £20 a year to join and there are four draws a year in which members can win £100, £50 or £25. The club currently has 188 members and more members are always needed.
400 Club organiser Jenny Vickers explained that the purpose of the 400 Club is to raise funds for the maintenance and repair of the school minibuses, which transport girls to a huge variety of events. A new minibus is currently required.
Jenny presented Mrs Martin with a cheque for £3,146 raised by the 400 Club in 2015.
Contact the CPA
If you would like to be involved with the Coloma Parents' Association, please look out for details of forthcoming meetings on these pages, or email us at coloma.pa@hotmail.co.uk.
CPA Latest News
CPA Meetings
Future meetings dates:
- 8th June 2016
- 6th July 2016
Parents, ex parents, teachers and all other members of the Coloma community are welcome to come along and discuss how we can raise funds through fun and fellowship to ensure our daughters have the resources they need.
Unless otherwise advised, all meetings take place at 7.30pm in Room 14 off the dining room at Coloma.
2016 events
Summer Neon Festival: 2nd July 2016 12 noon - 4pm
Please come along to Coloma and support this event which promises to be lots of fun for adults and pupils alike!
Please visit our Forms and Downloads page for leaflets and flyers giving information about this event.
CPA Fundraising
The main objective of the Coloma Parents' Association is to raise funds for amenities and resources for Coloma pupils. We also work to develop good relationships between parents, the local community and the school. We engage in activities that support the school and, in doing so, help advance the education of its pupils.
Funds raised by the CPA have helped provide many items for the school, including:
- Anatomy models for the Science department
- A suite of laptops
- A projector for the Hall
- Lacrosse goals
- Football equipment
- The refurbishment of two grand pianos
We have also contributed to major projects such as the new Design and Technology block and Coloma’s successful bid to acquire Specialist Music Status. None of this would be possible without the support of parents.
Our main method of raising funds is by holding a number of events each year, including a summer and Christmas fair, a May Ball, a Family Night and a Quiz Night.
We are always in need volunteers to help make these events as successful as possible. If you would like to offer your services for any event, please email coloma.pa@hotmail.co.uk
CPA purchases laser cutter for Coloma
Money raised by the Coloma Parents' Association was used to provide a new laser cutter for the school in October 2012.
Mrs Helen Stack, Design and Technology Team Leader, said the machine, pictured, was a great asset for the school. It uses a laser to cut materials such as plastic, wood, rubber, foam and paper, allowing students to produce products of a high standard. It also helps students who may have difficulties with hand-eye coordination, giving them the opportunity to realise their designs.
Mrs Stack said: “It’s an exciting and inspiring product. Once students have made something using the laser cutter, they will want to try something new.”
Merryl D'Souza, CPA Chair, said: “The purchase of the laser cutter proves that all our hard work pays off and that the money we raise provides valuable extra resources for the benefit of our daughters. Well done to everyone involved in raising the funds for this.”
Joining the CPA
Joining the CPA is one of the best possible ways to get stuck into the life of the school, get to know new people and, most of all, have fun!
The CPA is run on a voluntary basis by parents. We are grateful to everyone who gives their time to help run the many fund-raising events we organise each year and, of course, the parents and families who attend the events. Just helping out for an hour or two once a year means less work for everyone.
Although no experience is necessary, we are particularly keen to hear from people with specific skills, especially in catering, accountancy, fund raising, administration and organisation, music and entertainment.
If you would like to get involved, please email us at coloma.pa@hotmail.co.uk or alternatively download and complete a membership form from the Forms and Downloads section of this site.
The 400 Club
400 Club latest draw results
The winners of the draw which took place at the Coloma May Ball on 7th May 2016 are:
- Mrs H. Moss: 1st Prize £100
- Mrs D. Sreenivasan: 2nd Prize £50
- Mrs S. Ingle: 3rd Prize £25
400 Club 2016 Review
At the Annual General Meeting on 27 January 2016, 400 Club organiser Jenny Vickers (pictured, right, presenting the 400 Club cheque to Mrs Martin) gave an overview of the performance of the 400 Club in 2015.
Jenny explained that the purpose of the 400 Club is to raise funds for the school minibuses. She said that the funds covered vital maintenance and repairs to the buses, which transport students and equipment to music and sporting events. Jenny explained that one minibus was in an accident last year. Fortunately the two teachers in the vehicle were not injured but the minibus was written off. This has significantly reduced the transport available to the school and we need to replace the minibus.
There are currently 188 members of the 400 Club and membership is dwindling, with just 16 Year 7 parents joining in 2015. A 400 club appeal letter will be going to parents to try to encourage more membership.
Jenny thanked Mr Martin, who maintains the minibuses himself wherever possible to save costs, and also Breda Mannion, who has donated vehicle hampers for the last few fairs to help raise further funds.
Jenny presented Mrs Martin with a cheque for £3,146 representing funds raised by the 400 Club during 2015.
Mrs Martin expressed her gratitude, saying the minibuses were vital to enable the girls’ participation in extracurricular activities. She also asked parents to let her know if they were aware of any cheap but good quality minibuses.
About the 400 Club
The 400 Club was set up to raise money for the school's three minibuses, which are used extensively by Coloma pupils and members of the school community.
Every parent is automatically a member of the Coloma Parents’ Association (CPA), and for those who cannot always help out in a practical way joining the 400 Club is like taking part in our very own lottery and a really good way of supporting the CPA. Joining costs just £20 a year. Every year there are four draws paying out a total of £700 in prize money.
If you are not a member, please do consider joining so we can continue funding the minibuses. A big thank you to our current members for their support - we wish them luck in the next draw.
To join, all you need to do is fill in the form in our Forms and Downloads section, and send it, together with your payment details, to the organiser, Jenny Vickers, via school reception.
