Help make this year’s Founder’s Day Fete an afternoon to remember!

Saturday 15th June, 2024

Dear parents,

Founder’s Day is always an eagerly awaited highlight of our year, and the Founder’s Day Fete – run by the Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s – is an essential element. The fete brings joy to so many across the whole Elizabethan community, while it is also QE’s main annual fundraiser.

Last year’s fete, held as part of the School’s 450th anniversary celebrations, was a huge success: now let’s build on that momentum at Founder’s Day 2024, on Saturday 15th June.

Founder’s Day provides a great opportunity for you to play your part within our community and help the School go from strength to strength. Work is now well under way on The Robert Dudley Studio – a new space within Main Building dedicated to drama and to spoken word activities, such as debating and public speaking. A successful fete will go some way to funding the specialist audio-visual equipment needed. We have seen how facilities such as The Friends’ Recital Hall and Music Rooms have transformed the boys’ experience, and we are keen to enhance our offer here still further.

To maximise enjoyment for all and to make the most of the fundraising opportunity, we need everyone’s help. This QE Update explains how you can sign up. The good news is that there are lots of different ways to get involved.

The collective success of FQE is built on each individual giving what they can. The same is true for the fete – it’s very much a team effort. While those who simply attend undoubtedly have a good time, I know from experience that those who get stuck in as volunteers probably enjoy it even more! My thanks go to all the tireless members of the committee who labour diligently over months to plan the fete.

Last year, we raised our target to £25,000 – and thanks to the great generosity of parents and friends, we successfully hit it. I am confident that we can repeat that fantastic feat in 2024.

More details about the programme will follow closer to Founder’s Day, but let’s make a strong start now. 

Thank you for all your support.

Neil Enright

Headmaster

Founder’s Day Fete: behind the scenes

Whether it’s live entertainment, the chance to browse and shop at more than 50 stalls, or the opportunity to sample the wares of our ever-popular international food tents, the fete offers attractions to suit all tastes.

Making it all run smoothly is certainly a logistical challenge. As well as all the stalls, there are marquees, gazebos and temporary staging to be put up, and a host of smaller jobs to be done before, during and after the fete itself. Fortunately, we are in good hands: the 13-strong FQE Fete Committee collectively have many years of experience.

Starting early is essential. The eve of the big day sees fete volunteers prepare the Stapylton Field in front of the School and do much of the pricing, sorting and labelling. From 8.30am on the Saturday, helped by the prefects, they then toil through the morning, while the Founder’s Day Thanksgiving Service takes place at the parish church and then staff and boys assemble for the roll call and reading of the School Chronicle in front of Main Building.

After all the hard work behind the scenes, everything is in place by the time the fete opens at 1pm on the Saturday, so that our visitors can simply turn up and enjoy the afternoon. All too soon, it’s 4.30pm and the fete is over – cue one final effort by the volunteers as the great clear-up gets under way.

How you can help

1. Run a stall; enrol for set-up & clear-up duties, count 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. More than half the slots are already filled, but we still need plenty of help!

2. Assist 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. Anything else?

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

9. And finally…

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