What is the AFA?

We are very fortunate to have the Ashcombe Friends Association (AFA). It has been an integral part of the school community for many years. In its time the AFA has raised thousands of pounds, which has been spent on equipment and resources to enhance our children’s education experience and the school’s facilities.

In recent years it has funded:

• circus skills workshops
• commemorative badges for the King’s Coronation
• Christmas pantomime
• school discos
• Year 6 leavers books
• Opal play membership and resources
• Easter gifts
• the sensory garden
• school stage repairs
• playground equipment.

The AFA is a volunteer group of parents and school staff working together to enrich the experience of all children and families attending Ashcombe Primary School. We are a friendly group of ordinary people, meeting roughly once a month during term time.

Upcoming meetings 2025:

Monday 1st December @ 6pm - Christmas fayre ticketing

Latest News

The Easter Fayre 2025 raised approx £1700.00

The Summer Fayre 2025 raised an amazing £2798.53

WE NOW NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE THE CHRISTMAS FAYRE A HUGE SUCCESS

Meet your committee (2025/2026)

Chair: Stacey Grimmett 

Secretary: Rebecca Hudson

Treasurers: Shaun Freear-French

Social Media: Amy Crow 

School Liaison: Lisa Driscoll

What we do:

We work together to plan and run events that raise money to bring the extra sparkle to a child’s school experience.

Some examples of events we have run:
Non-Uniform days
Raffles
Drop and Shop (film night for the children, whilst you can get some last minute Christmas shopping/wrapping sorted!)
Summer, Easter, and Christmas Fayres
Circus workshops
Entertainment for children during Covid-19 Pandemic.

How can you get involved?

We are always ready to welcome new members: the more, the merrier! You can get involved in lots of different ways depending on how much time you are able to give.

Offering to help before events or at other times during the year is so valuable. It doesn’t matter if you can’t help on a regular basis, or even if you cannot come into school. There are always jobs that can be done from home if you have half an hour to spare e.g. wrapping gifts, preparing raffle tickets etc. We really couldn’t achieve what we do without the behind the scenes help that we receive.

If you would like to be more involved you can volunteer to be a Committee Member. Or you can simply support the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and give us your ideas for fundraising events. This is also the time to ask questions or voice your opinion. The AGM is held at the beginning of the academic year and provides an opportunity for all parents to come along and hear in more detail about our work, the events we have run, the funds we have raised and how the money has been spent.

The AFA Committee meets on a regular basis with smaller working groups meeting as necessary when we are planning larger events, we are a friendly and welcoming community of people and meetings are relaxed and fun.

Alternatively you can help by letting us know if you have any contacts or skills we could use, everything is potentially valuable to us.

If you are interested in getting involved, or you have any contacts or skills you think may be beneficial, please contact us on AshcombeFriendsAssociation@outlook.com, search for us on Facebook “Ashcombe Friends Association” or click this link: AFA Facebook  or come along to one of our meetings.

Other ways to help.

The AFA is also set up with Easy Fundraising, which has links with 8,000+ retailers, who will donate to our cause.

When you shop online with participating retailers, they'll donate part of what you spend to your chosen cause. Whether you shop on your phone, laptop or tablet, you can earn free cashback donations for your cause.

The retailer just needs to know you are an easyfundraiser to give a donation, and they know this if you visit them from our website, app or Donation Reminder.

Please follow this link where you can download the app and help support the AFA in a really easy way!

Easy Fundraising