How to secure funding for school trips

As restrictions lift, school trips are back on the agenda – so how can you make such enrichment opportunities a reality again for your pupils? Jane Hughes and Sarah Everson explore

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Fund Ed

Some schools have allocated pupil premium resources to help with trips. But why not get your pupils and community involved in fundraising for your trip programme?

Fundraising for trips

Begin crowdfunding

It’s straightforward to create a campaign on a crowdfunding platform, which can then be linked to your social media. Adding a QR code makes it even easier for people to donate from wherever you use the code – whether it’s posters, leaflets or school apps.

If you have an ongoing ‘School Fund’ crowdfunding campaign, simply create a linked page dedicated to funding trips.

You can also use the platform to get your pupils involved in group and individual fundraising activities and events such as selling cakes at parents’ evenings and school events to holding fundraising dinners and quiz nights. 

Work with your PTA

Some PTAs put aside funds to support school trips and educational enrichment, so why not work more closely with yours on a specific trip fund with a fundraising target for the year.

Create links with local businesses 

Try to cultivate ongoing mutually beneficial relationships with locally based companies so that you can easily approach them with specific requests, such as help with funding a trip.

There may be organisations (branches of national companies for instance) that do not have products to donate for raffle prizes but could potentially support your school by sponsoring an annual trip. Look out also for opportunities for match-funding and sponsorship that could help businesses with their Corporate Social Responsibility goals.

Publicly thanking corporate donors and sponsors, as well as highlighting their support through your school media channels and possibly even through trip branding and merchandising, provides them with important publicity. 

Create a green funding stream

If you’re planning an eco-trip, then why not set up a practical recycling initiative that will lay the groundwork for resource conservation for your pupils before you go?

Start a school lottery 

Set up a school lottery, with a dedicated funding stream for school trips.

Grant funding 

Look out for emerging sources of funding from local community organisations and charities to improve educational engagement and support children and young people post-pandemic.

Grants for trips and travel

Educational trips

Today, opportunities for children to attend venues away from the classroom or the home-learning computer screen are more valuable than ever. Funders are keen to support such trips, both because they engage pupils with learning in new environments and because they facilitate the development of social skills that children missed out on during lockdown.

Here’s Fund Ed’s pick of what’s on offer: The Alpkit Foundation offers funding of £50 to £500 for projects that increase participation in the outdoors. This can include a contribution towards transportation costs or outdoor experiences for school children. The Foundation can also provide discounted outdoor equipment for trips. Secondary schools in Greater London and Essex can apply for the Jack Petchey Foundation’s Educational Visit Grants if they are registered with the Foundation’s achievement awards programme. Funding of up to £10 per pupil is available for tickets, entrance fees and transport costs for trips up to twice a year. Set up by Sir Jack Petchey, the Foundation aims to inspire and motivate young people across London and Essex to reach their full potential. For schools in northwest London, the John Lyon’s Charity Cultural Capital Fund offers up to £5,000 for trips which engage young people with the arts. The Fund was created as restrictions began to ease and aims to redress the lost time and opportunities to experience arts activities.

Funding is available for visits to museums and galleries, or trips to attend dance and drama performances, and can include transportation costs. Schools can apply at any time, but at least 10 weeks in advance of the planned trip.

Overseas opportunities

An exchange visit or trip overseas is an incredible way for pupils to learn about another culture, experience travel, become immersed in another language and bond with peers.

With the relaxation of restrictions for international travel, many schools are reinstating their overseas plans – and a number of grants are available to help such as the UK-German Connection, the Turing Scheme, and the Sutton Trust’s US programme.