Start collecting – and help your school

May 6 2008 by Paul Loraine, The Journal

SCHOOLS in the North East are being invited to compete for a share of £15,000 in a competition run by The Journal. The Tokens for Schools scheme means pupils, their families and teachers can team up to collect tokens appearing in the paper for their chance of winning one of a series of cash prizes.

Each school’s efforts will be judged on a tokens per head basis, meaning small schools are able to compete.

And having won the money, schools can spend it as they wish – on anything from school trips to sports equipment.

Schools can register from tomorrow until Thursday May 22 and a full starter pack including posters and collection envelopes will be sent to all that do so.

The race will start when tokens first appear in The Journal on Monday June 2 and they will then appear every day until Friday July 11.

There are four prizes available for each of three categories – primary and first schools; secondary, middle and high schools; and special needs schools.

First prize is £2,500, second is £1,500 while the third and fourth placed schools in each section will receive £500 each.

Editor of The Journal, Brian Aitken, said: “Many people are tightening their belts just now, and schools also have budgets that come under pressure, so it’s great to be able to do something to help.

“There’s an element of healthy competition about Tokens For Schools and it’s great that smaller schools will have as much chance of winning as their larger counterparts.”

Schools must register with The Journal in order to enter the competition and it is open to all schools within the circulation area of The Journal.

A spokeswoman for sponsors Barclays said: “We are delighted to be partners with The Journal for Tokens for Schools. Good luck to all schools and happy collecting.”

Registration forms will appear regularly in The Journal and schools can also register online at www.journallive.co.uk/schools

A full postcode list and footprint of the circulation area can be found at www.journallive.co.uk/legal

Little extras that mean so much

THERE will be no lack of competitive spirit at Clover Hill Primary School in Gateshead, according to one of their teachers.

Every week after the tokens start appearing, The Journal will be printing league tables in each of the categories so schools can follow their progress.

And Andrea Mitchell, deputy head at Clover Hill, fully expects the pupils to take a keen interest.

"They are definitely a competitive bunch so they will love it," she said.

"And if they know there’s something for them at the end of it, they will really get into it."

If Clover Hill was to be one of the lucky schools to come away with a cash prize, Ms Mitchell is in no doubt the 200 children would benefit hugely.

"Anything that will benefit the school in the long run is a good thing," she said.

"Were we to win some money it would definitely go towards enriching the curriculum in some way.

"It would be nice to be able to afford those little extras for the kids – a trip somewhere or a visit from a theatre group.

"It would certainly go towards the curriculum in some way, though. It would be nice if it was something tangible for them to enjoy."