Ralph Brocklebank, Deputy Headteacher at BVGS, reflects on the school’s first-ever Giving Day, the role SuperKind played in helping them raise over £26,000, and the incredible impact it had on the school community.
Why did you decide to use SuperKind to fundraise?
We partnered with SuperKind through Buffalo Fundraising because we wanted to give as many students as possible the chance to get involved in fundraising. The SuperKind platform made it easy to maximise engagement in the lead-up to our Giving Day.
Tell us more about your Giving Day — the format, the student involvement, and the events.
Our Giving Day was a huge celebration of creativity, teamwork, and community spirit. Across Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12, form groups took on a wide variety of challenges. Some ran throughout March — such as cycling a set distance — while others were showcased at our parental event, including solving a Rubik’s Cube at lightning speed or memorising every national flag in the world!
Students gained sponsorship for their challenges throughout the month, and the Giving Days were packed with energy and excitement. We ran headline-grabbing activities such as a Giant Conga, teacher gunging, and teacher sumo wrestling. Alumni also returned to inspire students — one well-known YouTuber and former Veseyan even ran live sessions with Year 7 for his channel.
The celebrations continued into the evenings, with a Thursday showcase of the form challenges, followed by Vesey’s Got Talent and a concert on Friday night. The atmosphere across the school was buzzing from start to finish.
How did the fundraising benefit the students?
The Giving Days brought our school community together in a really special way. An incredible 498 students set up their own fundraising campaigns on SuperKind, which gave them a sense of ownership and pride in their efforts. Students loved the gamified fundraising and the friendly competition between forms to raise the most money. The sense of fun, teamwork, and shared achievement made the experience unforgettable. Best of all, the winners even had a room in our new building named in their honour — a lasting reminder of their efforts.
How did the Giving Day compare to those you’ve done before?
This was our very first Giving Day, and it was a huge success. Through SuperKind, our community raised over £26,000 (including Gift Aid) from an amazing 1,442 donors — far beyond what we could have achieved otherwise. Thanks to months of careful planning and preparation, everything ran smoothly. Because we don’t want to exhaust our donors, we’re aiming to repeat the event every two years — and we’re already excited for the next one!
What feedback did you receive from students, staff, and parents?
We were delighted to receive loads of positive feedback. Everyone — students, parents, and staff alike — spoke about how much fun they had and how memorable the experience was.
Do you have any tips for a successful fundraiser?
Careful planning is key. We found that making the event as inclusive as possible maximised participation, which in turn helped us reach the widest possible network of parents, alumni, and supporters.
Would you use SuperKind again?
Of course!
