Alex Lunn from Lady Barn House School shares how partnering with SuperKind helped turn the school’s first Challenge Day into a community-wide celebration, raising more than £14,000 for its Beyond Learning Bursary Fund while building pupils’ confidence, teamwork and compassion.
What drew you to SuperKind?
At Lady Barn House School, we wanted fundraising to be about much more than raising money. We were looking for a way to involve our pupils in something meaningful that reflected our school values of Community, Creativity, Respect, Resilience and Teamwork.
When we discovered SuperKind, we saw an opportunity to launch our first whole-school fundraising campaign in a way that was engaging, inclusive and easy for families to support. As we developed our Beyond Learning Bursary Fund, we wanted a platform that would help us share its purpose with our community, while placing pupils at the heart of the campaign. What stood out was SuperKind’s focus on participation, social impact and making fundraising feel like a shared community effort, rather than simply collecting donations.
When we discovered SuperKind, we saw an opportunity to launch our first whole-school fundraising campaign in a way that was engaging, inclusive and easy for families to support."
Tell us a bit more about your event – what were the greatest successes?
Our first Challenge Day was designed to bring the whole school community together behind our Beyond Learning Bursary Fund, culminating in a Colour Run that pupils absolutely loved.
Each class had its own fundraising page on SuperKind, making it easy for families to support their child’s class while creating a real sense of teamwork. Rather than rewarding the class that raised the most money, we ran a friendly competition to see which class could secure the greatest number of sponsors. This encouraged every family to get involved, regardless of the size of their donation, and reinforced the message that every contribution mattered.
The results exceeded our expectations. Together our community raised more than £14,000 (including Gift Aid) for the Beyond Learning Bursary Fund, helping to provide transformational educational opportunities for children who otherwise wouldn’t be able to access a Lady Barn education.
Perhaps even more importantly, Challenge Day gave us a powerful way to share the story of our Beyond Learning Bursary Fund with our whole school community. Through their fundraising pages, pupils helped spark conversations at home about the difference a bursary can make, enabling families to connect with the purpose behind the campaign as well as the event itself. It transformed fundraising from simply asking for sponsorship into a shared community effort centred on opportunity and impact.
Why did you involve pupils?
Our bursary fund exists to create opportunities for children, so it felt entirely right that children should be at the heart of supporting it.
We wanted pupils to understand that kindness, generosity and community are actions, not just words. By involving them directly, they experienced what it means to work together towards a shared goal, communicate with confidence and make a positive difference.
Watching them encourage one another, celebrate each other’s achievements and take pride in the impact they were making perfectly reflected the values we try to instil every day at Lady Barn.
What's next for you?
Our first Challenge Day was just the beginning. We’re excited to build on its success as we continue to grow the Beyond Learning Bursary Fund and create more opportunities for pupils to lead meaningful fundraising initiatives.
Alongside future fundraising events, we’re looking at more ways to involve pupils in philanthropy throughout the year, helping them develop empathy, leadership and a lifelong understanding of giving back.
As our Beyond Learning Bursary Fund continues to grow, we’re proud that our pupils are already playing an important role in helping create opportunities for future generations of Lady Barn children.
Have you any tips for schools embarking on their pupil-led fundraising journey?
Start with the story, not the fundraising target. Children are incredibly motivated when they understand the difference they’re making. Help them connect with the cause, give them ownership wherever possible, and celebrate every contribution, regardless of size.
SuperKind makes the practical side straightforward, allowing schools to focus on creating an experience that builds confidence, develops character and brings the whole community together.
Our biggest lesson? Fundraising can be a powerful learning experience. It gives children the opportunity to develop confidence, teamwork and compassion while seeing first-hand how their actions can positively impact others.
SuperKind makes the practical side straightforward, allowing schools to focus on creating an experience that builds confidence, develops character and brings the whole community together."