Friends of Rowan

Registered Charity no. 1058466

We have a vibrant and active parents’ association called Friends of Rowan (FoR). Each year they organise events for the girls and their families, helping them to meet and socialise. Events range from the ever-popular Christmas and Summer Fairs for families to quiz nights and dinner dances for Rowan parents. The funds raised from such events are used to provide additional items and facilities at school and to support projects which directly benefit the girls. FoR also aim to contribute to other charities.

Friends of Rowan rely on the support of parent volunteers and are always very grateful to everyone that is able to support their activities. Please contact them at friends@rowanprepschool.co.uk if you are interested in volunteering or helping to organise an event.

For updates on FoR activities and events, see social media links below:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/friendsofrowan

FoR Team

The FoR Committee comprises elected trustees and volunteers who liaise with a network of parent class representatives to help arrange events and discuss funding opportunities.

The FoR trustees are Alex Simonovic (Chair), Elizabeth Stephenson (Vice Chair), Jenn Hudson (Treasurer), Yasmeen Sra (Secretary), and Sarah Raja (Headmistress).

Each year group across the school has volunteer Class Reps who act as a communication link between FoR and their fellow parents in their daughters’ class/year. The role involves encouraging support for FoR events, seeking event volunteers when needed, and providing feedback to the FoR Committee after events.

The list of the current FoR Committee members can be found below. Please contact friends@rowanprepschool.co.uk if you would like to confirm the name of your Class Rep. FoR is very grateful for the work and support of all Class Reps and event volunteers, without whom FoR could not do all that it does!

Funding Requests

FoR have sponsored a variety of projects for the girls over the years including VR headsets with educational content across the entire curriculum, stop motion cameras, an outdoor illustrated history timeline, high jump equipment, upgraded wet play resources for each Rowan Hill class, water play resources for EYFS pupils, musical instruments, retractable tiered seating in the school hall, House pin badges for all girls, and much more! In particular, FoR were pleased to support STEM learning with the addition of 3D printers, a laser cutter, Lego kits, full kit cars to build life-size electric vehicles, and Dash robots for KS1 pupils. The girls have also enjoyed special experiences funded by FoR such as a visiting planetarium, hatching chick eggs, a British Sign Language session and a portrait masterclass, together with exciting activities during the school’s Wellbeing Weeks ranging from a mobile climbing wall and circus skills workshop, to mobile farm visits and reptile experiences.

In addition, FoR have been delighted to co-fund a series of large projects with the school over the last few years. In Summer 2022, the Spinney - a wooded and grassed area at Rowan Hill that fuels imaginative play - was transformed with an all-weather artificial grass surface to enable the girls to play in their favourite place all year-round, come rain or shine! FoR also contributed to the school's redevelopment of the Rowan Brae site - firstly, with the renovation of the Preschool and Nursery learning and play spaces in 2023, followed by the re-modelling of the Glen outdoor area in 2025 with exciting playground features and extra outdoor learning spaces. FoR were especially pleased to co-fund the full redesign and refurbishment of the libraries at both Rowan Hill and Rowan Brae in 2024, creating inspiring spaces to build on the girls' love of reading. They also supported Performing Arts with new equipment to enhance school productions, including a new projector and large screen in 2024 allowing for the dramatic projection of scenery and new, professional tiered staging in 2025.

Suggestions for funding requests may be made by the school, FoR or any parent member by presenting their suggestion in writing to the FoR Committee (see the Funding Ideas and Funding Request forms below).

Second Hand Uniform

The school’s uniform lists can be found at: https://www.rowanprepschool.co.uk/parents-information/uniform

FoR run one on-site second hand uniform sale per term and collect donations of unwanted uniform items from parents approximately two weeks prior to an on-site sale. Proceeds go to FoR to fund additional projects directly benefiting Rowan girls. For FoR second hand uniform sales queries, please contact friends@rowanprepschool.co.uk

Alternatively, parents are able to buy and sell second hand uniform to each other via the online marketplace, Uniformis https://uniformis.online/. Uniformis charge 10% commission and a 2% transaction fee for each sale, with the parent seller receiving 88% of the sale price. Instructions can be found on the Uniformis website and parents can agree the best way to collect the goods, e.g. from the seller’s address or at school pick up. For any second hand uniform queries regarding online parent-to-parent sales, please see the Contact Us page on the Uniformis website or email support@uniformis.online

Fundraising

FoR is delighted to be part of Savills’ rebate scheme. If you choose to sell or let your property through Savills Esher, Savills will donate £1,000 (£300 for lettings) of their fee to FoR. This deal is open to all Rowan parents plus wider friends and family too so please spread the word! ^{*T&Cs apply.}

FoR is registered with easyfundraising which means over 7,000 brands will donate to FoR when you use easyfundraising to shop with them online. It’s easy and completely FREE! Brands include John Lewis, eBay, Tesco, trainline, Amazon, Argos, Etsy, JustEat, M&S and thousands more. These donations really mount up, so please sign up to support FoR at https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/friendsofrowan/

Many other companies also have commission schemes in place to benefit PTAs and other charitable organisations. By simply clicking or entering a code when you purchase items online, FoR will directly benefit, at no extra cost to you. FoR keep parents updated on how much is generated with their support.

For further details of these commission schemes as well as local retailer discounts available to Rowan parents, please see the attachments below.

Sponsorship

If you would like to promote your business at one of FoR’s exciting events, please do get in touch with them at friends@rowanprepschool.co.uk to discuss sponsorship opportunities.