Cash for Schools competition: Win a share of £12,000 for your school

This competition, sponsored by Dudley Building Society and in association with KUKA, is open to all Infant, Junior, and Primary schools with Reception to Year 6 pupils within the Express & Star circulation area.

How can schools get involved?

Entry stage opens on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 and closes on Friday, February 10, 2023.

For schools to sign up for the Express & Star’s Cash for Schools competition an entry form MUST be completed and submitted by the individual school only, with approval from the headteacher or a senior member of the leadership team.

Go to cashforschools.expressandstar.co.uk.

All schools who enter will be showcased in a special Cash for Schools supplement that will appear in the Express & Star on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, which will signal the start of the token collect campaign.

All parents, children and teachers have to do is collect as many tokens as possible that will appear every day in the Express & Star from Wednesday, March 1 to Saturday, March 25, 2023.

£12,000 prize pot breakdown

The great news is that every school has an equal chance of winning. The prizes will be awarded based on the schools that have collected the most tokens per pupil from Reception to Year 6 – so smaller schools have the same chance as larger ones.

For example, a small school with 50 pupils that collects 400 tokens would win when compared to a bigger school with 400 pupils that collects 800 tokens.

Five schools with the most tokens collected per pupil will have the chance to walk away with a cash prize and win a share of the £12,000 prize pot.

The first placed school with the most tokens collected per pupil will scoop a whooping £5,000, followed by £3,000 for second, £2,000 for third and then two £1,000 awards, which will be presented to the fourth and fifth place schools.

What can the cash be spent on?

So, what would the winning schools do with the extra cash?

The possibilities are endless – but it could be that your local school just needs money to buy the basics.

According to a recent study, cash-strapped schools in the UK are struggling to provide basic supplies for their students.

The report found that many schools are having to cut back on things like textbooks, art supplies, and even food. This is putting a lot of stress on both the students and the teachers, who are often forced to spend their own money on classroom supplies.

This situation is particularly troubling given that the UK is already ranked near the bottom of developed countries when it comes to school funding.

Our Cash for Schools competition money could make a huge difference to the teachers and pupils at your local school.

It’s entirely up to the individual winning schools what they spend the money on, as long as it makes a difference to the pupils within the school.

An information pack will be sent to all participating schools who enter, along with a toolkit and tips on how to encourage parents/guardians, pupils and teachers to get involved with this fantastic campaign.

Headline sponsor: Dudley Building Society

After sponsoring the Cash for Schools initiative last year, we are delighted to have the opportunity to sponsor such an impactful initiative again in 2023. Their mission to support schools in the local area aligns with our commitment to support young people, through financial education.

Our members are predominantly based in the Black Country and surrounding areas, and we are dedicated to powering life in our local communities beyond savings and mortgages. Since 1858, we have been dedicated to helping people within our community become homeowners, and over the years this commitment has grown in line with the needs of our communities.

We understand that having good financial literacy can build the confidence of young people, helping them to make important financial decisions later in life, regardless of their financial background. That is why, with the help of our savings mascot, Sebastian the Squirrel, we have made it our mission to make savings and learning about money fun and engaging for young people!

Our marketing and communications manager, Amy Morgan, said: “After the success of last year’s Cash for Schools campaign, we are excited to be involved again this year. It’s great to see the community spirit involved in collecting the tokens, and we are delighted to be sponsoring an initiative that has such a positive impact on young people.”

Associate sponsor: KUKA UK

KUKA UK achieved a gold ‘Excellent Employer’ standard for its employee apprenticeships, as one of the first engineering and manufacturing companies in the UK to receive it.

As a manufacturer of industrial robots and systems with a diverse apprenticeship offering, KUKA boasts a host of manufacturing and engineering skills in robotics and friction welding, and we believe having a successful apprenticeship scheme is crucial to the future of our business.

We are immensely proud of the opportunities that we can make available to youngsters and are delighted to support the Cash for Schools initiative.

Key dates for your diary

• Entry stage opens today

• Entry stage closes Friday, February 10, 2023

• Confirmation with participating school’s w/c February 13, 2023

• All participating Infant, Primary and Junior schools will appear in the Express & Star on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 along with first token

• Daily tokens appear in the Express & Star until Saturday, March 25, 2023

• Deadline for tokens to be received by Friday, March 31, 2023

• Winning schools announced w/c April 24, 2023

Prize money

1st prize: £5,000 cash

2nd prize: £3,000 cash

3rd prize: £2,000 cash

4th prize: £1,000 cash

5th prize: £1,000 cash