TCHWorks
TCHWorks

Free Christmas fair letter templates (UK)

Two letters every PTA, PTFA or Friends committee sends before a Christmas fair: one to parents and carers asking for donations and helpers, and one to local businesses asking for raffle prizes. Print the A4 PDF, or copy the text below into an email, the school app or your newsletter. Free, no sign-up.

Download the free PDF (2 pages)

Letter to parents and carers (copy and paste)

Dear parents and carers, Our Christmas Fair is on [date] from [start time] to [end time] at [place]. Every penny raised goes to [what the money is for], and we'd love your help to make it brilliant. Could you donate? We're collecting: tombola items (bottles for the adults' tombola, jars filled with sweets or small treats, toiletries, chocolates), good-quality toys and books, raffle prizes, and bakes for the cake stall on the day. Please bring donations to [where] by [date]. Could you help? Even 45 minutes makes a difference. Please fill in the slip below and return it to the school office or your class rep by [date]. Thank you so much for your support. We hope to see you all there. With best wishes, [name] (on behalf of the [PTA / committee name])

Raffle prize request letter for local businesses (copy and paste)

Dear [name or manager], I'm writing on behalf of [group name] (the parent and teacher association / committee of [school or group]), a voluntary group that raises money for [what the money is for]. On [date] we're holding our Christmas Fair, which usually brings in around [number] families from the local area. We're putting together a raffle and would be very grateful if you could donate a prize: a voucher, a product, a service or anything you feel able to give. In return we'd be happy to thank you by name on our prize list at the fair, in our newsletter to families and on our social media pages (if you'd like us to). If you can help, please reply to [email] or call [phone] by [date]. We can collect, or you can drop it in to [address]. Thank you for supporting our school and community. Yours sincerely, [name] [role]

Tips that get more yeses

Working out what to charge? Try the free Christmas fair stall calculator for expected takings, profit and floats by stall.

Questions

Are these Christmas fair letters really free?

Yes. It's a free 2-page A4 PDF: the letter to parents and carers (with a tear-off helper slip) and the prize request letter for local businesses. The same words are on this page as plain text, so you can paste them into an email, the school app or a newsletter. No sign-up and no email needed.

When should the prize request letters go out?

About 6 weeks before the fair. Many shops have a set number of donations a year and run out by December, so for a fair in early December, aim for late October or early November.

Can I edit the letters?

Yes. The PDF has blank lines to fill in by hand, and the plain-text versions on this page can be copied into Word, Google Docs or the school app and edited freely for your own school or group.

Do we need a licence to run a raffle at our Christmas fair?

In Great Britain a raffle run as part of a fair, with tickets sold only at the event, is usually an incidental lottery and needs no licence, but there are limits on costs and prizes. Check the current Gambling Commission guidance before your fair. Northern Ireland has different rules. The full kit has a page on this.

What else do we need to run the fair?

The Christmas Fair Organiser Kit (£3.49) has the rest: an 8-week countdown, 24 stall ideas with suggested prices, a stall planner, volunteer rota, raffle rules and prize list, price and stall signs, guess the reindeer's name, sweets in the jar, bake sale allergen labels, grotto tickets, float and cash count sheets, and ready-to-send thank-you messages.