Cash For Schools: Sponsors keen to help give early years pupils the ‘right tools to learn’

This year our Cash For Schools competition is backed by Dudley Building Society with support from KUKA UK, Halesowen based manufacturer of Thompson friction welding machines and factory automation.

The Cash For Schools competition is open to all infant and junior schools, as well as primary schools with reception to year six pupils, within the Express & Star circulation area. A pot of £12,000 will be shared between the winning schools, and headteachers from across the county have been in touch to let us know how they would spend the winnings.

Dudley Building Society’s 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.

“The competition’s 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 helped 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.”

The Express & Star has been contacted by schools from across the county who are keen to enter this year’s competition.

They have said they would spend the cash prize on a number of initiatives ranging from more sports equipment and gardening supplies to specific projects and school trips. David Rose, head of quality at KUKA UK said: “KUKA UK has a proud history of supporting academic based initiatives and we are delighted to support Dudley Building Society with Cash For Schools. KUKA is aware of the importance of access to the right tools to learn, especially at primary level. We are actively encouraging youngsters into engineering via our established apprenticeship program and work placement initiatives. By supporting Cash For Schools, we hope more students become aware of the KUKA brand and our contribution to engineering in the Black Country.”

To be in with a chance of winning don’t forget to register your school by Friday, February 10. All participating schools will be featured in the Express & Star on Wednesday, March 1, along with the first token.

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, 2023 to Saturday, March 25, 2023. Five schools with the most tokens collected per pupil, will 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 whopping £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.

For more information visit cashforschools.expressandstar.co.uk.