How Furzedown Primary PTA raised £2,265 for playground improvements with an online auction

Furzedown Primary PTA used Aucly to run a 7-day online auction for playground improvements, raising £2,265 from 44 lots and more than 1,000 bids.

Furzedown’s auction is a useful example of what can happen when a PTA has a good mix of prizes, keeps promoting the link, and makes it easy for parents to bid from their phone.

The fundraising context

Furzedown Primary PTA ran the Spring Auction 2026 as part of its fundraising for playground improvements and Project Playground. Like many school fundraisers, it relied on donated prizes from local businesses, parents and the wider school community, with the online auction giving those prizes one central place to be promoted and bid on.

Furzedown used bank transfer payment tracking for this auction. Match funding also helped increase the overall value of the fundraising effort.

Prize mix and standout lots

The auction combined local experiences, family and community prizes, hospitality, vouchers and donated items. Donor sourcing included cold calling, shop visits, parent employer links and donated experiences and vouchers.

Three lots that attracted particularly strong bidding were the Tooting Lido annual membership, which closed at £185 after 33 bids; a Fortnum & Mason hamper, which closed at £151 after 77 bids; and Exhibit Balham karaoke/cinema hire, which closed at £128 after 55 bids.

The number of bids on these lots shows that the most engaging auction items are not always the highest-value prizes. Familiar local experiences, family-friendly activities and desirable treats can create repeated bidding when they feel relevant to the school community. In this auction, some face-value vouchers also sold above face value because bidders were supporting the cause as well as bidding for the prize.

Why bidding stayed active

Over the 7 days, the Furzedown team saw 1,074 bids from 63 unique bidders — a sign that people were coming back, checking lots, and bidding again when they were outbid.

Promotion before and during the auction helped create visible spikes in activity. Outbid emails and reminder emails brought supporters back before the auction closed. A short bidding window can still build momentum when the team shares the auction link regularly and people can bid easily from mobile.

What other PTAs can learn

For other PTAs, the Furzedown auction is a good reminder that you do not need a huge event to create momentum. A clear cause, a good spread of prizes and regular reminders can be enough to keep people bidding.

• Keep the auction window short enough to create urgency.
• Promote before launch and during the live auction.
• Use outbid and reminder emails to bring people back.
• Include a mix of high-value prizes and familiar local or community lots.
• Do not underestimate local experiences and family-friendly prizes.
• Make it easy for supporters to bid from mobile.
• Use the auction link repeatedly in school and PTA communications.
• Track activity to see which promotion moments drive interest.