School Fundraising: Turn Foreign Coins into Funds

How Schools and Youth Groups Can Turn Foreign Coins into Funds — and Learning Opportunities

Every school and youth group is looking for new ways to raise money — something different from the usual bake sale or sponsored walk.

What if you could run a fundraising project that’s fun, educational, sustainable, and completely unique… all at the same time?

Welcome to foreign coin fundraising — an idea that lets pupils and families turn their leftover holiday money into meaningful funds for your school, PTA, or youth organisation.

The Opportunity: Millions of Pounds in Unused Foreign Coins

It’s estimated that UK households are sitting on over £500 million in leftover foreign coins and banknotes.

Every summer, families come back from holidays abroad with small piles of euros, dollars, dirhams, or krona that never make it back to the exchange desk.

Most of it ends up in drawers, jars, and gloveboxes — forgotten for years.

But here’s the exciting part: when collected together, those coins can make a big difference to your school or youth group’s fundraising efforts.

A Fundraiser That’s Also a Learning Experience

Foreign coin collections aren’t just about raising money — they’re an incredible opportunity for children to learn about:

Subject	Learning Connection
Geography	Discover where each currency comes from
Maths	Add up values, estimate totals, and compare exchange rates
Languages	Learn how different countries write numbers and money symbols
Cultural Studies	Explore the history and imagery on coins
Sustainability	Understand recycling, reuse, and global impact

It’s a simple way to turn fundraising into a hands-on, real-world classroom project.

How It Works with Cash4Coins

Cash4Coins partners with schools, PTAs, and youth groups across the UK to make the process effortless.

1️⃣ Collect

Ask pupils, parents, and staff to bring in their leftover holiday coins and notes.

You can also accept:

• ALL foreign coins and notes

• Old £1 coins and pre-decimal currency

• Pre-euro European coins

• Obsolete or damaged currency

2️⃣ Package

No sorting required! Simply bag everything together in a sturdy envelope or box.

3️⃣ Send

Use our Freepost address or arrange an insured collection if your school collects large amounts.

4️⃣ Process & Pay

We’ll sort, count, and process all your coins — accepting 180 world currencies and 400+ withdrawn ones — and pay your school directly.

Most payments are completed within a few days of receipt.

Why Banks and Bureaux de Change Can’t Help

Even if your school tries to bank the coins, you’ll quickly find:

• ❌ Banks don’t accept foreign coins or outdated UK money

• ❌ Exchange counters only take notes (and limited currencies)

• ❌ Sorting mixed donations takes too much time

That’s why thousands of schools and charities use Cash4Coins — a safe, insured, and professional way to turn unbankable coins into usable funds.

What We Accept

Start Exchange

🎯 Campaign Ideas for Schools and Youth Groups

Campaign Name	Description	Why It Works
Coins Around the World	Create a large map and pin coins where they came from	Makes learning visual and interactive
Holiday Money Drive	Collect foreign coins from families after summer holidays	Great for back-to-school fundraising
International Day	Celebrate world cultures and include a coin collection	Combines learning with giving
Scout/Guide Expedition Fund	Collect coins to fund international trips	Inspires global citizenship
Eco Coin Challenge	Teach recycling by turning “waste” money into donations	Combines fundraising with sustainability

You can even tie it into your school’s Eco-Schools, STEM, or Global Citizenship curriculum themes.

What Happens to the Coins?

Every coin we receive is:

• Sorted and counted with specialist machines

• Repatriated or recycled responsibly

• Tracked and reported so your school gets a full summary

That means you’re not just raising money — you’re helping the environment too.

💚 Why Schools Love This Fundraiser

✅ Simple to organise — no special materials needed

✅ No sorting or admin — we do all the hard work

✅ Works for schools, PTAs, Scouts, Guides & clubs

✅ Safe and insured throughout

✅ Educational, eco-friendly, and fun

It’s the kind of campaign that gets students, parents, and teachers involved — and keeps them engaged year after year.

💬 Real Example

A primary school in Surrey ran a “Coins of the World” appeal as part of Geography Week.

They collected coins from 42 countries — everything from Canadian cents to Thai baht — and raised £940 in just two weeks.

The pupils created a display showing all the coins and learned about the countries they came from.

It became one of the school’s most successful and educational fundraisers ever.

🧭 Ready to Get Started?

Turn your next fundraising project into something meaningful — and educational!

👉 Visit Cash4Coins.co.uk to find out how we help schools and youth groups raise funds from leftover foreign coins and notes.

Cash4Coins – Turning spare change into real change.