Single mother Ruma Ali, 29, has asked people to help pay for her sons’ birthday party (Picture: BPM)

Opinion is split over a mother’s decision to charge her children’s friends £6 each to attend their birthday.

Ruma Ali, 29, is throwing the party for her sons Shiyan and Kiyan who will turn five on February 8.

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She invited 60 of their friends from their school in Evington Leicester to the party on the Following Sunday.

But she asked their parents for £6 per child, sparking something of a controversy.


One parent posted anonymously in a Facebook community group and said: ‘My 4yr old has been invited to a classmates 5th bday party.

‘The said parent has hired fun valley and stipulated a payment of £6 per child on the birthday invitations.

‘My older kids are in secondary school and in all my years of hosting and being invited to kids parties, I have never been asked to pay for attending a party. Is this the done thing nowadays?’



Ms Ali, who is in her second year at De Montfort University studying for a degree, has said that despite her number being on the invite, the parent had not contacted her directly.

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She explained that she made the decision as the boys are in two separate classes so have a lot of friends.

The former council worker said she did not want any youngsters to be left out, but that she could not afford to pay for all of them on her own.

‘I didn’t want anybody to get left out. I thought I don’t want to pick and choose which friends can come.

Shiyan and Kiyan will turn five next Thursday and are having a party the following Sunday (Pictrue: BPM)

‘I thought, invite the whole class and then nobody’s upset. I thought they [the parents] would understand [the charge],’ she said.

As the basic charge for the venue was £11 for each child she said it would have cost £660 if all those invited attended and that was before extras like goody bags and cakes.

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Even with the parents subsidising the cost she expects the bill to be around £500. Asides from the one anonymous poster she said that no other parents have queried the fee.

Ms Ali also said that if any parent could not have afforded it she would have understood and still wanted their child to attend.

‘Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But this was the best way for me,’ she said.

Lots of people have defended her on the original Facebook post that sparked the debate.

One person said: ‘Not all parents can afford to pay for parties but also they want to make their child happy by having a party for them. Instead of buying a gift you could pay the £6 and buy a birthday card.’

Another added they thought it was nice that Ms Ali had wanted to include all the children and said: ‘I personally feel if you want to attend and pay then do so, and if u don’t that’s fine too.’