A Boathouse fit for the 21st Century

146 pupils currently participate in rowing at St Paul’s

7 wins in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta

1830

A Pauline Four competed in the first recorded athletic event at the school

Recognising your Gift

113 pupils took part in this year’s National School’s Regatta

150 years of the St Paul’s School Boat Club

2018

The Pauline 1st VIII broke the course record at Henley Royal Regatta: a record that still stands

By supporting the Boathouse Campaign, you will be part of the broader philanthropic community at St Paul’s, helping us to deliver an exceptional education and outstanding facilities for generations of Paulines. All donors to the Boathouse Campaign of £25,000 and above will have their names engraved on a special board and will be invited to donor events hosted by the High Master.

1509 Society Regular gifts of any amount or a single gift from £500 to £4,999

Erasmus Society Gifts from £5,000 to £24,999

High Master’s Circle Gifts from £25,000 to £99,999

Founder’s Circle Gifts from £100,000 to £499,999

Leadership Circle Gifts from £500,000

A Message from the High Master

It would be hard to overstate how proud we are of the rowing programme at St Paul’s. Arguably the best in the country, it not only offers the opportunity for pupils to excel both nationally and internationally, but it also sets a positive tone in terms of dedication and teamwork. We believe that these outstanding pupils and coaches deserve an outstanding learning and working environment.

I am delighted to announce, therefore, that, in the final term of the ‘Shaping Our Future’ appeal, we are launching a Boathouse campaign. We are pleased that, at the request of Bobby Thatcher and the coaching team, we have been able to put together refit plans which will develop alongside the training programme with minimal disruption. No complete rebuild would be possible without damaging the day-to-day consistency that has brought such success to our rowing over the last 12 years. With this plan we avoid pressing pause for two years in a way that would limit the chances of those in the school at the point of a rebuild.

We hope our community will come together to continue a proud history of philanthropy and support this ambition. There are two ways to support rowing at St Paul’s: sponsoring one of the flagstones, or making a donation to support the project.

Watching the success and enthusiasm of the boat club from the banks of the Thames is nothing short of pure joy. I look forward to a bright future for the SPSBC. More pupils than ever are participating in rowing at the school and with our collective aspirations, the future of Pauline rowing looks incredibly bright.

On behalf of our staff, Governors and pupils – both current and future – we thank you.

Architect’s impression of the gym in the new boathouse

“Over the last few years, Pauline rowing has developed into one of the strongest and most respected junior rowing programmes in the world. The Boathouse appeal provides an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy for rowing at St Paul’s and to demonstrate the mark that generations of Pauline rowers have made on the school.”

Bobby Thatcher, Director of Rowing and former Olympic rower

Sally-Anne Huang High Master

Rowing is important to our community

Rowing is woven into the very fabric of St Paul’s. In 1830, a Pauline Four competed against Merchant Taylors’ School in the earliest recorded athletic event in SPS history.

Some pupils will row for a few years of their time at St Paul’s, but many will continue in the sport and maintain the friendships it has brought them long after they leave school. The achievements of many Old Pauline rowers demonstrate that rowing can be a sport for a lifetime.

It has been 50 years since our current boathouse was opened. The boat house sits at the northeast corner of the school site near the halfway mark of the Championship Course: the stretch of the river used for the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.

The school has a tradition of achievement in rowing, with the 2018 1st VIII dubbed ‘the best schoolboy crew ever’ at Henley.

The achievements of rowers from St Paul’s do not end when they leave the school. If pupils want to carry on rowing at university, rowing at SPSBC provides them with an excellent foundation. Many students have gone on to represent their universities; in the 2023 Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, six Old Paulines competed. Pauline rowers are also becoming a fixture of top US varsity crews, including Harvard and Yale, and a select few even go on to row at senior international and Olympic level.

ought to take advantage of the proximity of the river and join the Rowing club, whilst those unable to swim should learn and join them!”

The Pauline, 1884

“Every Pauline able to swim

£2.7m

Boat house strip out £52,800 Improvements to £305,500 changing area

New workshop £40,700

New staff office £276,800 and landscaping Roof works £374,700 Upgrade of gym £547,900 area Boat Store refurb £20,200

A Boathouse fit for the 21st Century

The current boathouse is one of the oldest CLASP buildings on site and without this refurbishment would require replacement by the end of the 2020s.

Pupils currently have to queue to enter the changing rooms and it is challenging to manoeuvre the boats onto the water in time to meet demand. There is no heating or ventilation in the gym, which is often cold in winter and too hot in summer. We are keen to introduce changes that will better support the needs of the programme. Our hope is that the first stage of the upgrade work will commence in 2024, assuming the initial funding is in place.

A new home for rowing

Our improved home for rowing will make the best use of our proximity to the river by opening up views within and around the buildings, and will include:

– an improved gym area

– an upgrade of the students’ changing rooms and showers and the addition of staff facilities

– a purpose-built extension to include a staff/coach room, student debrief room and a kitchenette and laundry

£1.7m

* Additional funds will be provided by the school to cover the refurbishment of the boatman’s accommodation, further alterations to the roof and additional landscaping to allow for improved access.

– a new roof with skylights for daylight and natural ventilation

– new, large sliding gates, improving access for the manoeuvring of boats

– cladding of the external walls.

By supporting the Boathouse campaign, you will be part of the broader philanthropic community, helping us to deliver buildings that inspire.

Artist’s impression of the new exterior, porte cochere and sponsored flagstones

Donation Form

A Boathouse fit for the 21st Century

Please return this donation form to: Development Office, St Paul’s School, Lonsdale Road, London SW13 9JT or scan and email to: development@stpaulsschool.org.uk Tel: 020 8746 5343

Your Details

Full name:

Address:

Postcode:

Telephone:

Email:

At St Paul’s School we acknowledge our supporters. Please tick the box on the right if you would like your gift to be anonymous.

If you are able to make your gift tax efficient it can be worth even more to us, and if you are a higher rate tax payer, it will cost you less.

Gift Aid Declaration

I am a UK taxpayer, and wish St Paul’s School to claim Gift Aid on all donations I have made in the last four years and any future donations I make.

I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less income tax in the current tax year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on my donations it is my responsibility to pay any difference. Gift Aid is claimed by St Paul’s School from the tax you pay for the current tax year.

Signature

Date

I wish to support St Paul’s School by giving to the Boathouse Campaign

I would like to make a Single Gift (please complete section 1 below)

I would like to Sponsor a Flagstone (please complete section 2 below)

1. Single Gift

I would like to make a Single Gift of: £

I would like to pay by: Cheque Bank transfer

By cheque

Please make cheques payable to ‘St Paul’s School ’ or for USA donors payable to ‘Colet Foundation Ltd’. Please enclose with this form and return to the Development Office at the address below.

Bank Transfer Details

To St Paul’s School Account Account Number: 47047941 Sort Code: 60-01-39

If you have made a single donation of over £750 and would like a flagstone, please complete the section below. All gifts of over £25,000 will be acknowledged on a specially engraved donor board.

2. Sponsor a Flagstone

We will be laying a path around the boathouse to the riverfront, featuring 140 inscribed flagstones. Highly visible at the heart of the school, this path will be a lasting monument to our pupils, parents, OPs and staff, and will be a focal point at St Paul’s for generations to come.

For a donation of £750 your gift will be recognised on a flagstone, with a two-line message, of 16 characters per line (including spaces and punctuation).

Please do get in touch if you require more details: community@stpaulsschool.org.uk

I would like to donate:

£750 (one flagstone)

Gift Preferences: your inscription

Please fill in the details you would like to include on your flagstone in the boxes below. There are two lines available for each inscription – each line has a maximum of 16 characters (including spaces and punctuation). Please enter details using upper and lower case letters as you wish them to appear.

Line 1: Line 2:

Development Office, St Paul’s School, Lonsdale Road, London SW13 9JT © St Paul’s School, 2023. Registered Charity Number 1119619

stpaulsschool.org.uk

Make a Donation

If you would like to support the Boathouse Campaign, please complete the enclosed donation form or scan the code below to access the website.

Please contact Ellie Sleeman, Director of Development and Engagement for more information: ems@stpaulsschool.org.uk

St Paul’s School is a charitable company, limited by guarantee, registered in England.

Registered office at Lonsdale Road, London SW13 9JT.

Registered Company Number 6141973.

Registered Charity Number 1119619.

© St Paul’s School, 2023.