Farchynys Expansion Project

Queen Mary’s Grammar School

PURCHASE OF PROPERTIES AT FARCHYNYS … expanding horizons for all our students …

Farchynys Coach House in Winter

Current difficulties As the School community grows (our intake will be 150 per year next year) we are finding it difficult to accommodate all of our “Fusties” at Farchynys for their Summer Enrichment Week. This tradition has been running for over half a century and we would be loath to lose the enormous value which Farchynys brings to the individual pupil, not only in terms of the rite of passage but also because it creates a sense of community and pride of ownership in all who spend time there. If, however, we cannot accommodate the Year 7 weeks, it will be increasingly hard to justify keeping Farchynys at all.

As our difficulties increase we have been made an amazing offer by our neighbours at Farchynys Court, which is a one minute walk away from the Coach House. Two of the four properties there, developed on the original Farchynys Farm site, are for sale and the owner would be delighted if the School were able to buy them at what is a very fair price, including a section of headland!

The School is unable to borrow money, or use Government funds to pay for what is an optional extra. The Coach House was purchased

by Old Marians and is owned by a group of trustees, who allow use of the building to the School. If we were to purchase the additional properties, they would be held in a similar way, for the use of the School.

We can raise some of the money through the Old Boys Scholarship Fund, the Trustees of which are willing to put some of their money into property instead of shares and will buy one of the properties but we will need to find an amount of approximately £200,000 to buy the other one.

The alternative, which is to expand the current buildings, would be prohibitively expensive because of the lie of the land, with steep slopes at the back and the front.

Another difficulty is that parking is strictly limited and newer minibuses no longer fit under the canopy.

The Barn and The Cottage

Vision for the Future We are at a crossroads: there is unlikely to be such a good opportunity again to purchase so near to the Coach House and from someone who is evidently willing and eager to sell to the School.

The Queen Mary’s Club Scholarship Fund has agreed to buy The Cottage by transferring their capital, currently in shares, for the purchase. The club would be the owners and would “let” the property to the School. It would also be available for holiday lets outside School times.

This purchase would have immediate advantages for the School:

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Main Room of The Barn

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the solution to the space problems and upgraded accommodation; greater scope for mixed gender groups; access to the septic tank which has been a problem in the past; a large parking area; greater potential for raising revenue through lettings.

However, the prospects in the longer term are perhaps even more exciting.

The current political agenda is for Multi-Academy Trusts, a system which allows successful schools to work more closely with other schools and partners. We see this as an opportunity to share some of our many privileges with other Walsall children, introducing them to the Queen Mary’s brand.

At the moment, the Coach House stands empty for much of the year.

With more space and flexibility through this additional purchase, we could offer outstanding facilities to others and really make the most of the asset we have.

As you can see from the photo, the enormous main room of The Barn has great potential to become a flexible learning and social space for anything from field courses to outward bound weekends.

Location Plan showing Farchynys Farm buildings, now converted to holiday-let properties, including The Cottage and The Barn.

The Barn kitchen

The Barn loft room

Outside spaces

Funding needed We need to raise ÂŁ200,000 to buy The Barn, and make any necessary conversion changes.

Please give generously to keep our traditions alive.

If you can Gift Aid your donation, it will add 25p to each ÂŁ1 you give - a quarter as much again! - so, as long as you are a UK tax-payer, it is well worth giving this your consideration.

If you have already completed a Gift Aid Declaration as a donor to our Development Campaign previously, then you do not need to complete another one.

For those who wish to transfer donations directly, please find the account details below. Please complete the form over the page so that we can properly account for the income.

Bank Account details: Lloyds Bank Account at The Bridge Walsall Account Number: 07089576 Sort Code: 30-99-06 BIC: LoydGB21083 IBAN: GB15 LOYD 3099 0607 0895 76

By signing this you confirm that you pay income tax that equals or exceeds the amount of tax that will be claimed by any or all charities to which you have donated gifts. If your circumstances change and you wish to cancel your Gift Aid Declaration, or you change your address, please contact us on one of the addresses on the back of this leaflet.

Signature ………………………………....…………. Date ………………..

Town/City ……...…………………………………… Postcode …………..

Home Address …………………………………………...……………….....

Title ….... Initials …...… Surname ……………………….………………

I, the undersigned, wish the charity to reclaim tax paid by me on all donations made after the date of the signature below and I hereby declare that I am a UK tax payer.

Gift Aid Declaration

I have already completed a Gift Aid Declaration for my donations.

I am unable to add to my donation by signing up to the Gift Aid scheme.

Please treat my gift as a Gift Aid donation and find my details below.

the sum of £……... each month for ….. months

I wish to pay by monthly standing order and shall pay directly in the Account shown below

I shall transfer this full amount direct to the Account shown below

Please find my cheque for the full amount herewith

I wish to donate £……….. to the purchase of The Barn as described in this leaflet.

Please complete the form below by ticking the appropriate boxes and return it to the address overleaf. Please also complete the Gift Aid Declaration on the page opposite, if at all possible.

Donation Slip

Queen Mary’s Club Queen Mary’s Grammar School Sutton Road Walsall WS1 2PG

t: 01922 720696 e: alumni@qmgs.walsall.sch.uk