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75 Years of Bursary Fundraising at Ampleforth
75
Years of Bursary Fundraising at Ampleforth
75 years ago, Fr Benet Perceval and a group of Old Amplefordians set out on a fundraising mission in the wake of the Second World War. Their ambition was to engage as many parents, alumni and former parents as possible to support the construction of a War Memorial at Ampleforth College and to provide fee assistance to children who could not otherwise afford to attend Ampleforth.
I don’t think they could have anticipated what they managed to achieve. Through thousands of small, and the occasional large, regular “subscriptions” to the War Memorial Fund over the course of a few years they raised enough money not only to build the War Memorial Chapel but they laid the foundation for our longest standing bursary programme at Ampleforth College.
Providing means tested bursaries has always been a cornerstone of Ampleforth, with one in five children over the last twenty-five years having received support to attend the College. Many of these were recipients of Fr Benet’s War Memorial Fund, and we have received some significant donations and pledges of support for bursaries over the years, often in the wills of Old Amplefordians. We also have a number of Old Amplefordians and former parents who offer a regular small donation towards the bursary fund every month.
Our mission in the long term is to grow the resources we have available to support this bursary programme, through small and large donations and the long-term impact of legacies. A bursary offered has a long-term impact, no matter its size, and its ripples can be felt far and wide as Amplefordians go on to create real value in the world, in small and large ways.
Rory Smith (H09)
“I was fortunate enough to receive a bursary during my time at the College, which enabled me to access far more than just an education. The lessons I learnt at Ampleforth continue to shape all aspects of my life today; from the way I build my career and communicate with others, to starting a family and raising a child. After leaving in 2009, I decided to travel alone, to India to work as a reporter for a national newspaper in Chennai. A move that cemented my interest in writing and kick-started my career in journalism. Having the confidence to make that initial move - no matter how daunting - was down to my experience at Ampleforth.
Now, as I look back with a bit of perspective gained from exploring the wider world and everyday experiences, it’s funny to think of Ampleforth as ever being daunting or overwhelming. Instead, it’s proved to be one of the few constants in an ever-changing world. I now know that the sense of scale I recognised as a teenager, is not just about the size of the buildings or the extent of the grounds, but more the scale of the opportunities available to someone with an Ampleforth education. I don’t know who provided the funding for my bursary and I’m sure I never will but there isn’t a day where I’m not grateful for the kindness someone once showed me and many others. Regardless of the size or scale of that financial contribution at the time, a bursary donation has a lasting impact, which can be felt much further down the line.”
To find out more about supporting our bursary programme at Ampleforth College, please contact Emma Craig, Head of Development –
