2025-26 Impact Report
Welcome
Upon joining Cheltenham College and Preparatory School in Spring 2026, I am deeply grateful for the remarkable community that surrounds both schools.
Our ability to provide a truly transformational education is strengthened by the generosity of all our philanthropic supporters. The gifts we have received take a number of forms and we
are grateful for them all; your time, your expertise and your financial donations. They have all helped to bring to life the College’s vision of an all-round education that goes ‘beyond and above’ for all our pupils, every day.
An excellent education carries a responsibility to give back and to leave the world a little better than we found it. Through our partnerships with All Saints’ Academy and the Cheltenham Education Partnership, our pupils and staff play an active and meaningful role with the wider community, and we are proud of the contribution our community makes to the town.
Philanthropy is part of the College’s history and culture. And the position of this great school is evidenced by a supportive community that gives back. On behalf of the pupils and my colleagues, thank you to everyone who has contributed so much to the progress and enhancement of Cheltenham College and Cheltenham Preparatory School and I look forward to the schools going from strength to strength in the future.
Mr Chris Townsend Headmaster
The impact of Cheltenham College and Prep on the Cheltenham economy in 2024/25
1,178 Pupils
*GVA arises from the income generated by the schools and the staff they directly employ, the purchases of goods and services, staff employed spending their salaries in the economy and investment in capital projects. It is estimated by subtracting non-staff expenditure from
Philanthropy in action
£1,533,000 raised
84 total donors
12 state school partnerships
8 transformational bursaries
84 careers speakers
£39,600 raised for charities
“As a young man playing cricket, I was aware that someone a generation earlier had made that possible for me by giving to the club. That has always stayed with me and that idea of paying it forward continued in the Army, where Sarah and I gave a day’s salary to charity every year from the age of eighteen.
When I came to work for Cheltenham College, we wanted to do the same for this great school. People assume a school like this is well-endowed, but it isn’t and the costs of moving forward and offering more than excellent teaching are considerable.
In my tenure here as Estates Bursar, the College refurbished the College and Prep Science Departments and the Chatfeild-Roberts library with the fantastic benefit of philanthropy,
We believe in the value of a Cheltenham College education, developing the whole person by nurturing curiosity, creativity, character, community and continuous excellence in every pupil. Fees do not cover the cost of educating every pupil and we are so grateful to those who give and help us to provide the bursaries and educational opportunities to make this a truly excellent and inclusive school.
Please give to Cheltenham College if you feel able to – every gift makes such a huge different to us.
and those spaces have been transformational for College. I know that the pupils here are following their passions in this extraordinary place because others choose to support it. It is our privilege to continue to play a part in that.”
Kirk Steel, Former Estates Bursar and past parent
THANK YOU
College military colours
Cheltenham College holds the rare privilege of its own consecrated Royal Colours. This honour is shared by a select few non-military schools, awarded in recognition of the sacrifice made by Old Cheltonians in two World Wars. The College’s Combined Cadet Force (CCF) connection dates back to 1862.
Thanks to the exceptional generosity of Andrew Blowers (L, 1979), the College’s Colours are to be updated for King Charles III, reflecting our enduring commitment to service, tradition and remembrance. The formal presentation of the new Colours will take place later this year.
Right: The Princess Royal last presented Cheltenham College’s Royal Colours in 2000.
Chapel refurbishment
Chapel is so important for our pupils. It is a place of reflection, community and shared tradition. However, due to changes to fire regulations after the Manchester Arena bombing, the capacity of Chapel has been severely restricted in recent years. Thanks to a generous donation by the Cooper family, we have been able to make some alterations to the building which have allowed us to reopen Chapel to the whole school. We are thrilled to be able to welcome the entire College community into Chapel again, and the loud hymn singing can be heard from Sandford Road once more!
Cricket
Cricket has been at the heart of life at Cheltenham College since its founding in 1841. The College Ground is globally renowned as the home of the Cheltenham Cricket Festival, the longest-running cricket festival in the world on an out-ground.
New cricket nets
In Spring term 2026, we opened our brand new cricket nets on College Lawn. This wonderful investment in our pupils’ cricket was made possible through a generous legacy donation from David Sewell (Day Boy, 1959). Cricket is so important to College life as it is much more than just a sport – it builds community, teaches our pupils discipline and respect, and it opens up opportunities at university and beyond.
Chris Coley Cricket scholarship
Chris Coley (Thirlestaine, 1963) began his career as a teacher before becoming Marketing Manager for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. He went on to establish his corporate hospitality business, spanning two major Cheltenham sporting festivals: the National Hunt Festival and Cheltenham College Cricket Festival. Thanks to his passion for cricket and College, he has chosen to support a cricket scholarship for Henry (NH) who joined in 2025 and is a cricketer of considerable promise. Henry’s scholarship supports both his development as a player and gives him access to a life changing education at Cheltenham College.
Each and every bursary and scholarship recipient makes us a more inclusive and aspirational place. It is critical that we continue to open our doors and support pupils that show potential, and we are so grateful to Chris for this opportunity.
Two remarkable Cheltonians
Our two bursary endowment funds honour men of different eras, but whose connection to Cheltenham College endures.
Guy Dodd (H, 1959) returned to College as a member of staff in 1966, serving as Housemaster of Leconfield from 1977-1982 and then on College Council from 1999-2005. His obituary in The Cheltonian described him simply as ‘a wonderful man’ to whom the College community remains forever indebted. After he passed away during Covid, the community rallied to consider how best to commemorate him, and it was felt that a bursary in his name was something Guy himself would have approved of. The bursary established in his memory is for pupils who reflect his values and will make the most of the all-round education at College. Gifts continue to be received from those who benefitted from his guidance and care, a testament to the lasting impression he made on all who knew him.
Edward Wilson (Day boy, 1891) is among the most celebrated Old Cheltonians in the College’s history. A member of Captain Scott’s ill-fated Antarctic expedition of 1912, Wilson was also a pioneering figure in what we now recognise as Extreme Sports Medicine, a distinguished wildlife artist and naturalist, and a man of deep Christian faith. His story continues to inspire, and it is fitting that his name should be associated with a bursary that opens the doors of Cheltenham College to those with the potential to make the most of everything it offers.
Looking ahead
The funds form a combined endowment of over £1 million, invested to generate annual income supporting one full and one partial bursary whilst continuing to grow in value. The inaugural Dodd and Wilson bursaries have already been awarded, with recipients joining the Lower Sixth in September 2025. We are hugely grateful to all those whose generosity has made these funds possible.
Our ambition to grow them further, supporting additional places and ensuring that the values of Guy Dodd and Edward Wilson shape future Cheltonians. We warmly invite you to make a contribution if you are able to. Whether you knew Guy personally, have been moved by Edward Wilson’s story, or simply believe in the transformative power of a College education, your contribution will make a tangible difference. To give or to find out more, please scan the QR code or contact the Development Office.
“The catalyst for me becoming a donor to College was the current government’s decision to impose VAT on school fees, which I saw as a direct attack on parental choice and aspiration that would inevitably penalise most those who strive the hardest to educate their children privately. We are in the lucky position where we can afford to donate something extra each month to support both bursaries and future capital projects at College. We want to see College continue to thrive well into the future, as well as being able to attract talented students from different backgrounds through bursaries and scholarships.”
- Current parent of two pupils at College
The Fortitude Window by James Hogan, Cheltenham College Chapel
Guy Dodd (H, 1959)
OUR FUNDRAISING
Bursaries
There are deserving and talented pupils with the potential to flourish here who will never have the opportunity to do so without philanthropic support.
A bursary does more than pay school fees, it changes the trajectory of a young person’s life. Recipients gain access to exceptional teaching, pastoral care, and the full breadth of a Cheltenham College education. An endowment of £1.2 million can sustain a bursary pupil’s place here in perpetuity.
Boarding Houses
The boarding houses are the heart of College life, yet their fabric is in need of renewal. High quality boarding houses create environments in which young people can thrive. Pupils who feel at home in their house engage more fully with everything College life has to offer. Gifts to this area will support sensitive renovation that preserves what is historic whilst meeting the demands of a modern education.
College estate
Maintaining and developing an estate of this scale and age requires sustained investment that routine income alone cannot meet. The school invests £1 million per annum in its fabric, but without philanthropic support, we face difficult choices between essential maintenance and the transformational investment that keeps us competitive among the best independent schools. Donations to our College heritage and buildings benefit every pupil, every year, and leave a visible and lasting mark on an institution that has shaped lives since 1841.
£1m per annum
£500k per annum
£1m per annum
Legacies
Throughout the history of Cheltenham College, legacy gifts have provided significant support and continue to be an important part of our fundraising. These are deeply personal donations and have provided bursaries, restored historic buildings, and improved the College and Prep sites. A gift in your will is a way to make a lasting impact, and to recognise your generosity, you will be invited to join the Hugh Reeves Society.
OC Nigel’s (W, 1976) legacy will change the life of a future Cheltenham College pupil, funding their education in full. Legacies like this are among the most powerful acts of generosity our Cheltonian community can make, and they sustain our College long into the future. They fund bursaries, buildings, and opportunities that no single annual gift could achieve alone, ensuring that Cheltenham College remains a place of ambitiously high standards and accessible to the best and brightest pupils.
“Cheltenham College gave me opportunities I might never otherwise have had. I was the first in my family to go to university, and the care and encouragement I found here set me on my way. Cricket and the teachers here shaped me profoundly. Leaving a legacy feels like the natural way to pass that on. Even one per cent of your estate can make a transformative difference to a young person’s life at College. I know we are all busy, but I encourage you to pick up the phone. You’ll carry a good feeling knowing you’ve done something lasting for young people who come after you.”
Nigel Rowley (W, 1976)
If you would like to leave a gift in your will to Cheltenham College, we would be honoured to speak with you in confidence. Every legacy, of any size, makes a lasting difference.
Please visit: cheltoniansociety.org/pages/legacies
Or reach out to Hannah Redman, Development Director: h.redman@cheltenhamcollege.org, 01242 709 245
Thank you
All in the Cheltenham College and Prep community, including Council, would like to extend our sincere thanks to the OCs, current and past parents, staff and friends who support our charitable work by making a gift or informing us of their intention to leave a legacy.
We are extremely grateful to everyone who has supported Cheltenham College and Prep with a financial donation in the last year, and also those who have supported the school by volunteering their time and expertise.
5 anonymous donors
Mr Lawrence Anderson (Thirlestaine, 1959)
Mr Antony Anderson (Thirlestaine, 1953)
Mr Jeremy Astley-Sparke (Cheltondale, 1959)
Mr Phil Attwell
Mr Warren Ayres (Christowe, 1966)
Mr Peter Badham (Thirlestaine, 1965)
Mr David Bartholomew (Christowe, 1970)
Mr Christopher Bennett (Hazelwell, 1975)
Mr Edward Bliss (Newick, 1954)
Mr Geoffrey Brooke-Taylor (Christowe, 1967)
Mr Russell Brown
Mr Jonathan Bryant (Newick, 1961)
Mr Nicholas Burge (Boyne, 1979)
Mr Ian Burns-Thomson (Day Boy, 1951)
Mr Richard Carter-Lewis (Day Boy, 1959)
Mr Jae Chalfin (Leconfield, 1996)
Mr John Chatfeild-Roberts (Leconfield, 1980)
Miss Christina Chong (Chandos, 2002)
Mr Christopher Coley (Thirlestaine, 1963)
Mr Giles Cook (Leconfield, 1964)
Mr Keith Cottrell (Hazelwell, 1967)
Dr Paul Davies (Boyne, 1969)
Mr Christopher Day (Christowe, 1956)
Mr Angus Dodd (Hazelwell, Wilson, 1985)
Mr Russell Evans (Christowe, 1954)
Lt Col Alan Foster (Christowe, 1965)
Mr Philip Gossage (Hazelwell, 1969)
Dr Michael Greenwood (Christowe, 1967)
Mr James Headington (Newick, 1982)
Mr Matthew Hind (Cheltondale, 1986)
Mr Andrew Holbrook (Christowe, 1965)
Mr Thomas Hooper (Cheltondale, 1985)
Dr Nicholas Howell (Boyne, 1964)
Mr Cameron Hoyler (Hazelwell, 2003)
Mrs Nicola Huggett
Mr John Hyatt (Christowe, 1964)
Mr Anthony Isaacs (Boyne, 1952)
Mr Stuart Jones (Newick, 1961)
Mr Peter Krakenberger (Hazelwell, 1968)
Mr Robin Laugher (Boyne, 1963)
Dr Richard Lawson (Newick, 1976)
Mr Malcolm Leeding (Day Boy, 1958)
Mr Christopher Long-Price (Newick, 1964)
Mrs Valerie Maxwell
Mr Patrick McCanlis (Boyne, 1966)
Mr Julian Metcalfe (Leconfield, 1974)
Mr Rupert Middle (Leconfield, 1977)
Mr Derek Miller (Boyne, 1958)
Mr Michael Muller (Thirlestaine, 1969)
Mr William Nichol (Hazelwell, 1984)
Mr Adam Ogilvie (Leconfield, 1966)
Mr Hugo Parnell-Hopkinson (Southwood, 2015)
Mr Simon Pattinson (Newick, 1962)
Mr Alex Pettifer
Mr John Prytherch (Leconfield, 1969)
Mr Matthew Rees (Newick, 1989)
Mr Kim Roberts (Newick, 1978)
Mr Christopher Robson (Thirlestaine, 1966)
Mr James Rogers (Christowe, 1971)
Mr Charles Seltman (Hazelwell, 1966)
Mr David Sewell (Day Boy, 1959)
Mr Nicholas Shryane (Thirlestaine, 1974)
Mr Anthony Skinner (Boyne, 1955)
Mr Ian Slatter (Cheltondale, 1956)
Mr Kirk Steel
Mr Robert Stephens (Hazelwell, 1955)
Mr Michael Swiney (Newick, 1969)
Mr Thomas Szeto
Mr Nigel Taylor (Southwood, 1978)
Mr Richard Thomas (Newick, 1953)
Mr Robert Thompson (Leconfield, 1984)
Dr Jeremy Tong (Hazelwell, 1995)
Mr Ted Tuppen
Mr Niall Warry (Hazelwell, 1969)
Mr John Waters (Boyne, 1960)
Mr William Whittuck (Newick, 1960)
Mr David Williamson (Christowe, 1979)
Mr Charles Wright
Mr Peter Wynter Bee (Leconfield, 1973)
We make every effort to ensure these lists are as accurate as possible. However, if we have omitted your name or the acknowledgement is not quite as you would like, do let us know and we would be happy to publish corrections in the next list.
“It can change someone’s life and give an opportunity they would never otherwise have had. There are so many people at College who care about what you do. Your housemaster, your teachers, they all want you to succeed. That support, and the way it broadens your horizons, moulds you as a person. You leave having made friends for life.”
Charlie (N, 2024) came to Cheltenham College in 2022 on a full bursary and rugby scholarship, arriving from Tredegar Comprehensive School in the Welsh Valleys.
After an initial settling in period, he relished the chance to develop his game under Olly Morgan, Director of Rugby and former England player. He was member of the Dragons Academy in Wales and also entered conversations with Gloucester Rugby before an ACL injury intervened. Beyond rugby, smaller classes, attentive housemasters and the bonds of boarding gave him a sense of people genuinely invested in his future and helped him secure the A levels that opened the door to university.
He is now studying Sports Coaching at Cardiff Metropolitan University, hoping to pay his experience forward with the next generation of players.
“Being a scholar from the age of 13 was an immense privilege and shaped my life-long love of learning. The support I received, both academically and financially, gave me the chance to pursue any discipline I wanted. My hope as a new teacher is that I can make my lessons as entertaining and invigorating as those I received when I was at College.”
Charles (L, 2021) arrived at Cheltenham College in 2016 thanks to the financial support of both an Academic and a Music scholarship, and credits them for shaping his passions at school and in later life.
He embraced scholarship life fully, presenting at the Lower College Society, organising talks for the Morley Society, and stretching himself academically throughout his five years. Funded music tuition enabled him to study piano, alto saxophone and clarinet, and singing with the Schola Cantorum kindled a love of choral music which remains to this day.
At Lincoln College, Oxford, he won an academic scholarship and graduated with a First in History in 2024, followed by a Master’s in Medieval History in 2025. He is currently a policy researcher at the Centre for Geopolitics in Cambridge, writing on transatlantic relations and British foreign policy, and will join St Edward’s School, Oxford as a teacher from September 2026.
Ways to give
Get in touch
For for more information, please contact in confidence:
Hannah Redman, Development Director h.redman@cheltenhamcollege.org 01242 709 245 cheltoniansociety.org/supportus
Credit or debit card
To make a singular or regular donation online by card please visit: cheltoniansociety.org/ fundraising/donation/
Bank transfer or cheque
BACS: Cheltenham College Charitable Trust
Sort Code: 30-91-87
Account No: 00177048
Swift Code: LOYDGB 2L
IBAN: GB72 LOYD 3091 8700 1770 48
BIC: LOYDGB 21054
Ref: Surname, Initial, DONATION
Make your cheque payable to ‘Cheltenham College Charitable Trust’ and posted to: Development Office, Cheltenham College Bath Road, Cheltenham GL53 7PN
Leave a legacy
• Did you know that our School has a charitable foundation?
• Did you know that 1 in 10 of our bursaries is funded by a legacy gift?
• Did you know that you can leave our school even 1% so that those closest to you inherit 99%? You can of course leave more if you want to.
• Did you know that by leaving a gift in your Will, you could reduce the amount of inheritance tax you need to pay in the future?
UK Gift Aid
UK taxpayers can increase donations by 25p for every £1 donated by ticking the Gift Aid box on the gift form. Cheltenham College will increase the value of your gift by reclaiming tax from HMRC, at no cost to you. Gift Aid is extremely valuable to Cheltenham College – please ensure you tick the relevant box on our donation forms, or fill out this brief form to make any past and future donations eligible for Gift Aid. https://cheltoniansociety.org/fundraising/gift-aid
Regular giving
Rather than making a single gift, many of our donors choose to give on a monthly or annual basis by Standing Order. This is a more convenient arrangement for them and it means a great deal to our School, allowing us to plan for the future on the basis of a regular income. Make a regular donation with our donation form or by card by clicking here.
Share giving
Donating shares is one of the most tax-effective ways to give to charity. Giving HMRC qualifying shares to charity means you get Income Tax relief on the value of the shares as well as exemption from Capital Gains Tax. For more details, please contact: development@cheltenhamcollege.org
International giving
For gifts from the United States, please visit the British Schools & Universities Foundation. To give tax effectively from outside of the UK, or for donations of stock, property or matched employer giving, please contact development@ cheltenhamcollege.org for more details.
cheltoniansociety.org/supportus
