Bursary Campaign
Invest in potential. Transform futures.
A message from the Campaign Patron.
As Lieutenant‑Governor of Jersey and His Majesty the King’s personal representative on the Island, I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the profound impact that education and opportunity have on our community.
With over 37 years of service in the Royal Navy, culminating in my role as Fleet Commander where I supported 25,000 personnel across ships, submarines, the Royal Marines, and the Fleet Air Arm, I have seen how access to resources and the right support can transform lives.
It is my honour to serve as Patron of the Victoria College 175th Anniversary Bursary Campaign. The purpose of this campaign – to nurture bright minds, foster innovation, and open doors for all – is deeply aligned with my own belief in aspirational opportunity and excellence sustained across generations.
Jersey thrives when every individual is given the chance to develop their talents and contribute to our Island’s future. By supporting this initiative, you are not merely funding education, you are investing in Jersey’s continued prosperity, ingenuity, and shared sense of purpose.
I warmly invite you to join me, alongside alumni, parents, and community champions, in supporting this cause. Together, we will ensure that future generations of young Jersey residents can step into their full potential and help shape the Island we love.
Vice‑Admiral Sir Jerry Kyd KBE Lieutenant‑Governor of Jersey
Phil Fortio
Born the son of a Portuguese immigrant, the bursary I received to attend Victoria College changed both my personal trajectory and that of my family. Having been apprehensive to attend as a kid, given that all of my friends at the time went to Les Quennevais, in hindsight I can say it was one of the best decisions of my life.
The bursary gave me the opportunity to become part of not only the college but also a wider community of students and teachers who moulded me into who I am today. I have fond memories of house music, house drama and the healthy competitive atmosphere that it ingrained in me as well as the sense of belonging. Extracurriculars such as the CCF, which offered opportunities like no other college, to trek the Brecon Beacons and experience being on board Mine Counter Measures ships with the Royal Navy helped round me out as an individual.
Without the science facilities at the college my passion for physics would never have emerged, which in turn would have meant I would never have studied at Imperial which was pivotal to securing my job in trading at Barclays before then going on to build my own business in London.
Having seen it through my own experience, bursaries like this not only change lives and families but empower individuals to be the best versions of themselves leading to longer term impact in the world we build tomorrow.
Bursaries like this not only change lives and families but empower individuals to be the best versions of themselves.
Invest in potential. Transform futures.
Victoria College’s 175th Anniversary Bursary Campaign
Victoria College has been shaping successful futures since 1852. As we approach our 175th Anniversary in 2027, we are launching our most ambitious fundraising initiative yet: a campaign to raise £5 million in donations and pledges over five years. This investment will transform lives by expanding our bursary provision and ensuring a Victoria College education is accessible to talented boys from every background.
Why Bursaries Matter
A Victoria College education inspires academic excellence, resilience, leadership, and kindness. But for many families, the cost of fees – currently £8,640 per year – is a barrier. Bursaries remove that barrier and create opportunities where a boy’s path in life can change dramatically, opening doors that might otherwise remain closed.
Currently, bursaries support around 5% of our pupils. Our vision is to increase this to 10% of students, ensuring that one in ten boys has his place secured through bursary support.
The Impact
Every bursary tells a story of opportunity:
A boy whose leadership skills flourished on the sports field.
A scientist inspired to pursue engineering.
An artist whose creativity was nurtured and celebrated.
These boys go on to become leaders, innovators, and contributors to Jersey and the wider world. The ripple effect of a bursary lasts a lifetime.
A message from the Campaign Chair.
As an Old Victorian, I’m acutely aware of how the values instilled at Victoria College stay with those who attend our school for life, and of the opportunities the education I received have afforded me. This is a school that not only nurtures academic excellence, but also fosters resilience, leadership, and most important of all friendship – qualities that shape futures and build communities.
It is therefore a privilege for me to Chair the Campaign Board for Victoria College’s 175th Anniversary Bursary Campaign. Our objective is clear: to raise at least £5 million so that more pupils – regardless of their financial background – have access to the transformational education and opportunities that Victoria College provides.
At its core, this Campaign is about unlocking potential and creating the means to change the course of young people’s lives in Jersey. Bursaries underpin a vibrant and diverse student body for the school, and are beneficial to our island as a whole for which education and the creation of home–grown future generation leaders is vital.
With your help, we can ensure that financial circumstances are not an obstacle, and that talent and ambition determine who walks through the doors of Victoria College.
I urge you to join us in this mission. Together, we can invest in potential, transform futures, and create a legacy that will endure for generations to come.
Martin Rowley
Old Victorian and Chair, Campaign Board
Evan Laframboise
Unfortunately, my parents split up when I was younger, so we fell upon a bit of financial hardship. The bursary scheme at Victoria College was huge for me. It was transformational. The college helped me build the confidence to be a leader and really grew me as a person. I was challenged in a way that I wouldn’t have been challenged anywhere else. I get quite emotional thinking about the person that donated. Thank you. It changed my life for the better.
Steve Ringsdore
I lived in rented accommodation with my mother and father. I never dreamt that I would come to a school like Victoria College. So, it was all just a bit of a shock and kind of disbelief when the results came through and I managed to get a place on the bursary scheme. I can’t ever remember a day when I didn’t look forward to going to school, that’s how good it was. The biggest satisfaction you will have if you donate a bursary is knowing that you’re going to give somebody like me the chance to have a life they would never have dreamed of.
A message from the Headteachers.
Victoria College’s vision is a world–class holistic education that inspires every individual to contribute positively to our schools and society. We encourage our students through all we do to be respectful, resilient and aspirational – our core values.
Our College, founded in 1852 and on a beautiful site overlooking St Helier, is more than just a school. We are a diverse community where everyone is valued and supported to achieve their potential. Our learning environment is a dynamic one, underpinned by kindness and compassion, and we operate a transformative curriculum in and out of the classroom that inspires excellence, curiosity and independent thinking.
We honour our rich history and fine traditions, much of it based around our House system, but we recognise that our College operates in the 21st Century and we look to the future in all we do. Though we are academically selective, we strive to be as inclusive as possible, to allow our school to be accessible to a wide cross section of the Island population. We achieve this through our commitment to supporting those with additional educational needs and in our growing bursary provision to open our doors to students from a wide range of financial circumstances.
We can be proud of the outstanding value–added in our academic results, our enviable range of co-curricular activities on offer, and our commitment to being an integral part of the Island community through charity and outreach programmes. Students go on to an impressive range of university and employment destinations, but as Old Victorians they all retain a strong and lifelong association with the College.
As we approach Victoria College’s 175th anniversary, we can think of no better way to honour our legacy than by widening access to the transformational education we provide. Our College is part of Jersey’s history, but this campaign is a commitment to our College’s future – ensuring that aspiration, talent and potential are what define a young person’s journey here, not their financial background. It is a legacy truly worth supporting and celebrating.
Dr Gareth J A Hughes Headteacher, Victoria College
Dan Pateman Headteacher, Victoria College Preparatory School
A message from the Foundation Chair.
This campaign marks the most ambitious initiative ever undertaken by the Victoria College Foundation. To succeed, we must rally support from individuals and organisations who share our belief in the transformative power of education. We need your help.
This campaign document outlines our goals and the reasons behind them. We hope the case for support is as compelling to you as it is to us. Financial support for educational bursaries is a pure form of altruism – perhaps the purest – whereby young lives are transformed and bright futures built.
Our aim is to increase the number of boys at Victoria College benefitting from bursary support to 10% of the student roll. Our Headteachers, Dr Gareth Hughes and Dan Pateman, explain why this matters – not only to each student, but to the entire school community.
Victoria College is a Government of Jersey, fee-paying, selective school for students aged 7 to 18, and has long been a cornerstone of Jersey’s educational landscapes. While our fees are lower than many comparable UK schools, they remain out of reach for some families. As an Old Victorian myself and a parent who sent their child to the College, I know first hand the lifelong impact of a Victoria College education. That’s why I am so passionate about expanding access through bursaries – removing financial barriers for more families and opening doors to the world of opportunity this iconic school affords.
The impact of this campaign will be felt not only by the students it supports, but by the College as a whole and the wider Jersey community. I invite you to stand with the Victoria College Foundation in pursuit of this vital mission, and offer both my thanks and those of future students that will have their lives transformed by your support.
Paul Willing Chair, Victoria College Foundation
Columba Morling
Just over 12 years ago, I moved to the island and first walked through the gates of Victoria College. Thanks to the ‘T B Davis Bursary & Francis Charitable Trust’, I had the chance to benefit from the outstanding opportunities that the college provides to its students.
I am deeply grateful to those who made my bursary and time at Victoria College possible. It was more than financial support as it gave me the opportunity to learn, grow and lay the foundations for who I am today.
Prior to living in Jersey, my family and I were based in Essex, where I attended a state–funded primary school. As I finished my final year of primary education, my parents and I began exploring what secondary education options were going to be available to me in Jersey. Despite sitting the Victoria College entrance exam, my parents knew that even if I was accepted, attending the school was simply not going to be financially feasible. However, upon hearing about and receiving a bursary, a door was opened that allowed me to flourish academically and personally through my time at college.
Alongside my hard work, the access to fantastic teaching and a strong learning environment at Victoria College led me to achieve my academic potential at both GCSE and at A–level. In particular, my physics teacher at A–level, Dr Cooke, sparked my interest beyond the syllabus, and since then, I have gone on to earn my integrated Master’s of Physics from Durham University.
Despite being busy studying at school, some of my most memorable moments came from the vast array of co–curricular activities available. I built many friendships through the inter–house sport competitions, and even led Bruce to house music victory back in 2020! As university life neared, I looked to give back to the college through prefectship and was given the headmaster’s award for contribution to college.
Looking back, I am deeply grateful to those who made my bursary and time at Victoria College possible. It was more than financial support as it gave me the opportunity to learn, grow and lay the foundations for who I am today. As I now begin my working career in London, I carry these experiences and lessons with me.
Making your gift.
How we will reach our goal
To achieve our £5 million target, we have created an example Scale of Giving that illustrates the level and range of support required. This helps show how every gift, whether large or small, plays a vital role in reaching our goal.
We are able to offer the opportunity to spread donations over a five–year pledge period, making it easier for supporters to give at a level that suits them. Gifts can also be made in a tax–efficient way, including through Jersey Gift Support and tax relief, ensuring your generosity goes even further.
Wojtek ‘Aru’ Wiecek
In 2015, I received a full bursary to study at Victoria College, coming from a low–income, Polish family and having high aspirations to make a difference to the natural world. Go forward 10 years and here I am, finishing off my placement year at the Millennium Seed Bank and preparing a presentation for the 11th World Conference on Ecological Restoration with one more year left of studying Natural Sciences at the University of Durham.
Victoria College helped me so much in fulfilling my potential with its educational merit, room for growth, and extensive assortment of extra–curricular activities which wouldn’t have been possible for me to experience without this bursary.
Victoria College helped me so much in fulfilling my potential.
Your legacy of opportunity.
Every bursary has the power to change a life. With your support, we can ensure that more boys have the chance to fulfil their potential at Victoria College.
Naming a bursary
For those wishing to make a transformational gift, there is the opportunity to name a bursary in recognition of your generosity. Based on current fees and projected inflation, the cost of supporting one boy through Victoria College for 11 years from Year 3 to Year 13 is around £125,000.
For those looking to create a permanent legacy, a gift of approximately £500,000 would endow a full bursary in perpetuity, ensuring that future generations continue to benefit:
Listed in College marketing materials relating to bursaries.
Acknowledged on the Victoria College website.
Celebrated on our dedicated Wall of Thanks, a permanent installation within the College.
This recognition highlights your commitment to widening access and inspires others to follow your example.
The impact of your support
A bursary is more than financial help. It is:
A sliding doors moment that can transform the course of a boy’s life.
An opportunity to learn, grow and thrive in an environment of excellence.
A chance to contribute to a richer, more diverse College community.
The ripple effect extends far beyond one student – to families, the Island, and the wider world.
Now is the time to act. By joining us in this campaign, you can be part of Victoria College’s proud tradition of investing in potential and transforming futures.
Your support will ensure that financial barriers never prevent a boy from becoming the best version of himself. Together, we can reach our goal of £5 million and secure bursary provision for generations to come.
