Supporter Update Issue 8: November 2023
Latest news from the Development Office
I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you. You are receiving this newsletter because you have supported The Foundation or the College in some way last year. I am so grateful to know we have your unwavering support. Fundraising is becoming increasing complex under this economic climate and your loyalty and generosity is appreciated now more than ever. Thank you. Adam Williams, Headmaster
Headmaster thanks you all for Centenary Appeal generosity! And thank you from the newly re-named Philanthropy & Alumni Relations Team! Our centenary year presented us with a unique opportunity to plan some truly extraordinary fundraising events and you responded with such enthusiasm and generosity. To be more precise, we welcomed over 500 new donors last year which was truly astounding. We were delighted with the results not just in terms of income for the Appeal but the memories created that we hope will last a lifetime. The Centenary Appeal was split into three parts raising money for The Foundation, Foundationer Extras and the Centenary Sculpture. You raised a staggering £635,604 which is a 31% increase from the previous year. Please see the annual income summary on page six to take a more detailed look. Over £8,000 was raised at our inaugural Centenary event, The Beckwith. This was a great start and we were so grateful to see your generosity return at The Beckwith 2023 this September. It was our intention to devise an event that would
TOTAL R AI 2022/ SED 23
£635,6
04
not only embed a new tradition here at LWC but also act as an introduction to The Foundation for new families at LWC. Such was the success of the event, we were thrilled to hear that we had been shortlisted for ‘Schools’ Engagement Campaign of the Year’ by the Institute of Development Professionals in Education. Fingers crossed for a win! The Beckwith was just the beginning and as the months rolled on you dug deep in your pockets for our first ever Giving Day in March 2023, generously supported our Sahara Trekkers who went above and beyond for The Foundation, and ensured that our bronze bust of our founder, Sydney James Stern, was installed outside the Flowers Science Centre. Please do pay him a visit if you have not already done so. The Centenary Year drew to a close with our unforgettable Festival in June where we were able to say a formal thank you to our Donor Club members at our summer Donor Reception. It is fair to say that 2022/23 was an incredible fundraising year for the school and we can’t thank you enough for making it so successful. What a year of memories!
£51,000 R AISED
THANK YOU
The bronze bust was unveiled in June 2023 in time for our Centenary Festival.
Centenary sculpture unveiled Installing a sculpture of Baron Sydney James Stern has been something Sternians have wanted for a very long time. We were delighted to finally unveil the bronze bust at the end of the Summer Term to recognise and honour our benefactor and the incredible legacy he left. It is thanks to you and your kind donations that we were thrilled to be able to give the go ahead to sculptor Vincent Gray to commission the sculpture. The bust took over six months to make from start to finish. The first stage being the creation of a maquette depicting a miniature version of what the sculpture would look like. It was wonderful to see this mini version and
get a glimpse of what Lord Wandsworth would have looked like. The sculptor then created the bust in clay before it was then cast in resin. Finally, the resin sculpture was moved to the foundry to be cast in bronze. This impressive bronze bust now stands proudly in Stern Court, outside the Flowers Science Centre where it can be admired and enjoyed by everyone on campus. It gives a real opportunity to reflect on all that has been achieved since his bequest in 1912. With new seating and beautiful flower beds all around the court, staff, pupils and visitors can sit and enjoy this quiet, relaxing corner of the campus at any time of the day.
Foundation and Foundationer Extras Foundation News Seven new Foundation pupils joined us in September. We were so pleased to be able to offer all of these pupils a 110% award ensuring they were equipped with uniform, a laptop and all the other essentials for their start at LWC. We are also delighted to report that 27 of our 47 Foundationers are on 100+% Awards (57%). We would really like to see this percentage increase year on year. The application process for September 2024 entry has begun and the Foundation team have already met some wonderful children. Pete Maidment stepped down from his role as Foundation Tutor in July as he accepted the role as Houseparent at Junior House. We were delighted to appoint Tom Shedden as Interim Foundation Tutor until a permanent replacement has been recruited.
launch of the Extras campaign last year, you have so generously gifted over £27,000 towards our extras pot of £50,000. We can’t thank you enough. The infographic below details how the extras money was allocated. As you can see, several of our Foundation pupils benefit from learning support lessons which is invaluable and it is wonderful to see music so well-funded, with many Foundationers taking up a musical instrument and enjoying one-to-one music lessons. Smaller ‘extras’ which you can’t see include important social events to help new pupils settle such as pizza and bowling nights. It is a most precious pot of money that is ensuring our Foundationers really get the most out of being at LWC. Thank you so much for supporting this appeal.
6%
Foundationer Extras As you know, a Foundation Award is not able to cover the cost of so many ‘extras’ that a Foundation pupil may need at LWC such as uniform, music and drama lessons or a laptop for their studies. Our goal when we launched the appeal was to ensure all pupils are on an equal footing and have access to the same opportunities and experience as everyone else. Since the
Extras Spending
8% 28%
10%
Learning Support Music
£50,000 14%
Learning Technology Transport Co-curricular
10%
24%
Uniform Other (exam fees etc.)
Overseas Challenge 2025
KEY INFORMATION When:
26th Feb - 2nd Mar 2025*
Duration:
5 days/4 nights
Trip Cost:
£2,105
Additional Fundraising
Join us on our 2nd adventure in aid of the Lord Wandsworth Foundation.
Target:
£1,300
Deposit:
£200
The destination is Iceland (if you hadn’t guessed already from the pictures!). After a hugely successful and memorable trip to the Sahara Desert last February, we have once again teamed up with adventure experts, Global Adventure Challenge to devise another life-changing experience. The trip is exclusively for Sternians, parents and guardians at LWC. An opportunity for you to get away and embark on a trip that would normally be reserved for pupils.
* date subject to minor changes dependent on flights
Are you seeking an adventure? Are you ready to re-live those school trip days and make some new friends through this incredible shared experience? Do you want to support The Foundation but haven’t yet found the perfect way to get involved? Then this is the trip for you. The trek will take adventurers through snow covered mountain scenery and geothermal valleys as you conquer local mountain passes. Seeing the Aurora Borealis (fingers crossed) will make it all worth while. Places are limited so don’t miss out.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS • Explore the beautiful rift valley lake of Þingvallavatn • Trek through the fascinating Geothermal Valley • Take a dip in the natural thermal rivers • A chance to see the awe-inspiring Northern Lights • Celebrate your achievements in Reykjavic as it may seem like a holiday but it will also be a real challenge!
RESERVE A PLACE! Scan the QR code to reserve your place OR contact Kate Boyd in the Philanthropy Office if you would like more information or to chat it through.
Focus - Legacy Giving Free Will writing service for the LWC community – Coming 2024 in partnership with Guardian Angels! An up-to-date, professionally written Will is an incredibly important document. It is the only way to ensure your wishes are carried out in the way that you want them to be. Because of this, we have teamed up with Guardian Angels to offer a free Will writing service to help make the process as simple and streamlined as possible. Our hope is that you might also consider leaving a gift to LWC in your will, but there is no obligation as part of this service. Leaving a gift in your Will to Lord Wandsworth College is a very personal and important decision that could have a monumental and lasting impact on future generations to come. People decide to leave money to schools through their Wills for many reasons but since the school opened in 1922, we have always had a charitable element which supports the Foundation, College projects, and The Sternian Trust Fund ensuring the College and its pupils feel supported in a variety of ways. This service will be available to you via phone / online / face to face from January 2024.
BE THE FIRST TO HEAR To be the first to hear about our Free Will Writing Service, please get in touch with Kate Boyd in the Philanthropy Office at boydk@lordwandsworth.org or call 01252 860297.
TAX EFFICIENT GIVING Did you know, gifts in wills to charities are deducted from your estate before the inheritance tax is calculated.
PLEASE SCAN THE QR CODE TO VIEW OUR NEW LEGACY BROCHURE
The 1912 Society go wine tasting! On Thursday 12th October, members of the 1912 Society and their guests went wine tasting at the quintessentially English vineyard, Denbies. Tucked away at the foot of Box Hill in the picturesque Surrey Hills, the vineyard is famous for its sparkling and table wines. After a fun train tour of the vineyard and some wine tasting, a delicious lunch was enjoyed taking in the breathtaking scenery. Events with the 1912 Society are always a great day out. There is plenty of reminiscing about the College and catching up with the Headmaster discussing forthcoming LWC plans for the future.
Focus Volunteering Thank you so much for your expertise! We are very fortunate to have such a generous and engaged community, not only giving financially but also offering time and expertise to our pupils and Sternians, which can be life changing. Without volunteers, we simply would not be able to deliver these hugely valued initiatives to our pupils who are beginning to decide their future career paths: • Round Table Talks – Series of informal talks for specific Sixth Form groups around their chosen subjects. Most recently, Dr Sally Bonneywell, award winning Executive Coach, came in to talk to our A level Psychology students. • 5th Form Mock Interviews – A chance for our 5th Form pupils to practice their interview techniques with parents and Sternians. A hugely valuable exercise with feedback given to each individual. • Futures Fair – Full day event for all pupils with a range of inspiring professionals who give up their time to come into school to talk about their chosen career path. • LWC Connect – Our very own networking platform specifically for the LWC community. Over 1,000 people have joined to date allowing young Sternians to connect with parents and Sternians whose careers / industry may be of interest when either thinking about University options or future careers. See below for more information on how to join up and get involved.
If you want to get involved with any of these initiatives, please contact: futures@lordwandsworth.org
LWC Connect A professional networking platform exclusively for the LWC community
12:00
How to join LWC Connect: 1) Register: Go to www.lwcconnect.org
Connect | Give Back | Expand Through our networking platform, you can not only register and begin networking yourselves but also let us know that you would like to get involved in mentoring our young pupils and Sternians.
Register with your email and memorable password Choose your affiliation – Sternian / parent, etc 2) Download the App: Go to your App Store Search ‘Graduway’ Enter ‘LWC Connect’ Sign in
Please do join the network using these steps:
Centenary Appeal - Income Summary 2022/23, our Centenary year, saw us bounce back in terms of fundraised income. Thank you to all of you who supported the College last year and helped us raise a total of £635,604, a huge improvement on the previous year £484,627 (31% increase). We are so grateful for everyone’s generosity. Whilst income from Trusts and Foundations for Foundationer fees decreased by c£57k, other donations increased by c£220k. The inaugural Beckwith, Sahara Trek and Giving Days played a huge role in helping us return to pre-pandemic levels, as did our continuing partnerships with some of our Cedrus Club members who maintained their support of the College and The Foundation through major gifts. Income from legacies also played an impactful role last year, with almost £50k of gifts from wills compared to the previous year of £10k.
Fundraising Income 2022/23 Total Raised £635,604 Foundation
£344,082
Foundationer Extras
£27,429
LWC Capital Projects
£36,165
Trusts & Foundations for Foundationer Fees
£227,928
The Centenary gave us the opportunity to shine a light on our Lord Wandsworth Foundation and all it has achieved for pupils here at the College for 100 years. We hope that the LWC Community continues to lend support to help fund these vital education awards for children who have lost the support of a parent, primarily through bereavement, now we have started our next 100 years. So far for 2023/24, we have raised c£150k. A huge thank you to those who have donated this academic year already, it is greatly appreciated.
COO update regarding VAT on school fees No doubt you will have noted the news and Labour’s language around independent schools and VAT/ Charitable Status. Whilst there has been mixed messaging in the press, and clearly a decision is yet to be made by any future government, this does mean, in practice, that all independent schools would have to add the imposed percentage on to fees in exactly the same way that VAT is paid on all other products. There is a danger that over 60,000 children will have to move from the independent sector and there are not enough places in the state sector for these children. If you find yourselves in positions where you can influence the debate, please do so. Naturally, we have been monitoring this for many months and planning for an ever-changing landscape, not to mention lobbying politicians (as a sector) and highlighting the various flaws and misconceptions with their current thoughts. To reassure you, we have strong financial management and are working hard to ensure that we identify all efficiencies in running the school in order to keep fee increases to a minimum.
In terms of social mobility, LWC and the whole sector spend millions annually offering life changing bursaries to a cross section of society and many of these education awards will be at risk as schools have to make tough decisions regarding their finances. It remains LWC’s ambition to preserve our Foundation and bursary provision, as this gives the College its depth and breadth. Furthermore, the College maintains a strong ambition to grow its facilities and offering and to ensure we are providing the best possible value for money and the highest quality experience. LWC has a history of philanthropy, and we hope we may continue to rely on your support and that of the broader LWC Community to help us in our endeavours for future LWC pupils and their families. If you would like further information, please do not hesitate to ask. Baz Bennett Chief Operating Officer at LWC
Dates for the diary! Christmas Carol Service The entire LWC community is welcome to join us at this magical, outdoor service followed by fireworks!
14th December 2023 6pm - 7.30pm Whole community event
Lionel Bart’s ‘Oliver’ Cedrus Club members are warmly invited to the closing night performance at The Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke.
25th January 2024
Futures Fair Please contact futures@lordwandsworth.org if you would like to volunteer for this whole school event.
15th March 2024
Mock Interview Morning Please contact futures@lordwandsworth.org if you would like to volunteer for this event.
23rd February 2024
Foundation Day All donors are welcome to attend our annual celebration at LWC.
21st March 2024
Donor Reception
The Beckwith 2024
Please save the date for our summer Donor Reception to be held at LWC.
Save the date for our annual 5k run/walk, in aid of The Foundation.
22nd June 2024
7th September 2024
Future Fundraising Campaigns As the College finalises our new strategy to take us to 2030, it is an opportunity to consider the role fundraising campaigns will play.
If you would like to be involved in shaping the future of our fundraising campaigns, please do get in touch with Sam.
We would like to ask our parents and Sternians for your input. The Philanthropy team will be carrying out a feasibility study over the coming months and we would like to reach out to donors, and those yet to donate, to gain your feedback about what we do well and what we could do better in terms of fundraising, as well as your insights into where we should concentrate our efforts. We plan to have individual meetings in person or virtually, as well as small and larger group discussions.
Also, if you have been wondering about making a donation towards something that hasn’t yet come up in a campaign and would like to start a conversation to explore options, Sam would be delighted to hear from you.
The Headmaster, Governors and Philanthropy Team would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to both our donors and volunteers for your support of the College that means so much to us. Many of you are new to the LWC Community and we welcome and thank you for your time and generosity.
GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PHILANTHROPY & ALUMNI RELATIONS OFFICE Sam Corfield, Director of Philanthropy & Alumni Relations
T: 01256 860243
Kate Boyd, Philanthropy Manager
T: 01256 860297
Clare Faherty, Alumni Relations Manager
T: 01256 860356
E: philanthropy@lordwandsworth.org Lord Wandsworth College, Long Sutton, Hampshire RG29 1TB Registered Charity No. 1143359
www.lordwandsworth.org/support-us