Introductions

On a serious note, I would like to express my sincere gratitude on behalf of my fellow Foundation Trustees to all those who supported the Foundation over the last year.

As many of you will know last year saw the close of the Chapel and Silk Fund campaign. Some of you may have seen the donor board outside Chapel – it has some 1,400 names on it. Truly remarkable. If you have not had the chance to see the completed Chapel, I urge you to do so – it really is some outcome.

The Foundation plays a pivotal role in helping to deliver the College’s vision. In my humble opinion none of the strategic priorities are more important than the goal of growing funded places – with the target of 20% of fee income in the form of fee remission. Our work is by no means done – this percentage currently stands at approximately 8%. helps the Warden no end regarding delivering the four strategic pillars of the vision – People, Place, Partnership and Purpose. Donors’ generosity will have a positive impact upon the school for generations to come. How proud Messrs Sewell and Singleton would be of what has been achieved so far.

My final word of thanks must go to the Foundation’s Development Director Elisabeth Anderson and her staff. I was lucky enough to spend time with them to celebrate the closing of the campaign. A remarkable group of individuals that combine to make a wonderful team. They have all worked tirelessly through thick and thin and I am deeply proud to be involved with such high-quality people.

Will Maydon (1986, B) Chairman of the Trustees, Radley Foundation

Editor's note: We heartily apologise for mistyping Mr Maydon’s matriculation year in the Impact Report 2021. We wish him all the best in his milestone year.

However, the moment has meant much more than that, lovely though the celebrations have been. We decided at the outset that it needed to be about planning ahead rather than just looking back. Both matter, of course; we are always seeking to balance our love of tradition with a desire to be at the cutting edge of education . . . good schools should always be doing that. We remain true to our roots but build on them too. As we look to build our partnerships strategy, implement our new sustainability plan and introduce our scheme to develop an entrepreneurial mindset – three examples – it is good to do so from a position of strength.

The same balance is at the heart of the work of the Foundation. We are hugely grateful to all who have donated, not least those who supported the recent Campaign. We look back on 175 years of generosity which has helped the College deliver the education it has . . . right back to those donations that helped Radley launch in the first place. But we look forward too.

We are ambitious. We seek by the end of the decade to have achieved our target of 20% of our fee income to be in the form of awards to those who cannot otherwise come to Radley. We hope to gain the support of those who can make transformational gifts. We want to demonstrate the value of regular giving where donors can know they are contributing to an ongoing vision. We want to encourage those who may be able to recognise the College in the form of a legacy. Whatever the size, or nature, of the donation, we want to build a giving community that feels part of the process as we seek to fulfil Sewell’s original vision.

That is the point of looking back. To know where we come from. To know that Sewell would approve. And to continue the work of the past 175 years for the next 175. As you will see from this report, it has an impact. One that is lasting.

John Moule Warden