Charitable Foundation Director

A message from Heidi Hall, Charitable Foundation Director

The Charitable Foundation Office seeks to emulate the core values and original vision of our Founder, Dr Stephen Perse. An academic and learned philanthropist, Perse realised the primacy of education as an enabler of social mobility. Perse believed that an outstanding education should be a right rather than a privilege, accessible to all and his original ‘Grammar Free School’ was founded on these principles and helped to prepare local pupils for entry into Cambridge University. While Perse thought locally, our modern Foundation looks to the horizon in every direction, welcoming young people from the surrounding area but also from around the world and preparing them to thrive in, and serve, a global community. Through the development of a range of strategic programmes, we will in the future, amongst other initiatives, increase the opportunities for bursaries and undertake capital projects for the benefit of our students and the wider community. We will also seek to ensure that we build on partnerships within our community. In line with our charitable values we are committed to tackle inequality within Cambridge and beyond. We seek to create educational pathways and invest in talented young people whatever their background. In creating these projects and opportunities, we believe we can all become enablers and role models for change. Ultimately, our ambition is to inspire and to prepare all the young people we work with to go on to serve and improve society, and even to enhance humanity. The Charitable Foundation Office has only been in place for two years but has already made significant progress. In December 2021 we took part in The Big Give Christmas Challenge as a first fundraising approach to our wider community, and raised £27,000 in a week in support of the Bursary Fund. We have a strong and growing partnership with North Cambridge Academy, providing teaching support and extension in a number of academic subjects and 100% bursary places for students to join our Sixth Form. An innovative and productive new partnership with a locally based Company helps support this initiative. Other partnerships include the Cambridge Youth Panel, to whom we donated 50 iPads in December 2021 in support of their work to address digital inequity in the city. Our alumni operation is well established but with many opportunities ahead, including the introduction of the digital platform, Alumnet. The new Development Manager will play a key role in taking forward the work of the Charitable Foundation in fundraising and alumni relations.

If you would like the opportunity of a confidential and objective discussion about the role or have any questions in advance of making an application please contact Kate Inskip our Fundraising Consultant who is also working closely with us on this recruitment. Please email

Kate.inskip1@btopenworld.com

to arrange a call. Thank you for your interest in this dynamic role and the Stephen Perse Foundation which comes at an exciting time for the development of charitable giving. I will look forward to the possibility of meeting you during the recruitment process.

Heidi Hall

Charitable Foundation Director