Welcome to our Annual Review reflecting on the 2023 - 2024 year.
Impact is defined as having a marked effect or influence on an object, a person, or a circumstance. Please enjoy seeing the impact UWC Atlantic has had this past year due to your support.
In the pages ahead you’ll hear directly from Principal Naheed Bardai and gain additional insights into our shared vision. You will see a “By the Numbers” segment that reinforces the growing size, diversification, and academic excellence of our student body. I think you will particularly be interested in the student stories from Iru and Katy – who represent Uruguay and South Wales, respectively.
At UWC we often speak of three important ways you can make an impact: Time, Talent, and Treasure. As you continue reading, I trust you will be an “active reader”, meaning that you read with an intention to find those activities, projects, and volunteer opportunities that match your interests and inspire you to join in. You will read about a few of our volunteers, Ella, Horatio, Lutfey, and Dr. Laura Penn who spent TIME with the College community last year. You will hear of a newer initiative, the United Women for Change,
which could be an avenue for you to share TIME and TALENT as a member of a mentorship league. Read about our Donors, Pardon Makumbe and Paul and Anne Donovan, who are exemplars in terms of giving TREASURE. As the Donovan’s say in their article, donating to AC and meeting students has been “joyful, humbling, and rewarding”.
I have recently joined Atlantic College and whilst being new here, I am not new to philanthropy and partnership development. My goal is to build a strong platform for you and many others to leverage your giving to maximize the good we can all do together. There are few enterprises that can exist without meaningful funding. As you read on you will see UWC has audacious goals, but aren’t those the best sort? I am here to listen and to learn, so do reach out. I look forward to connecting with you.
Dr Jeanne Galloway Director of Philanthropy, Engagements, and Partnerships
We are at a very unique moment in time where the college is redefining its purpose and what the world needs from a UWC Atlantic education. Within the last year we’ve launched and completed the first year of our groundbreaking educational programme, the Systems Transformation Pathway: Leadership for Just Futures which enables us to help young people meet the challenges in the world right now.
As I write this our inaugural cohort are on their summer break implementing their project in their chosen impact area of either migration, energy, biodiversity or food, in their home context. We are preparing to welcome this year’s increased cohort as we continue to scale the educational programme. Reviews from both the International Baccalaureate and externally have been fantastic, that our students are exceptional and the buzz that has been created globally has been a real highlight of the year. We are once again innovating in education and leading the charge.
It is an incredibly interesting time when it comes to our philanthropic efforts, we have just joined the recently announced UWC Endowment which will help us to increase scholarships for talented but financially-constrained students allowing us enduring stability and growth that can weather time. We are moving towards a stage where we need to look at the long term financial sustainability of the college, when it comes to maintaining our campus as well as our ability to provide financial assistance to young people and now is the time where we need our community to come together and help the college thrive for the next 60 years.
We are also delighted to welcome Jeanne Galloway to the team as
Director of Philanthropy, Engagement and Partnerships. Jeanne brings with her a wealth of experience leading fundraising and external partnership development for organisations. Most recently, as the Vice President of Advancement and Strategic Engagements at Bastyr University, the largest natural health and wellness-focused university in the United States, Jeanne led a 30-person division securing endowment funding, launching a strategic communications plan and website, and doubling prospective student applications.
In what are turbulent times in our world, UWC Atlantic is needed more now than ever before and we would like to thank each and every member of our community who have helped us achieve our purpose and look forward to the year ahead.
Class Year Reps play a pivotal role as bridge builders between their cohorts and the collegeconnecting their past with our shared future. This helps us build support for our endeavours and to celebrate successes. We are ever grateful to all the Class Year Reps for investing their time and talent with us.
The UWC Atlantic Board members are prominent individuals (business, industry and academic leaders) whose commitment to the future of UWC Atlantic is either expressed through their lived experience as an alumni or who are living their lives through mission aligned values, either here in Wales or globally. Co-opted Committee Members have been brought in to add their expertise to a specific committee. Each Governor or Co-opted Committee member dedicates a significant number of hours to the college every year.
Contributors
Minimum Volunteer Hours Contributed
Financial Contribution Equivalent
12 £37,900 £276,250
OUR VOLUNTEERS
Ella du Breuil Class Rep
I volunteer for Atlantic Pacific at UWC Atlantic because I believe that training people to save others and reducing global drowning is incredibly important.
I also volunteer as a year rep because I believe completely in the UWC movement and I think keeping contact with our year is an important part of continuing international understanding.
Horatio Clare
Alum and Class Rep
One of my favourite jobs is messaging my wonderful year, along with my co-rep Brad Dickey, who is central to our fundraising.
It was magic to follow our sponsee, Sandrine from Togo, responding so magnificently to the chance our brilliant friends gave her. AC92 are delighted to top the table of response rates and donations, and would welcome competition for our crown from other years!
I was inspired by generations before me who have contributed tremendously and continue to do so for the financial sustainability of the college. There's tremendous engagement from alumni and I'm one of many.
Governor
Lutfey Siddiqi
VolunteerInsights
“This past March, I had the privilege of spending a week teaching UWC Atlantic students the art of leadership speaking. I donated my time and my expertise to support them with the skills that they need in order to both survive and thrive as communicators in today’s world. It was a highlight of my year to do this work and to experience the joy and the appreciation that it brought to students. I’ve already signed up to do it again next year…for two weeks!”
Dr. Laura Penn is a UWC Parent of Lucas Hedlund ‘24 (UWC Atlantic College) and Linnea Hedlund ‘22 (UWC Dilijan) and an international expert in the Speaking Arts and Leadership Communication. As founder of The Leadership Speaking School, based in Switzerland,
she supports leaders, teams and motivated youth to become authentic communicators of the digital age.
Dr. Laura Penn
Pardon Makumbe and Paulo (UWCA’24)
Pardon & Paulo Profile
My UWC experience has been nothing short of life-changing. I have never imagined myself growing and becoming the young adult I am right now who inspires pride in himself and those around them and this would not be possible without the complete support of the UWC Atlantic over these two years. These have been literally the best two years of my life so far and I am happy AC has provided me with the environment to go so far away from my comfort zone - and of course, the amazing and precious connections and friends that I made in this place, which I will carry for life.
Coming from a less privileged background, it was of extreme importance that someone would have the kind heart, pouring their resources into my formation and life, and everytime I stop to think about the fact that someone has done something like that for me, it almost makes me cry.
Pardon, my sponsor, has been a key figure in this transformation and experience I have undergone, and without him, nothing of this would be possible. So to him I am eternally grateful; his support truly changed my life.
To think that I was sponsored by someone who once walked the same halls and walls of the St Donats Castle truly speaks volumes about the sense of community and support fostered here at Atlantic College. I was sponsored by someone I consider very cool and a very successful person, who has taken steps and a path very similar to mine, so I truly look up to him as a person and I hope to make him and the UWC Atlantic staff proud one day.
Paulo (UWCA 24)
Fund
THIS YEAR THE ATLANTIC FUND HAS RAISED A FANTASTIC
£608,430
and we would like to thank you all for your incredible efforts!
The Atlantic Fund encompasses all donations made to our funding priority areas - Scholarship, Educate, Green, Capital and Unrestricted Atlantic. All donations included in this fund are made from annual, monthly and one time gifts (under 10k) from the UWC Atlantic Community and our Alumni Class Appeals.
There have been significant strides in supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds to access transformative education here at UWC Atlantic. Next year there will be 46 students on campus that are supported, in part or fully, by the Atlantic Fund!
Other initiatives the Atlantic Fund have supported this year include the System Transformations Pathway, the initial phase of our castle repair which saw the
renovation of the Mardi building’s roof, our green projects with the planting of 1,000 trees and ongoing improvements in the Valley including a water irrigation system, with a goal of local and sustainable food production.
Our Regular Donors have all made an impact on the lives of multiple deserving students and allowed the development of education, capital and green projects on campus. With the average regular donation at just £23 a month, if all alumni were to set up a regular donation we would be successful at raising over £3 million each year.
If you have not done so already, please consider creating a regular donation at UWC Atlantic. You will make a difference. To all of our community members that contribute towards the Atlantic Fund, of whatever size, thank you for your support!
We’ve had another encouraging year full of purpose with our oncampus entrepreneurial hub, Lighthouse. Our students have had the opportunity to build knowledge and skills around innovation, entrepreneurship, systems and design, and project management.
We’ve awarded a number of grants through Go Make a Difference and Lighthouse for student projects which aim to make a meaningful difference in the world.
In amongst the festivities of Prom and Graduation we awarded our Lighthouse Prize winners. Four projects were awarded between £1,700 and £10,000 to take the next steps in their plans.
The prize recipients were:
AISA (Artificial Sign-Language Intelligence Assistance) - a translation app to bridge the communication divide between hearing and deaf people.
Light Up - a scheme to accelerate the use of sustainable energy in Zimbabwe whilst endorsing female empowerment by promoting poultry rearing and using the profits to buy solar panels for communities.
New Beginnings - a rehabilitation scheme for juvenile detention leavers that provides them with vocational training.
International Football Coaching - a scheme that will provide free football training sessions for young people in the local community to address the lack of access to affordable sports.
We continue to express our sincerest thanks to our generous donor (who wishes to remain anonymous) who founded Lighthouse and continues to support its incredible work to date.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse NEWSLETTER
THIS WEEK‘S NEWSLETTER
Recap of this year in the Lighthouse Hub! Opportunities to apply for programs and schemes!
LIGHTHOUSE 2023/24:
9 Lighthouse Grants awarded in 2023/24!
We want to say a MASSIVE thank you to everyone that has been involved with the Lighthouse Hub this year!
13 projects pitched for a chance to win a Lighthouse Prize!
40+ amazing impact projects proposed!
Have a great summer and we look forward to hearing more of your project ideas next year!
10+ countries impacted by Lighthouse projects!
4 Lighthouse Prizes awarded!
United Women for Change:
Empowering Young Women through Education
According to UNICEF, educating young girls transforms communities by delaying early marriages and fostering healthier, more productive lives. UWC Atlantic supports this by forming a group of female leaders to mentor young women from disadvantaged backgrounds. Our diverse student body benefits from scholarships, allowing refugees to study alongside children of royalty.
oftheCircle Memb
Baroness Helena Kennedy
Barrister for more than 50 years focussing on human rights. Baroness Kennedy works with the most vulnerable and marginalised in society. She’s also a King’s Counsel and Member of the House of Lords.
We’re seeking female philanthropists to donate not only financially but to also mentor young girls from the MENA region, Africa, Latin America, and wartorn countries to attend UWC Atlantic, fostering future leaders.
Priscilla Rattazzi
Fine arts photographer specializing in black and white landscapes. “I am hoping to help the student I’m mentoring to understand how important it is to learn to really listen to other people because it will be a critical skill in their careers.”
Ana Pincus
As a filmmaker and founder of the Akhilanda Women’s Foundation, I am dedicated to empowering women through storytelling, advocacy, and philanthropy. I have spent the last 20 years working as a documentary filmmaker and supporting social impact projects. “I want students to cultivate a deeper understanding of the power of storytelling and its ability to spark change by amplifying the stories of those often overlooked.”
Jolande Gröflin Corneliussen
Alumni and Psychologist - “The bigger themes in my work are “conflict”, collaboration and cooperation, perspective-taking, embodiment and self-awareness, and a systemic and person centered framework.”
cpU o mingEvents
UWC Maastricht Women’s Conference - next academic year, we are invited to the UWC Maastricht Women’s Conference, a similar initiative to ours that will inspire you to be that inclusive and caring leader, paving the way for the next generation
UWfC Panel & Networking Event - in celebration of International Women’s Day, we will hold another UWfC Panel & Networking Event.
MEMBERSHIP AND COMMITMENT
Membership donations range from £1,000 to a full scholarship, with a commitment of at least 7 hours over the academic year. To join, email uwfc@uwcatlantic.org.
UWCA
Sponsorship Reflections
What inspired you to donate to a student scholarship at UWC Atlantic?
For us it was the happy intersection of our philanthropic focus; which we describe as “providing life chances” and the incredible opportunity that UWC offers.
Since 2019, Anne and I have supported two students at UWCA. My initial contact with the college came through discussions with a foundation I was working with. This left me so impressed with what UWCA is trying to achieve that we decided to sponsor Amalia, a truly impressive girl from Zimbabwe. Before we made the final decision Anne came to see the college and after spending time with some
students, was clearly won over.
Then in 2022 we were approached just after the Russian invasion of Ukraine to sponsor Yeva who comes from Chernivsti. At the time it seemed to be a way of making a tangible contribution in the face of a cruel act.
What impact do you hope your donation will have?
Financial support is the critical enabler for the period of study, but Anne and I are clear that sponsorship is about more than just money.
For the two years at UWC Atlantic the houseparents provide amazing support, but for a young person who is far away from home we also like
Paul and Anne Donovan with Yeva (UWCA ‘24)
to think that we have offered a welcome haven for weekends and holidays, and for their parents there is the reassurance of knowing that there is care and support for their kids beyond the campus in the UK. Both Yeva and Amalia have had the opportunity to feel part of a family, which we feel is important.
It’s also a two-way street. As a family we have benefitted from building close, caring and enduring relationships, and formed better understanding of other cultures and perspectives. The future is bright. We are so happy that Amalia and Yeva have emerged as confident and empowered young women ready to take on the world, and their access to fully funded Shelby Davis scholarships at US universities has created a platform for lifelong success. We hope to be at both of their graduation ceremonies in the coming years.
Why do you believe investing in a UWC education is important?
It’s sometimes difficult to explain just how different a UWCA education is. It’s not just the global context, the breadth of the IB curriculum and the myriad of activities on offer, but the way that young people are invited to take personal responsibility for themselves, while showing care and empathy for others. This equips them to thrive in the future. As Amalia told us “On the 15-hour bus journey from Bulawayo to Harare for my UWCA interview, I knew that the following day would define my whole future”. And she was right.
Neither of our students would have been able to access this quality of education without our support, and we feel grateful to have enabled their experience. We also wish we had known about Atlantic College when our own children were in their teens!
What message do you have for other potential donors?
I would say come to take a look! Speak to the staff and students to learn first hand what it is that makes this place so special. Work out what model of support you might offer –be it a simple financial donation, or something broader. In either case it will enable a young person to fly.
Can you summarise your experience of donating in three words?
Joyful, humbling, rewarding
Katy Meet
...one of our amazing students
I am Katy Richards from South Wales. I started at UWC Atlantic College with a mix of excitement and nervousness, a step towards a dream supported by Pears Foundation. As a deaf person with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), I found a place at Atlantic where diversity flourishes and inclusivity rules.
The UWC idealism is more than a philosophy; it’s the pulse of our community, motivating us to create global change. Here, my talents and energy are not just recognised—they’re appreciated and used for making a real difference. The friendships I’ve made cross continents, each one a proof of UWC’s mission to unite people, nations, and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.
Looking back on my first year, the collection of memories is rich and diverse. I’ve written thoughts for the school magazine, expressing my experiences and views.
Floorball has become my sport of choice, an unexpected passion found through the Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) programme. National evenings have been a cultural patchwork, each event a chance to engage with the traditions of my peers.
These experiences, however, wouldn’t have happened without the scholarship. It has been the key that opened the doors to this world of opportunities—a world where my disability does not limit my potential. The trust given to me by the Pears Foundation. has been the greatest gift, one that I carry with gratitude each day at Atlantic College.
As I go on with this extraordinary journey, I take with me the lessons learned, the joy of new discoveries, and the unwavering support that has made all this possible. Thank you for an experience that has not only shaped my present but will enrich my future.
IRU Meet
...another one of our amazing students
My name is Irú. My name means ‘soul friend’ in Guaraní, I’m from rural Uruguay and a first year student at UWC Atlantic.
My first encounter with the UWC mission was through a family friend and I clearly remember how my eyes opened and filled with elation, I just had to apply. What came to my mind
was the amazing opportunity, to learn about people from all over the world, from different cultures and moreover the chance to share my culture, that means so much to me.
From the moment I got the news I would receive a scholarship, everyday became a countdown to the day I arrived. Of course I had insecurities about what it would be like and how I would feel. My level of English was a concern, which made the first year a harder process as I had to learn a new language as well as the IB, but I had support from the beginning.
During my first year, I enjoyed everything that the school and the student body offered, from camps, activities, townhalls and the daily chats in Sunley dayroom. Once settled I got the opportunity to give
back to the community through various iniiatives. A highlight for me was performing in the Ibrolations National Evening as the main character where I could share my culture.
What defined my AC experience were my peers, my CASes, classes, teachers and habitat. I feel honoured to be a part of the inaugural cohort of the Systems Transformation Pathway: Leadership for Just Futures, where I have had teachers that taught me to understand the world from a different perspective from what I was used to. Additionally learning about topics like energy that I’m passionate about, being able and supported to make a project in my home country during the summer.
I would define my first year living the UWC mission as a success, my time here has enabled me to work hard, and do as much as I can to give back what has been given to me. This has all been possible thanks to the support of my sponsor, The Bunge Philanthropic Foundation and the Uruguayan National Committee. To both I am eternally grateful.
Systems transformation Annual Review
As we enter the second year of our pioneering Systems Transforma for Just Futures we would like to thank all our donors who have sup Your support and belief in this new educational programme has bee programme is designed to affirm the active hope that transforming u systems is possible, and it is made so by young people learning to take good action within complex, polarized, and contested spaces
As we enter the second year of our pioneering Systems Transforma for Just Futures we would like to thank all our donors who have sup Your support and belief in this new educational programme has bee programme is designed to affirm the active hope that transforming u systems is possible, and it is made so by young people learning to u take good action within complex, polarized, and contested spaces
As we enter the second year of our pioneering Systems Transformation Pathway: Leadership for Just Futures we would like to thank all our donors who have supported us in our first year. Your support and belief in this new educational programme has been key to its success. The programme is designed to affirm the active hope that transforming unjust and unsustainable systems is possible, and it is made so by young people learning to understand systems and take good action within complex, polarized, and contested spaces.
Starting our second year in August we are doubling our intake from 24 and enrolling up to 50 into our new cohort. Even with this increase, we expect that this year interest will again exceed capacity and participation in the Systems Transformation Pathway will be subject to selection.
Our inaugural cohort have been working hard over the summer, bringing the work of transforming systems to their home communities. Some of the interventions the students have been working on include:
Starting our second year in August we are doubling our intake from into our new cohort Even with this increase, we expect that this yea capacity and participation in the Systems Transformation Pathway w
As we enter the second year of our pioneering Systems Transfo for Just Futures we would like to thank all our donors who have Your support and belief in this new educational programme has programme is designed to affirm the active hope that transform systems is possible, and it is made so by young people learning take good action within complex, polarized, and contested spac
Starting our second year in August we are doubling our intake from into our new cohort Even with this increase, we expect that this year capacity and participation in the Systems Transformation Pathway w
Our inaugural cohort have been working hard over the summer, brin transforming systems to their home communities Some of the inter been working on include:
As we enter the second year of our pioneering Systems Trans for Just Futures we would like to thank all our donors who hav Your support and belief in this new educational programme ha programme is designed to affirm the active hope that transform systems is possible, and it is made so by young people learnin take good action within complex, polarized, and contested spa
Our inaugural cohort have been working hard over the summer, brin transforming systems to their home communities Some of the interv been working on include:
Starting our second year in August we are doubling our intake f into our new cohort.Even with this increase, we expect that this capacity and participation in the Systems Transformation Pathw
MIGRATION: Jonas is working on an Indigenous countermapping initiative in the northern regions of Lapland, home to the largest population of Sámi people in Finland.
Starting our second year in August we are doubling our intake into our new cohort Even with this increase, we expect that thi capacity and participation in the Systems Transformation Path
MIGRATION: Jonas is working on an Indigenous initiative in the northern regions of Lapland, home population of Sámi people in Finland
MIGRATION: Jonas is working on an Indigenous c initiative in the northern regions of Lapland, home population of Sámi people in Finland.
Our inaugural cohort have been working hard over the summer transforming systems to their home communities. Some of the been working on include: MIGRATION: Jonas is working on an Indigeno initiative in the northern regions of Lapland, ho population of Sámi people in Finland
BIODIVERSITY: Gabriela is working in the Caatinga, in the state of Paraíba. She is creating a sticker album of endangered animals in this semi-arid biome in the northeast of Brazil, to connect children to their local ecosystem and species facing the threat of extinction.
BIODIVERSITY: Gabriela is working in the Caatin Paraíba She is creating a sticker album of endang semi-arid biome in the northeast of Brazil, to conn local ecosystem and species facing the threat of e
BIODIVERSITY: Gabriela is working in the Caating Paraíba She is creating a sticker album of endang semi-arid biome in the northeast of Brazil, to conne local ecosystem and species facing the threat of e
Our inaugural cohort have been working hard over the summe transforming systems to their home communities Some of the been working on include: MIGRATION: Jonas is working on an Indigen initiative in the northern regions of Lapland, h population of Sámi people in Finland.
FOOD: Aman is collaborating with the oldest auto exchange in Nepal to promote agroecological farm sovereignty in his home village of Kachorwa in Ne
FOOD: Aman is collaborating with the oldest autoc exchange in Nepal to promote agroecological farm sovereignty in his home village of Kachorwa in Nep
BIODIVERSITY: Gabriela is working in the Ca Paraíba. She is creating a sticker album of en semi-arid biome in the northeast of Brazil, to c local ecosystem and species facing the threat
BIODIVERSITY: Gabriela is working in the C Paraíba She is creating a sticker album of e semi-arid biome in the northeast of Brazil, to local ecosystem and species facing the threa
FOOD: Aman is collaborating with the oldest autochthonous seed exchange in Nepal to promote agroecological farming methods and seed sovereignty in his home village of Kachorwa in Nepal.
ENERGY: Runn is supporting the long-term energ Papagayo tribes in the Bodhisattva Valley in Phetc Thailand She is working with the community to ad energy-intensive underground water pumping nee 500 trees by installing solar panels and building ca community to maintain them
FOOD: Aman is collaborating with the oldest exchange in Nepal to promote agroecological sovereignty in his home village of Kachorwa in
ENERGY: Runn is supporting the long-term energy Papagayo tribes in the Bodhisattva Valley in Phetc Thailand She is working with the community to ad energy-intensive underground water pumping need 500 trees by installing solar panels and building ca community to maintain them
FOOD: Aman is collaborating with the oldest exchange in Nepal to promote agroecologica sovereignty in his home village of Kachorwa
ENERGY: Runn is supporting the long-term energy self-sufficiency of the Papagayo tribes in the Bodhisattva Valley in Phetchaburi province, Thailand. She is working
ENERGY: Runn is supporting the long-term e Papagayo tribes in the Bodhisattva Valley in P Thailand. She is working with the community energy-intensive underground water pumping 500 trees by installing solar panels and buildin community to maintain them.
ENERGY: Runn is supporting the long-term Papagayo tribes in the Bodhisattva Valley in Thailand She is working with the community energy-intensive underground water pumpin
500 trees by installing solar panels and build community to maintain them
transformation pathway
Review
with the community to address the energy-intensive underground water pumping needed to maintain over 500 trees by installing solar panels and building capacity in the community to maintain them.
TOTAL INVESTMENT NEEDED:
£5.3 million
£870,500
UWCA current investment
£120,000 Capital investment costs
£1.075M Donations secured to date
£3.3 M shortfall funding left to raise
"Graduates of this new IB Diploma Pathway will leave UWC Atlantic uniquely empowered. They’ll learn how to organise at scale and address systemic challenges, balancing the ‘why’ of systems thinking and the ‘now what’ of transformative change, inspired to secure a just future for our people and the planet. This collaboration between the IB and UWC Atlantic is vital in paving the way for the future of the IB Diploma Programme more generally”
Olli-Pekka Heinonen, IB Director General
Scholarships
Our scholarship programme remains instrumental in fostering diversity and creating life-changing opportunities at UWC Atlantic. With our ambitious goal to provide scholarships to 60% of all students by 2032.
We are fortunate to receive support from many generous donors, each playing a vital role in making these scholarships possible. Among them,includes the Davis-UWC Dare to Dream Programme, who last year pledged $700,000US towards 14 students who joined us in August 2024.
A powerful testament to the impact of scholarships and our community is through our 2023 match funding campaign for Female Refugee Scholarships via the Big Give. The campaign brought our community together to raise a total of £240,000. Sangah, a student supported by this
campaign shares her appreciation to all those who have supported her education;
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue my education at UWC Atlantic. In the future, I want to help people in the same way that I have been helped. This opportunity has given me hope and the determination to make a positive impact in the world.”
Looking ahead, we are excited for our next generation of students and remain committed to sharing the power of education.
2025 TARGET
£6,000,000
Our Castle Roof 42
We are delighted to announce the successful renovation of Roof 42 at St Donat's Castle (the old sick-bay roof as some of our alumni will remember!), a project made possible through the generous donations of alumni and friends including Sybil Longson, Jill Longson (AC81) and Colin Hapgood, the Aase og Hans Torps trust, Andrew Orr (AC77) and those who donated via the college’s Atlantic Fund. Your unwavering support has not only preserved a piece of our cherished history but has also ensured the safety and beauty of this iconic structure for future generations to come.
The historical significance of this roof cannot be overstated. Our heritage specialist contractors have worked meticulously to restore the roof to its former glory, respecting the original craftsmanship while incorporating necessary modern reinforcements.
The result is nothing short of spectacular — a testament to both the rich history
of St Donat's Castle and the dedication of those who have contributed to its preservation.
Looking ahead, we are excited to continue our efforts with the next stages of the castle roof renovations. Plans are underway for the restoration of the Portcullis Tower roof and the Brewhouse roofs. These areas, like Roof 42, are steeped in history and require careful and expert restoration to maintain their grandeur.
Currently, we are in discussions with potential donors to fund these significant projects. However, to fully realise our vision, we need additional support. We are reaching out to our community, friends, and supporters to ask for your help. Any contribution, no matter the size, will bring us one step closer to preserving the majestic beauty of St Donat's Castle.
2025 TARGET
£219,000
UWC Endowment Fund
As a college we have joined the newly formed UWC Endowment Fund for scholarships as of 1st July 2024. The UWC endowment fund is an exciting and ambitious movement-wide initiative, currently supported by 8 colleges in the network; with others also likely to join.
Run by the highly experienced alum, Adriaan de Mol van Otterloo, the aim is that by pooling funds and keeping costs low these endowed scholarship donations will have the best chance of above-average annualised returns, thereby maximising scholarships.
One of the benefits is that donations to the UWC endowment for UWC Atlantic will indirectly benefit the other colleges as they increase the size of the common fund. The other key benefit in joining is the first $2million endowment pledges secured will unlock $1million match funding.
The aim of the UWC Endowment Fund is to ensure perpetual funding for scholarships, allowing students from diverse backgrounds to access a transformative UWC education.
By securing long-term scholarship funding, the Endowment Fund allows talented students worldwide to benefit from our unique education model, regardless of their financial situation. Starting with 40 million USD, we aim to grow this to 300 million USD by December 2026 and eventually to two billion USD.
To find out more information about this exciting opportunity to leave a real lasting legacy contact philanthropy@uwcatlantic.org
TARGET
£1.5M donation after 2 years of investment, would allow us to have a student join UWC Atlantic every other year.
Education Hub
Hub
To transform education, we must transform our academic spaces. Our vision is a new Education Hub to support the delivery of teaching of UWC Atlantic students for the next 60 years.
Offering collaborative and flexible teaching areas, science labs and a gathering space, this new Education Hub will impact the learning of over 15,000 future UWC Atlantic scholars.
Project Costs
At its heart, the Education Hub will have four teaching villages encompassing Mathematics, Sciences, Languages and our new IB course the System Transformation Pathway (STP).
These villages will have spaces for fully equipped laboratories alongside four hubs for cross-curricular collaborative learning and at its centre an atrium or Town Square where all staff and students will meet to discuss, socialise and share ideas - the UWC way.
Student Philanthropy
There is a real commitment through our students to increase the number of students accessing financial support within UWC Atlantic. All of our students benefit from the deliberate diversity we offer here and are invaluable advocates for our ambition to increase our scholarship to 60% over the next 10 years.
Two of our student-led initiatives include:
PROJECT
505
The aim of Project 505 is simple yet profound: to instill a tradition of giving back that will resonate with future generations of UWC Atlantic students.
Our diverse community is the heart of our transformative mission and what we stand for as a student body. Scholarships are the key to keeping this diversity alive, providing deserving students with equal access to lifechanging opportunities.
As students, we are driven to give back to the place that has greatly influenced our lives and in a mere few months the students raised more than £9,500
Hot To Go
Hot to Go is a social enterprise designed to bring together people from around the world to enjoy a variety of diverse dishes. It helps teach students about running such an enterprise, as well as practical skills like cooking.
All profits are either reinvested in the kitchen or donated to students’ financial needs or to local charities (e.g. Bridgend Food Bank) or donated to support student scholarships. The aim is to embody the UWC movement by making the restaurant a tool for uniting people and building bridges that last a lifetime, whilst also promoting sustainability and financial accessibility.
This year, we have:
- Served over £300 worth of free meals to students who could not otherwise afford them.
- Applied for and received a £25,000 grant for kitchen updates and crucial supplies.
- Raised and donated £5,000 towards scholarships for UWC Atlantic students.
LOOKING
We want to transform education, we want to continue to offer education to all students regardless of financial status and we need YOUR support.
We need your
We need your
We need your
TIME TALENT TREASURE
Join us to help transform education together.
To all our supporters, volunteers and national committees a huge thank you. We would not be able to support so many students without your time, talent and treasure.
