Celebrating Philanthropy at Wellington

August 2021 – October 2023

We are extremely grateful to our Wellington Community of parents and OWs for their exceptional support for the College. We are so appreciative of everything that you have done and continue to do.

Since our last Community Report was published in 2021, we have been able to achieve a huge amount and here are a few highlights we wanted to share.

Allocation of funds:

£8.2m

91% Scholarships and bursaries

2% Governors discretion

6% Campus Development

Prince Albert Foundation Scholars

We currently have

30 PAF students and

41 OW PAF students

Behind the scenes of Giving Week 2023

Collaboratively leading Giving Week efforts to surpass previous fundraising records

Working together to keep the Community programme on track

Coordinating communications, including emails and films

Organising amazing events to enhance the overall Giving Week experience

Handling essential tasks such as pulling mailing lists and managing data

Overseeing donation uploads and striving to increase participation rate

Engaging Giving Week Ambassadors and ensuring active participation and enthusiasm through various channels

Managing the Giving Week platform

Thanking donors and addressing finance-related enquiries

New parent party September 2023

I was so happy to get involved as I wanted to share how I’ve benefited from coming to Wellington, and many parents were moved by the impact it’s had on me. I wished to voice how the program goes beyond individual scholars, and impacts entire communities. The event meant a lot to me as I spent it alongside my beloved friend Naomi, who has been on this journey with me for many years, as it marked the end of our time at Wellington shortly after graduation. It’s been great to hear about the success of the event and I’m excited to see future Scholars flourish on this programme.”

Eszter Gerezdi, Speaker at PAF Party and PAF OW (Hg 23)

Our 350 guests:

86

3rd form parents

94

4th form parents

38

5th form parents

68 L6th parents

64 U6th parents

As new parents to Wellington College, we were struck by the rich history and legacy of this institution. It’s inspiring to see how generations of students have thrived here and gone on to make meaningful contributions to the world.

The decision to make a donation and get involved in supporting this school is rooted in my own experiences and the belief that every young person should have the opportunity to receive early support in their journey. I am passionate about nurturing young talent and providing them with the tools they need to excel. I want to make a lasting impact on the lives of young individuals and helping to continue the tradition of excellence that Wellington College represents.”

New Wellington parent

I’ve heard about singing for your supper, but this really was over and above the call of duty …. It might not make a Christmas Number one … but will forever be etched in our memories! Will there be an encore at Speech Day?! Wonderful that so many parents made pledges on the night and during Giving Week.” Helen Watson, 2023 GW Ambassador

James and Murray’s performance of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jnr’s ‘Me and My Shadow’.

109

Ambassadorshavelenttheirsupport toour2021–2023GivingDays

Giving Week Ambassadors are recruited to shout about the brilliance of the Prince Albert Foundation Scholarship programme and to encourage parents from their House to get involved! The Ambassadors do this by:

Sharing information provided by the Community Team

Working closely with Housemasters to build a buzz around the week

Encouraging healthy

I am so proud of Wellington College’s commitment to providing fully funded places to talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds who would otherwise not have any access to the highest quality education available. Giving Week is a fantastic initiative to bring awareness and funds to this impactful programme and I am delighted to be a small part of it.

Having met several Prince Albert scholars over the years, I have heard how transformational a Wellington education is for these students. Wellington’s support of these students continues through university and into the workforce until they are 25, which I think it critical for these young people who often don’t have role models from their own family and network. It is the easiest charitable donation I make each year and I know that the PAF programme makes a real difference.”

Jacqueline Lee Picton Giving Week Ambassador

competition!

Gemma Warrilow, parent and producer of the GW2023 films, told us why she got involved in the Prince Albert Foundation and Giving Week

“Very simply, I strongly believe that the Prince Albert Foundation goes to the very core of what makes Wellington College such a great school. The fact that the school was set up as a charitable institution to look after orphans is a fundamental element of the schools’ ethos that has continued over the years, and in my eyes the charitable side could not be more important today in times of such disparate educational opportunity. Having had an insight into how the Prince Albert Foundation works through an initial donation, I was keen to help in any other way that I could.

Getting involved in the filming and interviewing of past and present pupils has been an incredible privilege – not only are the students bright, curious and engaging but it is clear how much they have gained from the Wellington environment, whether it be simply laughing with friends in house, or taking to the Wellington Climbing wall! But the pupils clearly give back to the wider Wellington community more than they take through their determination, energy and involvement in so many aspects of the College, which certainly rubs off on everyone. I am yet to meet one PAF student who has not made the most of their time at Wellington and have no doubt that they will all rule the world – here’s hoping!”

Gemma Warrilow

HM incentives

To encourage participation within their House each HM is asked to provide an incentive which is realised once participation reaches 50%. Incentives are usually sociable and fun and in the past have included House drinks, afternoon teas and karaoke nights, but sometimes an HM will volunteer to do a crazy challenge!

HM incentives this year included:

– Dressing up for the day – Dyeing hair blue for the day – Running a 30 mile race

– Swimming across Swan Lake – Carpool Karaoke à la James Corden – 24-hour treadmill run

– Skydiving (by a brave HM who was terrified of heights and flying!)

“I was very happy to offer my hair as part of the incentive to create some buzz () around Giving Week. The deal was that the boys could give me a haircut of their choosing if the parent participation was high, and the boys didn’t waste their chance, giving me ‘the monk’. It was all in a great cause – we have had a number of PAF scholars in the Benson who have enriched house life enormously in all sorts of ways, and thanks to the parents generosity, we can look forward to lots more.”

Simon Allcock, Housemaster of the Benson

Tony Adams (HM Hill) swam across a freezing cold, Swan Lake with Hopetoun HMs Polly and Sam

“Brooke and I had wanted to come up with a significant incentive for Giving Week – something that would push us outside our comfort zones and help raise as much money for the PAF programme in the process – a foundation that has given so much to a number of boys in the Stanley over the years. So, when we arrived at the idea of running non-stop on a treadmill for 24 hours, we thought that was the perfect idea! 168 kilometres and 24 very long hours later we reached the end, battered and broken but elated that we had done it, raising a considerable amount of money for PAF scholars in the process.”

Charlie Sutton, Housemaster of The Stanley and Brooke Cantwell, Assistant Housemistress of The Stanley

“One of the best things we do at Wellington College, is recognise others who might need a helping hand, whether it be monetary, a community initiative or just a kind word. I feel proud to be a part of this support network and be able to see first hand, the difference the Prince Albert Foundation Scholarship programme makes for students at Wellington. The Giving Week incentive is a genius idea as it allows us as HMs to once a year, come out of our comfort zone to help the PAF programme and our house charities. The Skydive I chose to do was probably the most terrifying thing I have ever done, but I guess it would be for someone who has vertigo, hates flying and has a fear of heights! I didn’t want to offer an easy incentive but one which would not only raise valuable funds for Papyrus UK but give others the confidence that they too can go out of their comfort zone, no matter how difficult it might be. It still haunts me to this day, but I got through it knowing, what the money I raised would do to help others in a far worse situation than I was when I made that jump.”

Adele Brown, Housemistress of The Talbot

The Giving Week 2023 Facts & Stats

Focus Follow Support

We followed 4 PAF Scholars who joined Wellington in 2021 from Cumberland School in Newham, East London. During GW2023 we shared film clips of their individual journeys and the impact that coming to Wellington has had on them, their families and the wider Wellington Community.

Our team and the GW Ambassadors shared over 300 WhatsApp messages during GW2023, engaging students across 17 Houses, staff and the wider Wellington community. This messaging was instrumental in ensuring that all Houses reached their participation goals and unlocking all the fantastic HM incentives.

Donations per day

Our amazing Matched Giving donors provided £250,000 of funds to match gifts up to that amount from new parents.

£1.6m raised during GW2023

Participation per day

1,262 participants for GW2023

All Houses reached the target of 50% participation

so all incentives were unlocked

11 Houses reached 100% participation

£1.6m was raised in total during Giving Week which means we are able to offer

16 more young people a sixth form PAF Scholarship

End of GW2023 celebrations

Campus Development

The building of the new Sixth Form Centre is going well and is due to open in October 2024.

The Centre will create a home for our Sixth Form students where they will receive the most up-to-date university guidance and support and will be a hub for careers advice and guidance.

The Centre will also provide space for individual and group study for the Sixth Form students.

Thank you to all our incredibly generous parents who have donated towards this project.

Sixth Form build progress

The Future of Legacy Giving

As we look to the future, the role of legacy giving and the tradition of philanthropy, which began in 1853, remains as important as it’s ever been. It is our hope that, with the support of our generous Old Wellingtonians, Wellington College will continue to thrive in the decades ahead and well beyond.

1853

The College is founded as a charitable institution to educate the orphan sons of Army officers –the original ‘Foundationers’

1947

Mrs Copeland left a gift in memory of her son, Rupert Copeland (Hl 1907-09) , to be used for the foundation of a scholarship to support a boy during his entire time at Wellington

1997

Richard Bedford (M 1938-42) left a gift towards bursaries for children of Army officers

1918

Several OWs who died in the Great War left gifts which helped to offer significantly reduced fees to sons of officers killed or totally incapacitated in the Great War

1977

Lt Col R. H. Chappell left a gift in memory of his son, Bruce Chappell (Bn 1974-76), for improvements to the cricket pavilion

2003

Sir Robert Gatehouse (Hl 1937-42) left a gift to be directed at the Governors’ discretion

2012

Michael Mousley (Bd 1936-40) left a gift which enabled the expansion of the library 2016

James Wort (teacher and HM for almost 40 years) left a gift to be directed at the Governors’ discretion 2021

David Corsan (O 1939-43) made a gift towards the Foundationers’ Scholarship fund

2013

Timothy Crosthwait (P 1928-33) left a significant gift which established a bursary fund in his name

2020

Lionel Pridham (A 1954-57) made a gift towards the Prince Albert Foundation Scholarship

2023

Robin Norris (O 1947-51) made a gift towards the refurbishment of the cricket pavilion

Legacies

Waterloo Society

The Waterloo Society is for those who have made a commitment to support the College with a legacy gift. Members are invited, along with their family, to special events throughout the year. We would like to thank all our Waterloo Society members for letting us know that they have made a commitment to support. Please see our supporter list overleaf.

35 members of the Waterloo Society (up to December 2023)

£1.5m

total received from legacy giving

Legacy Giving Tree

In 2022 we commissioned a memorial in the form of the ‘Legacy Giving Tree’ which is situated in the Living Legacy Garden here at College. This is a memorial to anyone who has generously left a gift in their Will. Commemorating these individuals in such a special place is a token of our thanks for helping to support the future development of the College.

Top: Sam Osmond (Hl 51) next to the Legacy Giving Tree, and above The Legacy Garden

A huge thank you to all who have supported the Wellington community.

For more information about any of our fundraising activities, please contact the Community Team: community@wellingtoncollege.org.uk

Community Office

Wellington College

Crowthorne

Berkshire

RG45 7PU

community@wellingtoncollege.org.uk

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wellingtoncollege.org.uk

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