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Development Trust Office Newsletter December 2016
Thank you for your feedback on our first Newsletter published in July 2016. I was delighted that so many of you sent me through comments and thoughts. The beautiful summer passed so quickly and now Christmas is all but upon us. Fund raising is still an absolute priority but so too is keeping in touch with you - our offspring; our alumni! To use that well known phrase…. “there’s good news and there’s bad news”! There’s plenty of good news throughout this newsletter, but I’ll give you some bad (or we could just call it annoying!) news first…...We were unsuccessful in getting the grant I mentioned back in July, from Foyles. BUT, we will not be downhearted! We WILL find some funding for the library, the DTO is on the case! Please can you help us in a very direct way? Our Librarian, now known as the Learning Resources Co-ordinator, has come up with a fabulous initiative called “Shelf Help”. She wants to set up a specific area in the library where our students can find books to help through issues that might be giving them anxiety, be it stress, ADHD, mood swings….There are 34 titles she has identified, ranging in price from £4.50 to £16.99 (all 34 titles cost £338.64). Ideally she would like two copies of each book, but lets not run before we can walk! Please help this initiative. If you would like to sponsor a specific book, I can arrange for your gift to be noted in the front of the book. I am attaching a form at the end of the newsletter for you to specify your intention. ——————————————————————————————————————————--
Any old books? Staying with the book theme, here’s a fun story from an ex-student, Caroline Beevis, who left us back in 1985. She studied French A’Level but managed not to return 3 of her books at the end of her time here. Finding them stashed in a suitcase all these years later, Caroline decided to have a book amnesty and has sent them back to us! She told me tales of being successfully published in the 1980-81 school magazine with her poem “Moon”. I was able to find this in our archives and sent her a copy. I would be fascinated to hear of any school items you may still have in your possession. Do let me know and return them if you wish to - there will be no fines for late returns - I promise!
a tradition of excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
T: 01622 752103
F: 01622 681947
E: central @mggs.org
www.mggs.org
The Newsletter What’s in a name….? I am amassing names and information about our alumni. The database now numbers nearly 1,500 exstudents and staff and makes fascinating reading as names come into and go out of popularity. Bearing in mind my list is by no means complete, the top 5 most popular girls names at MGGS are Hannah, Emma, Laura, Rebecca and Sarah. Rebecca crosses the largest time span from 1975 through to 2016. ….and
a date?
And our oldest old girl (who is still active on email), was here from 1936 until 1942. She came into school for a visit in October 2016! Read about Val below!
Do drop by…. It is marvellous when alumni visit us. If you do just drop by, we will of course do our utmost to welcome you and show you round the school. If you know you are going to be in the area, please do let us know in advance so we can ensure someone is free for you. One of our oldest “Old Girls” (and I know she won’t mind my saying that about her!) Val Edrich dropped by in October. Now living out of Kent, she was having a reminiscing tour of the county with her daughter, Judy and came in to visit. We spent a happy hour learning about school life back in WW2 time. Val left school in 1942 and went off to join the WRAF as a driver. She was thrilled to come back to school and we loved meeting her. I was contacted by ex-student Elizabeth Belsey and together we planned a reunion event for her and 15 of her classmates. They were at school between 1961 and 1968 and several of them had not walked through the school front door for over 51 years! They enjoyed a good lunch INCLUDING gypsy tart….a favourite from their time here and then wandered round the school, reminiscing about lessons in this room and that, explaining how walls had been moved around in various areas. And telling stories of how on their final day at school they threw their berets AND brown knickers into the Medway!!! No wonder so many of them had spent time on the Red Chair that used to be situated outside the Head’s Office. If you would like to organise a reunion event, large or small, please contact me on abrown@mggs.org
a tradition of excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947
E: central @mggs.org
www.mggs.org
The Newsletter Maidstone Girls Grammar School Old Girls’ Society is holding their AGM on Saturday 25 March 2017. The Development Trust Office is delighted to be organising a 10 year and 25 year reunion event alongside this. Some of you will already have received an email telling you that this event was in the planning stages, but we now have the date! I have attached a formal invitation to this Newsletter. If you left MGGS in either 2007 or 1992, then get this date into your diary. Contact as many of your old classmates as you can and come and reminisce! We are organising a lunch, we have a superb guest speaker—Mrs Mary Smith who was Headmistress whilst our 2007 leavers were here - and you will have the chance to tour around your old school, sit at your old desk, spot your name on one of the boards in the hallways, share stories, take photos and see friends, class mates and teachers you may have lost touch with along the way. The Development Trust Office will be organising annual 10 and 25 year leavers events but if you would like us to organise something smaller scale for you and your “best friends”, we can arrange the event to accommodate you. Just get in touch with Alexandra by email abrown@mggs.org The Wheels on the Bus will not go round any more after March 2017…… the lease comes to an end so we need to buy a new one. The Development Trust Office has been tasked to raise money for this project. This is an essential piece of school equipment, taking our students to sports matches, trips and on Duke of Edinburgh expedition excursions to name just a few uses. Please make a donation to the Minibus fund - a donation form is at the end of the newsletter and don’t forget to Gift Aid your donation, it bumps up whatever you can give us by 25%. If you have any useful contacts in the minibus world, please do get in touch. We can discuss sponsorship if that appeals to you or your company. Mary Smith - headteacher at MGGS from 2006 - 2014 has written a book, A
Schoolgirl’s War
about life in school during the second world war. It incorporates amazing pictures drawn and painted by the art teacher at the time— Miss Keen; along with interviews with Old Girls who were students at MGGS during the war. Their true life experiences make fascinating reading. All funds raised from the book are being put back into the school and will support the projects that the Development Trust Office is working on. You can purchase a copy of the book for £9.95 via the school website www.mggs.org/news. Postage and packing to the UK is extra - you could always come and pick up your copy in person!
a tradition of excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947
E: central @mggs.org
www.mggs.org
The Newsletter Breaking news…..The William Oldham Charitable Trust, a Maidstone based trust has come forward with some wonderful funding. We are thrilled to announce that due to their generosity and sponsorship, we are able to replace the grotty old gym windows that overlook one of the quads AND give that quad a complete facelift. You can see clearly the desperate need for these works and we will be thrilled to show you “after” pictures - hopefully by the time the next newsletter comes out.
Speech Day
We are looking forward to seeing our newest alumni in January 2017 at . 174 year 13 students left us following their A’ level exams last June and we hope to see as many as possible in January to celebrate their excellent achievements and find out how life after MGGS is treating them! 81% of our Years 13’s achieved 3 or more A* - C grades and over 83% of our students went on to University. Sue Threader from the Rochester Bridge Trust is the speaker for the occasion. The Rochester Bridge Trust were instrumental in funding the building of MGGS back in 1888 - their grant of £6,500 enabled a school which accommodated 50 pupils and 3 mistresses to be opened.
Your news So you can see the Development Trust Office has plenty on its “TO DO” list. But, it isn’t all about financial support, it is not just your money the DTO is after. We also want your news. We are like proud parents of our ex students, keen to brag about your achievements and enjoying basking in your reflected glory. Alys Earl who left us in 2003 has just had a novel accepted for publication. Time’s Fool is a novel of atmosphere and tension, of secret struggles and undisclosed desires…what begins as a coming of age soon descends in to murder, madness and betrayal. It is available for pre-order as a limited edition hardback through https://unbound.com/books/times-fool, where it is crowd-funding its initial production costs, and the names of everyone who orders it at this stage will be printed in every edition of the book . Aayushi Pandya who left in 2012 came in recently and spoke to our sixth form about her work with an organisation called Marrow, the student representation group of the charity Anthony Nolan. They aim to recruit healthy prospective individuals between 16-30 onto the National Stem Cell register, to see if they are a match for individuals with leukaemia or other blood cancers/disorders. If you would like more information about this contact Aayushi at kings@ukmarrow.org
a tradition of excellence
Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947
E: central @mggs.org
www.mggs.org
The Donation Form Development Trust Fund – MGGS (charity number 1141948) I would like to support Shelf Help and enclose a cheque made payable to MGGS Development Trust Fund for the amount of £_________ I would like to support Shelf Help and have made a payment of £__________ directly to MGGS Development Trust Fund account with HSBC account no. 32495813 sort code 40-31-06. Please quote reference MGGS / DTF / SH I would like my name inserted in the front of a particular book, please contact me to discuss this further (please supply your email address) ________________________________________________________ I would like to support the Minibus Fund and enclose a cheque made payable to MGGS Development Trust Fund for the amount of £_________ I would like to support the Minibus Fund and have made a payment of £__________ directly to MGGS Development Trust Fund account with HSBC account no. 32495813 sort code 40-31-06. Please quote reference MGGS / DTF / MF Gift Aid Declaration By signing below, MGGS can claim an additional 25p for each £1 you donate at no extra cost to you, provided that you pay income tax at least equal to the tax reclaimed. If your circumstances change, you must notify MGGS. Signed
____________________________
Date
____________________________
Address of signatory
Print name _________________________
_________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________
a tradition of excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947
E: central @mggs.org
www.mggs.org
The Invitation The Development Trust Office of Maidstone Grammar School for Girls formally invites
all alumni of 2007 and 1992 to celebrate their 10th and 25th anniversary years of leaving MGGS on Saturday 25th March 2017 12 noon at Maidstone Grammar School for Girls Buckland Road Maidstone Kent ME16 0SF Guest speaker Mrs Mary Smith - head teacher 2006-2014 ——————————————————————————————————————————-Tickets for the event including lunch are £12.50 per person. Please send a cheque payable to MGGS Development Trust Fund to the address above marked for the attention of the Development Trust Office or make a direct payment to MGGS Development Trust Fund with HSBC account no. 32495813 sort code 40-31-06. Please quote reference MGGS / DTF / Reunion 03/17
a tradition of excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947
E: central @mggs.org
www.mggs.org
The Standing Order Form Development Trust Fund – MGGS (charity number 1141948) Standing Order Mandate To: Bank name
___________________________________________________________
Bank address
___________________________________________________________
Please pay
MGGS Development Trust Fund HSBC PLC 1-5 Week Street Maidstone Kent ME14 1QW
Sort code Account no Reference
40-31-06 32495813 MGGS DTF
The sum of
£ ______________
Starting on
______________
Account no
_______________
then: monthly/quarterly/annually for __________ years OR until further notice
Sort code
_______________
Signed
Account name
_______________
_____________________________
Gift Aid Declaration By signing below, MGGS can claim an additional 25p for each £1 you donate at no extra cost to you, provided that you pay income tax at least equal to the tax reclaimed. If your circumstances change, you must notify MGGS. Signed
____________________________
Date
____________________________
Address of signatory
Print name ____________________
_______________________ _______________________ _______________________
a tradition of excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947
E: central @mggs.org
www.mggs.org