Giving at NHSG

We have empowered and enabled generations of women. These women have informed and shaped the world we live in today and it is our mission to continue to educate the young women of the North East, equipping them with the knowledge, education, skills, values and ability to lead and the courage to make a difference in the world. In an ideal world all young people would have access to an education that offers this extraordinary start in life. The reality is that this opportunity is open to very few. NHSG is committed to building a fairer society, one that will guarantee a better future for the next generation. Our bursary programme opens doors, hearts and minds, creating a diverse school community that fosters social mobility.

Currently 15% of our pupils are in receipt of financial support through our bursary programme.

Since NHSG was founded in 2014 we have invested over £6million in our bursary programme which has supported almost 100 girls through the School and a further 68 pupils currently in school. Four out of nine of our most recent bursary programme leavers achieved three A* grades at A Level, one receiving the highest mark worldwide, an extraordinary achievement.

Bursaries have been a fundamental part of our School since it’s earliest foundation in 1872 and we know the programme works. We have several notable bursary alumnae. Miriam Stoppard has had a ground-breaking career and in 2010 was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to healthcare and charity. Yvonne Heslop- Harrison was the second woman to receive the Royal Society Darwin Medal in recognition of her major contribution to plant physiology and was instrumental in the establishment of the first world seed bank at Kew.

Jo Ashbridge is founder and director of Architecture Charity, AzuKo. Her projects change lives, building homes and improving access to sanitation, writing global guidelines for shelters post-disaster and championing communityled approaches to rural development.

Isabella West is a tech entrepreneur and a champion for sustainability, tackling wasteful ‘fast fashion’ and changing the way fashion retail works.

The number of bursaries we are able to offer is only limited by the funds we can raise. Our bursaries are currently funded from a variety of sources: The GDST, The Catherine Cookson Trust, The Reece Foundation, legacies, regular giving and occasional donations.

Many old institutions have a strong tradition of philanthropic gifts and for generations have built significant endowments, with girls’ schools being the notable exception. Financial control has been male dominated throughout our history but with the rise of women in control of their wealth the face of philanthropy

is changing. In 2021 approximately 67% of women in England advised they had given to charity, compared with 59% of men. Forbes statistics show that women give almost twice as much of their wealth away as men and are more likely to invest in long term solutions than immediate aid. Women have never been in a stronger position to lead, change and shape the economic, social and political landscape.

The young women of the North East need your support. We are asking you to invest in an institution with over 300 years of combined experience in educating young women, instilling in them the values and ethos on which the School stands and preparing and inspiring them to become leaders. Each and every gift, large or small, makes a transformational difference.

You will be putting the future in the hands of the most talented and brilliant young women of our region, irrespective of their background.

Legacies

Legacies are critical to our bursary programme. Leaving a gift in your will to NHSG is a generous, far sighted act that will provide for the future of the School and enable us to continue to shape and mould the leaders and trail blazers of tomorrow, offering an education founded on honour, fairness, kindness and integrity to the brightest young women of the North East, regardless of financial circumstance. Compassionate, educated children are the most powerful legacy we can leave behind. We are now pleased to be able to offer a free will writing service (with no obligation to leave us a gift). If you are considering leaving us a gift in your will, please do get in touch.

Regular Giving and One Off Donations

If you would like to consider supporting us now, donations at all levels truly make a difference. Each and every amount donated contributes towards the education of an exceptional young woman. The simplest way to make a single or regular gift is online at www.gdst.net/donate/ Newcastle

Please use capital N!

Alternatively, please complete the enclosed gift form and return it in the prepaid envelope. 100% of all donations go directly to support pupils at Newcastle High School for Girls.

Contact Polly De Giorgi, Philanthropy Manager.

Tel: 0191 201 6549 Email: p.degiorgi@ncl.gdst.net