Pymble Foundation Impact Report 2023/2024

Impact Report

2023/2024

CHANGING

Acknowledgement of Country

Warami budyari naady’unya Dharug ngurrawa

Hello, it’s good to see you on Dharug Country.

Bayadyingun budyari Dharug yuragu

We speak well of Dharug people.

Bayadyingun budyari Dharug warungadgu baranyi, yagy baribugu

We respect Elders past, present and future.

Yanma muday ngurrawa

Walk softly on Country.

Yanmagan budyari murugu

Together we walk a good path.

A message from the Chair and Principal

2023 was a year of firsts for our Pymble family. We launched our Pymble Foundation at the start of the year, followed by a mid-year Annual Appeal and our inaugural Foundation Gala Ball in October.

“As a proud Pymble parent, I am excited to lead the Pymble Foundation Board. Our Board directors are passionate about realising our vision for the future of Pymble and very grateful for the overwhelming support we have received in our first year of operation; thank you.”

Mr Simon Rothery Chair of the Pymble Foundation Board

MR SIMON ROTHERY CHAIR, PYMBLE FOUNDATION

At the heart of this work lies our intent to guide philanthropy within our community to further support aspects of the College that make Pymble such an extraordinary school for girls: our People, our Places of learning, and our learning Programs.

DR KATE HADWEN

PRINCIPAL, PYMBLE LADIES’ COLLEGE

Thanks to our community’s generous response, the Pymble Foundation has the means to provide bursaries to three adolescent girls from Afghanistan, who commenced at Pymble in 2024. Our inaugural Pymble Foundation scholar, a refugee from Ukraine who commenced at the College in 2023, will complete Year 12 in 2024, supported by the Foundation. She hopes to continue her studies next year at university to achieve her dream of becoming an engineer.

“Our heartfelt thanks go to each person who contributed to our Pymble Foundation in the past 12 months, whether that’s as a Foundation Board member, donor, a guest at the Gala Ball, or a supplier or purchaser of fundraising items.

“Thanks to you, four young girls who came to our shores for safety will receive the gift of a world-class education and the love and support of our Pymble family.”

Dr Kate Hadwen Principal

Thank you for supporting our People, our Places and our learning Programs.

About the Pymble Foundation

The establishment of our Pymble Foundation and Board in November 2022 was the result of extensive research and planning to ensure the College has the right governance, skills and oversight to lead and manage a successful philanthropy program amongst our community.

At the core of our philanthropic aspirations lies our College vision and mission for our students, which is supported by our Strategic Direction 2021-2030: Watch Us Change the World.

Philanthropy at Pymble benefits current and future generations of students by supporting the development of our People (through scholarships and means-tested bursaries), our Places of learning, and our Programs that all combine to ensure the College remains a world leader in educating girls and young women.

Giving, at a glance 2023/2024

1 January 2023 until 31 March 2024

$1,822,353 Funds received + $688,000 Pledged donations for 2024 = $2,510,353

Total funds raised for the period

Together, we are making a profound difference

79 donations to the 2023 Annual Appeal, Grey House Precinct Appeal and the Building and Scholarship Funds.

77% of donations are from current families.

20% of donations are from members of the community, including Alumni.

2 gifts in-kind from current families.

2 bequests from Alumni.

70 items donated for our Gala Ball auctions.

Meet our generous donors

WHY WE GIVE

The Harvie Group has been proudly associated with Pymble for more than 25 years. Owners Chris and Peta Harvie have daughters who attended Pymble, and their youngest is currently in Year 9.

The Harvie Group generously donated a commission -free residential property sale as a live auction item at our Gala Ball, which contributed $30,000 to the Pymble Foundation.

“The closeness we have as a family and our appreciation and connection to the school plays a huge part in the joint upbringing of our girls. We see our involvement as a priceless benefit in building the foundations of the school, its vision and expansion. Money can’t buy what we are assisting this amazing school create, and the joy we share as a family in playing a part in Pymble’s history as well as its future.”

Chris and Peta Harvie, with daughters, Bianca (2010), Ciara (2010), Mia (2010) and Cienna (Year 9).

“Pymble is no ordinary school. For more than a hundred years, the generosity of our community has helped to create and support the exceptional environment and character of the College.

“My husband, Peter, and I have helped in various appeals over years, including the establishment of the First Nations Scholarship program. This offers a Pymble  education, which our own three lucky girls had, to young women who perhaps would not otherwise have the opportunity, but who have so much to give the school and the wider world.

“There is a great, long-term joy in giving and seeing the impact benefactors have made, over generations, as part of the unending chain of generosity at Pymble.”

Mrs Kate Mason, former Chair of College Council.

Oh, what a night!

INAUGURAL GALA BALL

A highlight for the Pymble Foundation in 2023 was hosting the inaugural Foundation Gala Ball held on Saturday 14 October at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Our black-tie event was attended by 234 guests and raised an impressive $292,425 and a net surplus of $168,325. This enabled Pymble to offer scholarships to three refugee students from Afghanistan who commenced in 2024.

We extend our thanks and appreciation to the many families who donated prizes for the raffle, games, and the live and silent auctions, and to our event sponsors:

• Event Partner, The Harvie Group

• Mercedes-Benz Hornsby

• Bathers’ Pavillion

• Louis Roederer Champagne

• CMP Printing

Our heartfelt thanks go to the tireless efforts of our Foundation Ball committee members, whose contribution ensured the evening was a wonderful success.

• Rebecca Sullivan

• Jessica Shirvington

• Alison Rothery

• David Burns

• Natasha Rowe

• Shiva Rich

• Vian Qiu

A WORD FROM OUR GUESTS

“What a fabulous evening. We can’t wait for the next Pymble Foundation Gala Ball!”

Ex-Students’ Union

“The program ran so beautifully and smoothly. Everyone had a such a wonderful time and the atmosphere was amazing. This was an outstanding evening for the school community.”

Shiva Rich, Secretary, Pymble Parent Association, and Gala Ball Committee member

“Well done on a truly magnificent evening. As a dear departed friend of mine with the most impeccable manners would have said, ‘an absolute triumph’!”

Edwina Burns, Pymble parent

What a wonderful display of our Pymble family’s values.

Investing in People –Transforming lives

Thanks to our generous community, the Pymble Foundation is currently supporting

FROM AFGHANISTAN TO PYMBLE, WITH LOVE

Our three students from Afghanistan, including two wards of the state who are unable to be identified, have made a positive start to 2024, managing the transition to Pymble with enthusiasm, courage and dignity.

Pymble’s robust transition program included a series of orientation sessions, bespoke swimming program involving students from their previous school, and a refugee readiness audit the College undertook ahead of the girls’ commencement.

Pymble has a strong cohort of students of Muslim background who are keen to make friends, and the girls are well supported by peers and Wellbeing staff, who are all committed to our Social Intelligence vision of diversity as the path to unity.

1 Student from Ukraine Year 12

3 Students from Afghanistan Years 7 and 9

First Nations Scholars Years 7 to 12 22

In 2022, the Pymble Foundation Scholarship Fund was established to provide bursaries for girls displaced from their homes by war and other catastrophic events.

“I still can’t believe I’m here and I’m actually at school... Feels like a dream.”

Kseniia (Year 12), who fled Ukraine with her mother and younger brother in 2022, while her father stayed behind to fight the Russian invasion.

MEET MALALAI

In 2024, Malalai joined our Year 7 cohort, thanks to the generous support of the Pymble Foundation’s Scholarship Fund for refugees.

Malalai is the youngest of 12 siblings, one of whom was killed by the Taliban after they took control of the Panjshir Valley where her family lived.

“I am here because of you.”

She came to Australia as a refugee in 2022 with her older sister and brother, leaving her parents and family behind. Arriving with no English, Malalai now speaks without an interpreter and is a joyful contributor to life at Pymble. She hopes to use this opportunity to go on to study medicine or healthcare at university, ultimately to help others.

“In Afghanistan, school was small, just 90 girls and boys from Kindergarten to Year 9. Some children who were in Year 6 did not know how to read. Taliban don’t let you go to school after Year 5. I was sad not to study.

“When I first came to Pymble, I was thinking I was so happy for a chance for me to study and make my future.

“I like to be doctor to help people. When I was in Afghanistan, I saw lots of children and people dying, sick. They didn’t have money to go to doctor. So, I want to be doctor and help them. Everyone needs help when they are sick or hurt, like my brother.

“Thank you so much for helping me and giving me an opportunity to come here and do my study and be the one I want to be in the future, to help people. I am here because of you.”

“Thank you for helping me be the one I want to be in the future, helping other people.”

Malalai, pictured with our Head of Social Impact, Julie Shaw, and her guardian and sister, Nassim.

MEET TEEGAN

Teegan Wattam (2017) is a proud Larrakia and Wadjigan woman who attended Pymble from Year 10 to Year 12, thanks to our First Nations Scholarship Program. She recently completed a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Speech and Language Therapy from Charles Darwin University (CDU) – the first Aboriginal person to graduate from CDU with this dual degree. Teegan currently works as a Speech Pathologist with NT Health to improve the health and voice of her community, and she continues to give back to Pymble’s First Nations Program as a mentor and advocate.

“At 15 years of age, I applied for a scholarship at Pymble as I wanted a chance to experience life outside of the Northern Territory

and a wide range of opportunities. Truthfully, I didn’t really like school and had missed quite a few days. I wanted an opportunity to change that.

“I didn’t get accepted at first. I was upset but decided to write Julie Shaw a letter of thanks for the interview and to tell her I wouldn’t be giving up. The day I found out there was a place for me at Pymble, I found out I had been offered a scholarship at a boarding school in Adelaide. I chose Pymble.

“Pymble changed my life. It made me believe in myself and back myself. I look back on my time at the College and have no doubt it was the best decision in my life. It surrounded me with people who wanted to see me achieve, and who took time out of their days to support me, my family and my culture. These people are still supporting me on my journey today even though I graduated six years ago.”

“Without this opportunity, I do not think I would have gone on to achieve what I have today. I am so grateful to Pymble and the people that supported me on my journey.”

Teegan Wattam (2017)

Investing in Places – Building our future

WHY WE GIVE

Martin and Danielle Scott have had two daughters graduate from Pymble, and their third, Emma, is in Year 8. All the Scott girls have benefited greatly from the Dance program. To reflect their gratitude, the family has funded one of the six new Dance studios in our Grey House Precinct, which will be named in their honour.

“Our eldest was diagnosed with severe scoliosis in Year 6 and had to undergo extensive life-threatening corrective surgery, leaving us unsure of her future. Her only thought was, would she ever dance again? She asked that we video her dancing before undergoing surgery, just in case. Amazingly, she pushed through and was selected for the Eisteddfod Dance team many years later. We firmly believe what pulled her through was wanting to dance again. It means a lot to our family to support the new Dance Centre, which Emma, and future generations of students will continue to benefit from.”

Martin and Danielle Scott , with daughters Courtney (2019), Jess (2022) and Emma (Year 8).

Artist’s impression of one of the six new Dance studios in the Grey House Precinct.

Below: The new STEM/Robotics Centre in the Grey House Precinct.

Scan the QR code to see our Grey House Precinct naming recognition opportunities. NAMING RECOGNITION

MASTER PLAN PROJECTS

Scan the QR code to see a summary of upcoming Master Plan projects.

Leaving a legacy

The Pymble Foundation was grateful to receive notification of two generous bequests from Alumni during the period of March 2023 to March 2024.

MRS SYLVIA CAMPBELL (FRANKLIN, 1944)

Sylvia Campbell recently left a generous bequest to Pymble, following her death at age 94. After speaking with her daughter, Corinne Campbell (1973), we are delighted to channel this generous gift towards the creation of a courtyard inside the new Wellbeing Centre in our Grey House Precinct.

“Mum and her sister, Joan, were both ex-students of the school, as am I.

“In 1941, their father was wounded in Hong Kong and captured as a prisoner of war. The family had no news of him for a very long time and, from then on, the money he had been sending the family stopped.

“My grandmother soon realised that she couldn’t afford the school fees and advised Miss Knox that she was going to have to take the girls away from the school. Miss Knox was very sympathetic to my grandmother’s financial situation and promised to speak to the School Governors. They agreed that, since my grandfather was missing in action in the war, the school fees could be reduced.

“My mother was always so grateful to Miss Knox for her intervention and kept in touch with her for many years after leaving school. So, in recognition of Pymble’s kindness to her in the 1940s, Mum has left a bequest in her will.

“I look forward to spending time in the new courtyard reflecting on my mother’s life and our happy association with Pymble when I return to the College for my next school reunion.”

Corinne Campbell (1973)

“Thank you for your kindness in our time of need.”

MISS BETTY BENNETT (1951)

Betty Bennett was a quiet achiever, who graduated in the class of 1951. It was a time when World War II was over and the world’s first nuclear power plant opened and, closer to home, the College was at capacity with students. Miss Dorothy Knox was the Principal, and, soon after Betty’s departure, the foundation stone was laid for the library.

After obtaining her Leaving Certificate, Betty went on to become a physiotherapist, working in hospitals and medical centres in Australia and overseas for the next 40 years. She also served on the Australian Physiotherapy Association (NSW) Council in the 1970s and 1980s.

Throughout her life, Betty was always a generous giver to others in need. When she became aware of Pymble’s Indigenous Scholarship Program, she was compelled to provide in her Will a sum of money to provide a young indigenous woman the same benefit and opportunity she received at school. A First Nations Scholarship in her name will now be offered at the College.

We are grateful Betty has kept Pymble in her heart for all these years and made provisions for the gift of educating others.

How to give

LET’S CHANGE THE WORLD TOGETHER

Name/s

Please tear along the perforated line to return your form if you wish to support our Pymble Foundation.

I/we intend to give my/our gift as indicated below. (Please complete (a) or (b).)

I am/we are pleased to make a tax deductible gift to Pymble Ladies’ College and would like my/our gift to be directed to the Foundation Building Fund to support the school’s capital works program.

(a) I/we wish to give $ (the full amount)

OR

(b) I/we wish to give $ (the full amount) by instalment as follows:

$ each term over three years, starting in the month of OR

$ twice per year over three years, in the months of and OR

$ annually over three years, in the month of

 Please send me a reminder at the start of the month indicated.

 Please create a tax deductible receipt in the name of

 I am/we are happy to be contacted by the Pymble Foundation about future appeals and events. From time to time, Pymble acknowledges the generosity of donors in College publications. Please indicate in the box below if you do not want to be publicly acknowledged. At no time will the amount of your gift be included in the acknowledgement.

 Please do not list my/our name in College publications.

Payment method

 Direct debit to the Pymble Ladies’ College Foundation Building Fund BSB: 032134 ACC: 457432

If you are a current Pymble family, please use your Family Reference Number and the word ‘gift’ as the transaction reference e.g. 123456 GIFT.

If you are Pymble Alumni, please include your graduation year along with your surname as the transaction reference e.g. 1986, SMITH.

For all other donations, please note your surname e.g. SMITH.

 Credit card – scan the QR code or go to thepymblefoundation.raisely.com/en

 Please contact me about a donation

BUILDING CONTRIBUTION GOALS

To ensure our building program delivers these projects to the scheduled completion dates, the following financial support is required.

Our sincere appreciation is extended to Yuna Chen and Dr Xiaoxiang Su for the supply and installation of the solar panels for the Grey House Precinct.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to support the College and are thankful that our daughter is able to learn and grow at Pymble.”

Yuna Chen

and Dr

Thank you for your interest in supporting the Pymble Foundation. For further information, please contact:

Dr Kate Hadwen, Principal, Pymble Ladies’ College PO BOX 136 North Ryde BC, NSW 1670 Australia Telephone: +61 2 9855 7602 | Email: principal@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

Xiaoxiang Su, with daughter Abbey (Year 2).

Meet our Board members

Our highly experienced Pymble Foundation Board is led by Chair, Simon Rothery, and Deputy Chair, Rebecca Sullivan.

Board members include David Burns, Sophia Fang, Chris Fydler OAM, Li-Enn Koo, Melinda Graham, James Hunter, Yehan Koo and Alison Rothery.

Together, the team brings many decades of expertise in financial governance, business, philanthropy and nurturing strong community relationships. Foundation Board members are personally connected to the College as Alumni or through their daughters and are excited by the opportunity to build a successful donor program that will contribute to the continued delivery of an exceptional educational experience at Pymble

SIMON ROTHERY CHAIR, PYMBLE FOUNDATION

REBECCA SULLIVAN DEPUTY CHAIR, PYMBLE FOUNDATION

CHRIS FYDLER OAM BOARD MEMBER, PYMBLE FOUNDATION

JAMES HUNTER BOARD MEMBER, PYMBLE FOUNDATION

DAVID BURNS BOARD MEMBER, PYMBLE FOUNDATION

LI-ENN KOO BOARD MEMBER, PYMBLE FOUNDATION

YEHAN KOO BOARD MEMBER, PYMBLE FOUNDATION

SOPHIA FANG BOARD MEMBER, PYMBLE FOUNDATION

MELINDA GRAHAM BOARD MEMBER, PYMBLE FOUNDATION

ALISON ROTHERY BOARD MEMBER, PYMBLE FOUNDATION

Giving Day 2024

The date has been set and plans are underway for our annual Giving Day on 12 November 2024, which is also our much-loved Jacaranda Day when we celebrate our College culture of generosity, being of service and giving.

This year we have partnered with Charidy, an organisation that supports a communal approach to reaching our set target of raising $250,000 for our Building Fund.

Members of our community will be invited to make a donation in the lead-up to the appeal. Each gift will be announced to our community as an opportunity for a matched donation, effectively doubling the amount and helping us to arrive at our target faster.

Your tax-deductible gift to our Giving Day 2024 will be directed towards the Pymble Foundation Building Fund supporting our exciting Master Plan program of works. No matter how large or small your donation, we are grateful for our community’s generosity.

OUR TARGET: $250,000 IN MATCHED DONATIONS

Donation is made.

Donation is matched. Target is reached sooner.

Soil turning ceremony to celebrate the commencement of the Grey House Precinct.

INTRODUCING OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY

Sara Jones joins our team in May 2024 to help steer philanthrophy at Pymble. She looks forward to getting to know our wonderful community and welcomes your enquiry via sara.jones@ pymblelc.nsw.edu.au or foundation@pymblelc.nsw. edu.au

GALA BALL 2025

Plans are underway for a second Pymble Foundation Gala Ball to be held in 2025. Details of the biennial event will be shared with our community soon. We look forward to

“As Chair of the College Board, I am proud to lead a school that brings community together to support refugee students, who would otherwise not have access to a Pymble education, as well as the development of buildings where all our students can access world-class teaching and learning.”

Mr Chris Fydler OAM Chair of the Board, and Foundation Board member

“It is a pleasure to be part of the governance team that has worked so hard behind the scenes to establish the Pymble Foundation and to witness the profound difference it is already making. Together, we have a bright future ahead.”

Ms Melinda Graham Deputy Chair of the Board, and Foundation Board member