FUNDRAISINGNEWS 2018
Fundraising has always been a pleasurable experience for me in my time at Arnold House. It must be the certainty of knowing that whatever the cause, and disregarding the economic climate of the day, the support of parents, former parents, old boys, governors and friends of the School can be relied upon. Having
said that, it is true to say that current parents provide the horsepower and thrust to drive the fundraising engine in any campaign - be it the Bursary Fund, Annual Fund or wider charitable causes. The success of recent fundraising events, and the time and effort willingly given, underlines how generous this group has
been. In the broadest sense this reflects well on the School but the positive effect this collective effort has on the boys, helping them to understand the importance of giving, is immeasurable.. and for this we are enormously grateful. Viv Thomas Headmaster
GROWTH AND IMPACT OF THE BURSARY SCHEME The notion of bursaries was not at the front of the minds of the parent group when our elder son arrived at Arnold House in 2009, though in fairness none of us were initially looking beyond the day to day worry of our son losing his cap or his reading record in those very early days! Even though there was a boy with a full assisted place further up the school, and I later learnt had been one previously as well, this had been arranged very much on an ad-hoc basis and there was no formal policy yet in place. It was, however, very clear that there was a drive and commitment from the Headmaster and Governors to change this and the Bursary Gala in May 2011 was the first collective manifestation of these good intentions. Some 230 people gathered for the event sat in their year group tables – in the now familiar hall at ASL – and we had a very pleasant evening with stirring speeches by Mr Thomas and Patrick
Derham, the current Westminster Head and AH Governor who was then still at Rugby School, followed by a rather competitive auction. The step-up in focus and organisation following Stephanie Miller’s arrival could not have been more easily seen. After this point, the Bursary Scheme was launched to the parent body as a whole and we now enjoy the opportunity to come together either for a social evening or to support the boys as I’m sure we will this year at the Fun Run in March. These events and accompanying ongoing fundraising have quickly become an established and an important part of the DNA of the School and with 17 boys having now benefitted from the scheme the fruits of everyone’s efforts is plain to see. I have felt a great sense of pride at being able to be involved in the evolution of this process – though I would not like to
overstate my input as it has truly been a team effort between staff, governors and a large cohort of parents, all of whom have been both dedicated to and enthusiastic about the project. I was one of the Year 2 reps on the AHPA at the launch Gala, and following another year of repping, I was happy to have been invited to join the Board of Friends in my capacity as Chair of the Parents’ Association. I would encourage any parent who would like to get involved in any way to approach the School because there is usually a way to use people’s talents and efforts and I have never once regretted the time invested. I can also say from experience that the chance to get involved and feel like you are making a contribution is also easier at Arnold House than it often is at senior schools – though for many of the senior schools the bursary programme is very much the norm. An added bonus is the pals I met